Election year in Washington, D.C. It's always interesting to witness a battle for the presidency from the nation's capital. Election fever has definitely flared up, and both Democrats and Republicans are fighting it out for the Hispanic vote. We should remember that in our community Latinas outvote Latinos by three percentage points nationwide - and in some districts by as many as 10 points. The Latina vote is a serious matter, and in this pre-election issue of LATINA Style President Bush and Senator Kerry present their cases for your vote. Whoever you choose as your candidate, make sure you exercise your right to select the next president of the United States. We have fought too hard not to make our voices heard.

In this issue, our most awaited of the year, we present our LATINA Style 50 report of the top 50 companies for Latinas to work for in the United States. A full year of research goes into producing this feature. Learning who and who did not make the LATINA Style 50 is always a surprise to me, but this year it was even more so. 

Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (third from left) at the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP) Media Summit with Latina Publisher of the Year Norma Maximo (center) and Latina Journalist of the Year Valeria Fernandez (second from right).

It is refreshing to see that so many companies are making dedicated efforts to attract and retain Latina employees. At last the incredible work ethic and talent of Latinas is being acknowledged. We know of course that we still have a very long way to go, but we are moving forward. General Mills, our Company of the Year, distinguished itself by excelling in nearly all areas of evaluation. It was a close competition, but our top company went the extra mile; Latinas at General Mills have a full array of opportunities and a solid support system. Our congratulations go to chairman and CEO Stephen W. Sanger and his team.

As we prepare for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in our nation's capital, we are hard at work putting the final touches to the National LATINA Symposium on Sept. 7 and 8. For those of you who will be joining us to celebrate some of the most amazing Latinas in the nation, we look forward to seeing you. And for those who can be here only in spirit, we will provide a full report in our next issue. 

We launch with this issue an exciting new feature in the magazine. In partnership with SBTV we are able to stream video interviews with our featured Latinas on our website. Log on and meet Amelia Moràn Ceja of Ceja Vineyards and Carolina García-Aguilera, one of my favorite authors. You can email questions to them and our other featured Latinas at V10#4@latinastyle.com. 
Let's continue to be safe and vigilant. Now more than ever, don't wait until tomorrow to tell your loved ones how much you care for them. It's a good time to mend broken fences as well; you may not get a second chance. Finally, don't forget to pray for our soldiers' safety and safe return. 


Robert E. Bard

[This article has been edited for www.latinastyle.com. For the full version, check out the May/June issue of LATINA Style.]

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