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The LATINA Style Business
Series in San Antonio was a
special treat. The event
cooperated with MANA: A National
Latina Organization’s Annual
Educational and Training
Conference, and attendees were
able to attend various
information sessions, panels,
and featured speakers from both
events. LATINA Style’s
sessions, of course, focused on
business, while MANA’s addressed
various issues, such as Social
Security and financial literacy,
education, and health. |
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The Latina Entrepreneur
Panel: Patricia Pleigo
Stout, Earline
Lagueruela, Teresa
Vasquez Romero & Omega
Arteaga-Gamboa |
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Since early morning Latinas eager for
information gathered around the exhibit
showroom, showcasing sponsor booths for
both the Business Series and MANA’s
conference. MANA President and CEO Alma
Morales Riojas delivered opening
remarks, followed by a MANA general
assembly that featured Theresa
Alvillar-Speake, director of the Office
of Minority Economic Impact and
Diversity at the U.S. Department of
Energy; and Ana Compain-Romero of State
Farm Insurance.
LATINA Style Business Series
first session, “Small Business
Administration Matchmaking,” featured
remarks by Debra Dimando, business
opportunity specialist with the SBA.
Dolores G. Gonzalez, AVP business
relationship manager with Wells Fargo,
addressed the audience next regarding
access to capital, and Alvillar-Speake
spoke about procurement and
small-business opportunities with the
Department of Energy. In the next
session, sponsored by Wal-Mart, Simon El
Hage, director of strategic marketing at
Lopez Negrete, spoke about brand
marketing strategies. Michael Verrill,
training manager for New Horizons,
closed out the LATINA Style
morning sessions with a technology-tips
seminar focused on Microsoft Office.
Attendees also had the choice of
attending MANA’s morning concurrent
sessions. The first pair included a
session on Social Security and
retirement, featuring the Women’s
Institute for a Secure Retirement’s
Cindy Hounsell and AARP’s Ismael Ortiz;
the “Excellence in Hispanic Education,”
session featured Denise Rodriguez-Lopez
with the White House Initiative on
Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans and Lt. Mark Venzor with the
U.S. Naval Academy. A financial-literacy
session featured Judy Chapa, senior
advisor for the Money Smart program at
the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, Dr. Glendelia M. Zavala,
board president of MANA of Hidalgo
County; and Christina Diaz-Malone,
director of national initiatives,
industry relations, and housing outreach
for Freddie Mac. A session on Latina
health and benefits featured Mary Ann
Gomez of Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America
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Teresa Alvillar-Speake,
U.S. Department of
Energy |
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After a full morning schedule,
attendees broke for lunch. The
luncheon featured U.S. Treasurer
Anna Escobedo Cabral, who
delivered the keynote address,
and Wal-Mart’s Ron Acosta, as
well as a reading by Dr. Carmen
Tafolla. Patricia Pliego Stout,
president of the Alamo Group,
received LATINA Style’s
Latina Entrepreneur Award,
awarded to a different
entrepreneur at each Business
Series. |
MANA continued its day with a repeat of
its first two sessions—on Social
Security and retirement and on
education—for those who might have
missed them in the morning. LATINA
Style held its Latina Entrepreneur
Panel: Experience & Success Stories,
moderated by Pleigo Stout and featuring
Omega Arteaga-Gamboa, president of Omega
Health Group; Earline Lagueruela,
president of S&C Advertising & Public
Relations; and Teresa Vasquez Romero,
owner of El Sol Bakery.
LATINA Style wound down with a
raffle that included such prizes as an
American Airlines ticket, a year’s
membership to Sam’s Club, and an
office-supply gift bag. At its
end-of-event dessert and networking
reception, attendees once again got the
chance to visit the sponsor booths in
the exhibit area and to network with
sponsors, speakers, and each other.
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