National Institute for Latino Policy honors PR pro and two others with Orgullo Latino Awards tonight

NEW YORK, NY – The National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) is honoring three prominent Hispanics, among them a top Hispanic PR pro, with its Orgullo Latino Awards celebrating the organization’s 27th Anniversary Benefit Reception today in Manhattan. 

“We are so glad to see the widespread support that the work of our organization has gotten from the Latino community,” stated Angelo Falcón, the organization’s longtime President, “This is a time to celebrate but also a time to prepare for the many challenges before us as a community in the coming year.”

The theme this year is “The 2010 Census: Making Latinos Count.”  The Orgullo award will go to media executive Anna C. Carbonell, columnist and community activist Roberto Lovato, and social justice pioneer Dr. Josephine Nieves.  Past recipients have included Jimmy Smits, Congress members Jose E. Serrano and Nydia Velazquez, civil rights attorney Juan Cartagena, NYC Deputy Mayor Carol Robles-Roman, media advocate Marta Garcia, and others.

Among the key players who will be attending will be Dr. Robert Groves, Director of the US Census Bureau, who will speak about the importance of the 2010 Census to the Latino community. His presence is in recognition of the leadership that NiLP has taken in promoting the participation of Latinos in the 2010 Census through their Latino Census Network project. Also in recognition of the importance of the Census to the Latino community, this event brought together major sponsorships, in a rare joint appearance, by rival Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo, who both have major 2010 Census initiatives.

Desi Sanchez will be the Master of Ceremonies. She is the co-host of LatiNation and host of Music Choice’s Demanded show. Traditional Puerto Rican music will be provided by the Trio Los Platinos.

“We appreciate the unique combination of corporate, academic and union support that the Institute has received, which will help us address the ambitious agenda that we have set for ourselves for this coming year,” explained Dr. José R. Sánchez, Chair of NiLP’s Board of Directors.

Bios of Award Recipients

Anna C. Carbonell. Known as one of the most dynamic public relations professionals in the entertainment business, Anna Carbonell has served as Vice President, Press & Public Affairs for both NBC4 and Telemundo47 since July 2002.  When she first joined the station in 1995, she served as host and executive producer of “Visiones” the station’s Hispanic affairs program, and also served as executive producer for “Positively Black.”  Today, she continues to work with the NBCU Diversity Council, where she advises corporate management. Named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the Nation by Hispanic Business Magazine and one of the 50 New York Influential Latinos by the New York Daily News, Carbonell has received numerous industry honors and recognitions throughout her career, most recently receiving the Board of Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement by the local chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Robert Lovato. A leader of Presente.org and its Basta Dobbs.com campaign that played a key role in removing anti-immigrant commentator Lou Dobbs from CNN. National Latino advocacy organizations have been trying for years to accomplish this task and it is widely accepted that it was Lovato and his group’s recent role in this campaign that made a big difference. He shares NiLP’s interest in promoting a progressive politics within the Latino community and speaking truth to power.

Roberto is a New York-based writer with New America Media and a frequent contributor to The Nation Magazine. He’s also written for the Los Angeles Times, Salon, Der Spiegel, Utne Magazine, La Opinion, and other national and international media outlets. He has appeared as a source and commentator on English and Spanish language network news shows on Univision, CNN, PBS and other programs and made a recent appearance on Bill Moyers Journal. On the creative electronic front, Roberto has produced programming for NPR, Pacifica and the Univision Television Network, where he helped develop and produce Hora Cero, one of that networks first documentary series about immigration in the United States. Prior to becoming a writer, Lovato was the former Executive Director of CARECEN, which was the largest immigrant rights organization in the country. You can find him posting regularly on media, migration, politics and other issues at his blog, www.ofamerica.wordpress.com.

Josephine Nieves. A native New Yorker, Josie was brought up in the Bronx and East Harlem, and is presently retired and living in Washington, DC. She has more than 30 years of professional experience in social action, public and private sector programs and institution-building. She was the 1988 recipient of the New York State Martin Luther King, Jr., Medal of Freedom and was admitted to the YWCA of the City of New York Academy of Women Achievers, among many awards.

Among the many important positions she has held, she has been: The Executive Director of the 155,000-member National Association of Social Workers; a Clinton presidential appointee to the U.S. Department of Labor as head of the Office of Job Training Programs; Commissioner for the New York City Department of Employment during Mayor Dinkins’ administration; and Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice.

She was a founding member of the National Puerto Rican Forum, ASPIRA and the NYC Urban Coalition. Josie has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Museo del Barrio, the National Congress of Neighborhood Women, and the Greater New York Fund.

Josie holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a doctorate from the Union Graduate School (Antioch University Consortium of Colleges and Universities).

Sponsors

Major sponsors of this event are the union 32BJ SEIU, NBC4-Telemundo47, Telemundo and Univision. Others sponsors are: ABC-TV7, CBS, conEdison, Columbia University, d exposito and Partners, Forddham Law School, FOX Television Stations, Globalhue, Hostos Community College, Lehman College, PBS, and Toñio Burgos and Associates. Supporters include: the union DC37 AFCSME (AFL-CIO), National Refrescos Import Company, and Southwest Airlines.

About NiLP

The National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan policy center established in 1982 in New York City. Angelo Falcón is President and José R. Sáncgez is Chair of the organization.

NiLP’s focus this year has been mobilizing the Latino community to participate fully in the 2010 Census through its Latino Census Network initiative. The organization also hosts The NiLP Network, one of the most influential national online communities of Latino leaders and activists. NiLP has also been involved in efforts to make foundations more accountable to Latinos and other communities and also hosts the Latino Voting Rights Network of advocates of redistricting and other voting rights for Latinos. In 2009, NiLP was in the forefront of the campaigns to promote the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court, and for the removal of anti-immigrant ideologue Lou Dobbs from CNN.

Website
http://www.latinopolicy.org

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