World Leaders Forum Brings Back Inspirational Series with Special Guest Edward James Olmos; Hosted by Jacqueline Ruiz

ELGIN, Ill., Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- World Leaders Forum will bring back the Inspirational Series featuring Special Guest Edward James Olmos on April 8 at Judson University in Elgin. The event will be hosted by entrepreneur Jacqueline Ruiz, who will also moderate a panel discussion with Rick Najera and Evelyn Miralles.

This event with Olmos is the fourth Inspirational Series event and the first developed and hosted in partnership with Jacqueline Ruiz, an entrepreneur, author and Latina pilot. Previous speakers at the event have been Magician Jim Munroe in 2017, Olympic Champion Mary Lou Retton in 2016, and Inspirational Speaker Nick Vujicic in 2015.

"I look forward to hearing from Actor, Director and Producer Edward James Olmos about the many ways his career has intersected with education and telling a larger story," said Jacqueline Ruiz. "This will be an intriguing discussion with powerful Latinos who are making big impacts in their communities in the areas of entertainment, education and STEM."

"Judson University is excited to bring another successful leader to the Fox Valley for an informative and thoughtful event that we know will inspire others," said Judson President Gene Crume. "Edward James Olmos is an iconic actor and leader. There won't be a better opportunity to hear his wisdom and that of our host, Jaqueline Ruiz, and our panelists as they explore issues that are important to the Latino community."

Proceeds from this event will fund leadership, entrepreneurship, diversity, and RISE program scholarships for students at Judson University. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Herrick Chapel on Judson's campus with general admission tickets starting at $25. VIP ticket purchasers will receive a meet-and-greet photo opportunity with panelists following the event.

Tickets for the April 8 event will be available to the public starting today. For ticketing and sponsorship information, visit https://2022wlfinspirationseries.eventbrite.com.

About Edward James Olmos:
Edward James Olmos is a Mexican-American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in "Miami Vice" (1984–1989), actor in and director of "American Me" (1992), William Adama in the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" (2004–2009), teacher Jaime Escalante in "Stand and Deliver" (1988), and Detective Gaff in "Blade Runner" (1982) and its sequel "Blade Runner 2049" (2017). In 2018, he played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series "Mayans MC."

For his work in "Miami Vice," Olmos won the 1985 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. For his performance in "Stand and Deliver," Olmos was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

He is also known for his roles as patriarch Abraham Quintanilla in the film "Selena," narrator El Pachuco in both the stage and film versions of "Zoot Suit," and the voice of Chicharrón in "Coco."

Over the course of his career, Olmos has been a pioneer for more diversified roles and images of Hispanics in the U.S. media. His notable direction, production, and starring roles for films, made-for-TV movies, and TV shows include "Wolfen," "Triumph of the Spirit," "Talent for the Game," "American Me," "The Burning Season," "My Family/Mi Familia," "Caught," "12 Angry Men," "The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca," "Walkout," "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit," "American Family," and "Dexter."

About Jacqueline Ruiz:
Jacqueline Camacho Ruiz is a social entrepreneur who has created an enterprise of inspiration. Her keen sense of service coupled with the vision to bring good to the world has led her to create two successful award-winning companies, establish two nonprofit organizations, publish 24 books, create over 10 products, and hold dozens of events around the world in just the past decade.

She is often referred to as a "dream catcher" as her strategies have supported thousands of women, authors, and young ladies to live a life of significance. Ruiz's quest to be a servant leader extends to every area of her life. She has shared her inspiration in four continents and aligned with some of the most powerful brands to elevate others. Being a cancer survivor sparked a sense of urgency to serve and transcend. Ruiz is one of the few Latina sports airplane pilots in the United States.

Jacqueline believes that "taking off is optional, landing on your dreams is mandatory."

Panelists: Rick Najera and Evelyn Miralles:

Rick Najera is an award-winning screenwriter, actor, director, producer, sketch comedian, author, playwright, coach and national speaker with an expansive portfolio of credits in all forms of entertainment. He has received numerous industry awards for his work. From starring in films with Sidney Poitier, George Clooney and most recently Mario Lopez, to writing sketch comedy for Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx, Najera is best known for starring on Broadway in his award-winning, self-penned stageplay, Latinologues, directed by comedy legend Cheech Marin. Najera is only one of three Latinos to ever write and star in their own play on Broadway. For the last six years, he has traveled the country with his multimedia platform Latino Thought Makers which exposes the most important issues affecting the Latino community. It is currently housed at Morton College.

Evelyn Miralles is a former NASA Johnson Space Center Chief Principal Engineer for the Virtual Reality Laboratory, an Astronaut Training Facility managed by CACI International. She is a pioneer visionary who served as the Chief Principal Engineer at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Her work from the Virtual Reality Laboratory at NASA has been integral to the enhancement of Human Spaceflight Exploration, training U.S. Astronauts to perform one of the most dangerous excursions of their lives, Spacewalking, and working outside a spacecraft in micro-gravity. Currently Miralles serves as the Associate Vice President for Strategic Information Initiatives and Technology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

About Judson University
Located in Elgin, Illinois, since 1963, Judson University offers a Christian, liberal arts and sciences education through its Bachelor of Arts degrees for more than 60 majors, minors, graduate programs and online, as well as certification and accelerated adult degree programs. For more information, visit http://www.JudsonU.edu.

Media Contact

Julie Schmidt, Judson University, 847-628-2076, [email protected]

SOURCE Judson University