Boston, MA - Boston Latino TV (BLTV) is pleased to announce the honorees of the 5th Annual Access Awards that will take place on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at Royale Nightclub in Boston. Individuals and institutions that have used their influence, creativity, leadership, networks, passion, vision, spirit and talent for the advancement of the Latino community will be honored in the following categories:
INFLUENTIAL LEADER AWARD
Presented to an individual that demonstrates outstanding dedication, commitment and leadership that strengthens our community.
Recipient: Jaime Rodriguez, President of the Puerto Rican Monument Square Association
Jaime Rodriguez is a Vietnam Combat Army Veteran (1968-1970, Infantry 11B20.) He was an Administrator for The Cardinal Cushing Hospital in the early 1970’s, worked at ABCD in the mid 70s, and he was a Team Leader of the Federal Outreach Center in Boston designing Outreach Centers around the United States and Puerto Rico in the 1980’s. He retired after 22 years as a Research Coordinator for The William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences at the University of Massachusetts, Boston Campus. He was one of the founders of El Jolgorio de Massachusetts, and has dedicated his life to defending Veteran's rights in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Rodriguez is currently the president of the Puerto Rican Monument Square Association, a non-profit organization that was created with the goal of building the first national monument dedicated to Puerto Rican soldiers of all wars.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARD
Presented to an individual that is creative, innovative; results oriented and takes the initiative to be an agent of change.
Recipient: Madeleine Steczynski, Co-Founder and Executive Director of ZUMIX
Madeleine Steczynski founded ZUMIX in 1991 in response to the worst year of violence in the City of Boston's history. Together with ZUMIX's Board of Directors and Youth Advisory Board, she has grown ZUMIX from a kitchen table project into a vital East Boston community institution. As an advocate for the arts, Madeleine has served on the Executive Committee for East Boston Healthy Boston Coalition; was one of the founding members of Cultural Connections, a three-year effort to integrate arts as part of a Sustainable Community initiative funded by The PEW Charitable Trust; and served as an Artistic Fellow for The Boston Foundation's Arts and Audiences Initiative. She also served for three years as a Cultural Fellow for the New England Foundation for the Arts Building Communities through Culture Initiative, and as a Community Fellow for Eureka Communities Boston.
COMMUNITY NETWORKING AWARD
Presented to an individual or institution in recognition of consistent exposure of professional and influential members of the Latino community.
Recipient: Colette Phillips / Get Konnected!
Launched in March 2008, Get Konnected! is the brainchild of PR and multicultural marketing pioneer, Colette Phillips, President and CEO of Colette Phillips Communications, Inc. and creator of Kaleidoscope, the city's first comprehensive multicultural resource guide. Get Konnected! is the first and only bi-monthly professional and social multicultural networking event for professionals of all cultures in Greater Boston. Colette Phillips is widely respected and recognized for her amazing ability to build bridges and create cross-cultural and inter-racial social networks and connections. She and her company design strategies that help companies expand both their market share and bottom line by effectively targeting the fastest growing consumer segments domestically and globally -- Women, Blacks, Hispanics and Asians.
MEDIA AWARD
Presented to an individual that demonstrates unwavering passion for creating, writing, producing or delivering media from the Latino perspective that connects and engages viewers with our community.
Recipient: Sara Suarez, News Director at Univision Nueva Inglaterra
Sara Suarez has been informing and covering the many Latino communities throughout Massachusetts for nine years now. Her TV newscast, Noticias Nueva Inglaterra –the only local live weekday newscast in Spanish in the region— is actually celebrating its nine-year anniversary this month. Sara’s dedication to the local Hispanic community is admirable, not only by producing and delivering daily critical (and sometimes breaking) news in Spanish, but also by staying involved, engaging her audience and promoting important initiatives for Latinos, such as
el registro al voto. Sara is often part of community initiatives such as the first Komen MA survivorship conference for Latinas, serving as MC for the day-long event; and participating in the Milagros Para Niños campaign at Children’s Hospital Boston. Beyond that, Sara is able to truly connect with her audience: her TV viewers are fiercely loyal and any time she is in public in Boston, as Latinos recognize her, she takes the time to listen to their concerns and demonstrates that she genuinely cares about them.
