Esther Aguilera: CHCI’s New Leader

Esther Aguilera was named the new president and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in January. Aguilera brings over 15 years’ experience and a long history of working with the Hispanic community. She has served as a policy analyst for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and a principal with the Dewey Square Group.

“CHCI is moving into a whole new phase — with a new CEO, board chair, and executive committee in place,” says Congresswoman Grace Napolitano. “With Esther Aguilera, CHCI will continue to expand its roster of innovative programs. We look forward to utilizing Esther’s leadership and varied skills — they will prove essential as CHCI works to expand its crucial goal of producing the next generation of Latino leaders.”

Says the new CEO, “Leading CHCI will be an exciting challenge, and I am grateful to the board of directors for the trust it has shown in allowing me to accept that challenge.”

Latina Chamber of Denver

On Jan. 12, the brand-new Latina Chamber of Denver held its launch at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, Colo., marking the culmination of six months of planning by a group of prominent Hispanic businesswomen and community leaders. The launch featured musical entertainment, a silent auction, and a fashion show presented by El Salon of Cherry Creek — as well, of course, as plenty of networking opportunities.

The Latina Chamber has as its founding mission the desire to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Hispanic population in the United States. It will serve as a business and information center, examining issues that affect Hispanic individuals and families. The Latina Chamber eventually hopes to expand and start chapters across the nation and even the world, reaching out to Hispanics everywhere and strengthening the national and global Hispanic communities.
 

At the helm of this dynamic group are founding members Monica Pleiman, chairman and CEO of OMS, and Juanita Chacon, a real estate broker with ReMax Alliance.

Veronica Torres

In 2004, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau appointed a sales manager to focus on the Hispanic convention market. As the sales manager of minority conventions, Veronica Torres has been in an ideal seat to witness the burgeoning market for Hispanic conventions, and she only expects to see more in 2005. The past year’s Hispanic conventions held in Dallas included the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Hispanic National Bar Association, Hispanic CREO and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

“We are working together with the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber and our local community leaders to create a system of support,” says Torres. “Every convention we pursue receives letters from our Hispanic members on the Dallas City Council, local Hispanic organization chapter presidents and our local Hispanic corporations. Dallas has a really close Hispanic community; it’s amazing to see how passionate everyone is about our Latin culture.”

Torres, originally from Austin, Texas, is a member of the International Hispanic Meeting Professionals and the Great Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and she serves on the multicultural committee for Meeting Professionals International (MPI).