Latino Consultants’ Sara Elena Loaiza, Awarded Public Relations Woman of the Year

Sara Elena Loaiza, Founder and Managing Partner of Latino Consultants, LLC, was awarded the prestigious Public Relations Woman of the Year award presented by the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Latina Business Women Association (NLBWA). The awards were announced in a ceremony at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood on June 24, 2011.

Ms. Loaiza oversees operations, strategic and creative direction, corporate responsibility, cultural initiatives, and leads all integrated marketing strategies for her company. Over the past 20 years, she has created award-winning social marketing campaigns and led the first nationwide Latino marketing initiative for CIGNA in the early 1990’s. Through her leadership and passion, Latino Consultants’ impact shapes policy, educates consumers and, ultimately, creates positive social change.Ms. Loaiza is a past appointee by the President of the United States to the Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Tuberculosis that serves the Center of Disease Control and, in 2008, she was given the California State Legislature’s Women In Business Award and was recognized by the State of California Office of the Controller. She says that giving back is more than generous or magnanimous act: it is a duty. Therefore, she volunteers and sits on numerous boards, including the American Diabetes Association, Anti-Defamation League, The Mexican Cultural Institute, The Wall Las Memorias Project, United Negro College Fund (Los Angeles Chapter), and the NCLR/CSULB Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation & Leadership Training.

The Complete List of NLBWA 2011 Honorees

• Public Relations Woman of the Year: Sara Elena Loaiza, Founder & Managing Partner, Latino Consultants, LLC
• Corporate Leader of the Year: Mónica Gil, Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, The Nielsen Company
• Corporate Professional Woman of the Year: Anita Gabrielian, Vice President, External Affairs, North Los Angeles County Region, AT&T
• Business Woman of the Year: Tina Aldatz, Founder & CEO, Foot Petals
• Construction Woman of the Year: Rita M. Vigil-Ferguson, G&F Concrete Cutting
• Health & Beauty Woman of the Year: Sara Sierra, Sara Sierra Hair Extensions
• Law Woman of the Year: Alma Rosa Nieto, Law Offices of Alma Rosa Nieto
• Professional Services Woman of the Year: Alice Cardenas, Alice Cardenas Consulting Company
• Retail Services Women of the Year: Linda Sous-Perez and Denise Valenzuela-Pelino, My Sweet Cupcake

Over 6 millions Latinas live and work in California today, representing 17 percent of California’s total population. (State of California, Department of Finance, July 2007). Latinas have the largest number of businesses in the U.S., owning an estimated 747,108 firms and generating revenues of nearly $62 billion as of 2008, according to the Center for Business Women’s Research. More than one-third (34.9 percent) of all Hispanic businesses are owned by women, with Los Angeles leading the way.

The NLBWA-LA Awards were supported by the generosity of several sponsors including: Verizon, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, The Nielsen Company, Farmers, Wells Fargo & Company, Staples, Southern California Gas Company/Sempra Energy Utility, Foot Petals, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, The Walt Disney Company, Memorial Health Care, Edison International and Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.