Nations Top Latino Business Leaders, Legislators highlight Dallas Power Panel Hispanic Caucus Chair, former Secretary of HUD, State Senator, State Representative, SA trailblazer address Texas Latino progress

New America Alliance (NAA), an organization of the most prominent American Latino business leaders in the United States, will present a high-profile panel of entrepreneurs and legislators addressing the economic and political progression of Texas American Latino community, on Friday, February 28, 2003, 12 p.m. -- 2 p.m. at the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, TX.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2003   
CONTACT: Rolando Rodriguez, 703-371-1489, rrodriguez@naaonline.org
            

Nations Top Latino Business Leaders,
Legislators highlight Dallas Power Panel

Hispanic Caucus Chair, former Secretary of HUD, State Senator, State Representative, SA trailblazer address Texas Latino progress

DALLAS, TX (February 28, 2003) -- New America Alliance (NAA), an organization of the most prominent American Latino business leaders in the United States, will present a high-profile panel of entrepreneurs and legislators addressing the economic and political progression of Texas American Latino community, on Friday, February 28, 2003, 12 p.m. -- 2 p.m. at the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas, TX.

NAA co-founder Henry Cisneros, Chairman and CEO of American CityVista and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will moderate the panel composed of Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Ciro Rodriguez, State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, State Representative Roberto Alonzo and Robert Rodriguez, president and CEO of Southwestern Capital Markets, the first Hispanic-owned investment banking firm in the U.S.

It is critical for NAA to learn of the economic and political trajectories in Texas, and the community building methods employed by Latinos in the region to drive positive change," says Chair of the Board and Hollywood producer Moctesuma Esparza, whose movie credits include Selena", Gettysburg" and recently-released Gods and Generals." This powerful group of individuals, who have played pivotal roles in the advancement of the states Latino community, will give us invaluable insight into the economic and political empowerment possessed by Hispanic-Americans in Texas."

The panel will be held during NAAs membership campaign luncheon and will attract the citys elite American Latino entrepreneurs. Executive Director Maria del Pilar Avila states that Dallas has emerged as a hub of American Latino business leaders whose leadership practices on a local level, mirror what NAA is doing on a national level.

NAA is drawn here to explore the pool of leaders capable of making a profound impact on economic condition for Latinos in the U.S," Avila says. They are needed on a national platform."

Launched in 1999, NAA is the brainchild of Cisneros and National Council of La Raza President Raul Yzaguirre. It is widely known for its prestigious membership dedicated to leveraging its influence to help Latinos penetrate the highest levels of leadership in corporate America, government and finance. NAA, whose members pay annual dues of $10,000, played critical roles in the appointments of Houstons Roel Campos, the first American Latino Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission and an NAA founding member; and Fred Buenrostro, CEO of the largest pension fund in the U.S., the California Public Employees Retirement System.

NAAs Corporate Board Initiative and Capital and Private Equity Initiative, though at early stages, are generating national attention towards NAAs groundbreaking efforts of diversifying the Fortune 1000s corporate board rooms and increasing private equity capital to Hispanic business.

NAA member Marilou Martinez Stevens, President of MMS and Associates in Fort Worth, stresses that at the 1,000 largest companies, Hispanics hold only 181 board seats, less than 2 percent of the total. On the finance side, only 1 percent of the $200 billion in private equity annually awarded is invested into minority businesses. An even smaller portion of the 1 percent is awarded to Latino-owned firms.

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