VISIONARY AWARD
Presented to an individual or institution that demonstrates, vision, initiative and perseverance in attaining its mission.
Recipient: ¿Oíste?
¿Oíste? was founded in 1999 by several Latino activists from across the state who were concerned about the lack of Latino political representation and civic participation in Massachusetts. ¿Oíste? has dedicated itself to educating and empowering people to run for office and/or become civically engaged. ¿Oíste? offers an array of programs in civic education, leadership development, candidate training and civic engagement. ¿Oíste? is well rounded in providing Latinos with all the necessary tools to fully and effectively participate in civic life at all levels. As a result of ¿Oíste?’s efforts, thousands of Latinos in the Commonwealth have become civically engaged at the grassroots level through local civic education trainings, as well as its local and statewide advocacy efforts and political campaigns.
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AWARD
Presented to a business, organization or group that has directed their energies, ideas, and talents toward community advancement with the creative and innovative use of new media technology.
Recipient: Eric E. Liriano, Principal and Founder of Liriano Wealth Advisory Group, LLC
Eric E. Liriano is the Principal and Founder of Liriano Wealth Advisory Group, LLC. Mr. He is a sought after speaker and conducts financial planning seminars for employees of major corporations, health organizations and educational institutions. Mr. Liriano is a member of the Boston Estate Planning Council, the National Association of Life Underwriters, as well as a qualifying member of the distinguished Million Dollar Round Table. In addition, he serves on the boards of many well-noted non-profit organizations throughout the Metro-Boston area. He also was appointed and served on the City of Boston Post Audit Committee.
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AWARD
Presented to an artist or a group that has demonstrated dedication to their craft by persevering and achieving success while enhancing the image of the Latino community.
Recipient: Monchy & Nathalia
Monchy & Nathalia are a bachata duo who made their eponymous album debut in 2011. They pay homage to the origins of the Bachata and its evolution to the center of the popular music canon, with their eponymous debut album nominated in the XXII LATIN GRAMMY® AWARDS as “The Best Contemporary Tropical Album" and nominated/winners in PREMIO LO NUESTRO A LA MUSICA LATINA 2012 as “Tropical Solo Artist or Group Revelation of the Year”. This is recognizably and without question Monchy at his most self-assured, and mature- now complemented by the deep velvet of Nathalia’s rich vocal quality. More complex than the hits with which Monchy found his earlier success, Monchy y Nathalia’s work manages to sustain an exciting level of precision and passion certain to enthrall dancers and bachata lovers the world over.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Presented to an individual or institution in recognition of a lifetime of achievement.
Recipient: Alberto Vasallo, Jr.
Alberto Vasallo, Jr. is considered one of the most recognized and respected pioneers in New England’s Latino community. Mr. Vasallo is the founder and publisher of El Mundo Newspaper, he also has had an extensive and accomplished career in Spanish-language radio and as a large scale entertainment promoter. He was a founding member of many Latino non-profits including La Alianza Hispana, Concilio Hispano and currently serves as President of The Cuban Cultural Center, the oldest Latino social club in new England. Mr. Vasallo’s business career spans over 4 decades in Boston and, along with his brother Eduardo Vasallo, has forged an indelible legacy in the Latino small business community as entrepreneurs with a vision well ahead of their time.
The Access Awards will feature a VIP reception with complimentary cordials, a red carpet photo arrival by BLTV’s professional photographers LuzPorfolio and Francisco Chacon, music by DJ Juan Madrid, and special performances by internationally known salsa singer Frankie Negron, pop singer Amara “La Negra”, Brazilian dance group SambaViva, and Essencia Latina.
