Latino Leaders March - April 2021 by Latino Leaders

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

GARY KELLY CEO, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

A Q&A SESSION WITH MARIA ECHAVESTE, BOARD DIRECTOR OF CADIZ, INC. WE TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ITS IMPACT TODAY.

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ALEXANDER FERNANDEZ CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF STREAMLINE MEDIA GROUP, INC.

ERNESTO FONSECA CEO OF HACIENDA CDC

www.latinoleaders.com

TRAVEL TO THE BAJA REGION AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEST WINEMAKERS TODAY.

March / April 2021 Vol. 22 No. 2

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PUBLISHERS

Publisher Jorge Ferraez

President and CEO Raul Ferraez

Administrative Director Lawrence Teodoro Editor Ximena Vivanco ximena@latinoleaders.com Business Development Manager Cristina Gonzalez cristina@latinoleaders.com Art Director Fernando Izquierdo Editorial Art & Design Carlos Cuevas Luis Enrique González Moisés Cervantes

THE LEADERS EXPERIENCE AND THE PRIVILEGE OF THE ACCESS TO THEM MORE THAN HALF OF our personal lives we have been interviewing leaders. Mostly Mexican, Mexican-American and Latinos. There’s nothing like the excitement to sit down in front of a person you admire and listen to his/her story. Also, make the questions you are most intrigued about his success or her fight to get her dreams come true. We feel very privileged to be able to sit with more than 2,780 -and counting, and have a conversation about the most important thing they have; their own life. Most of the time they go longer that originally planned and some other times they have told stories that even their friends and family are not aware of. I will never forget that Chief Executive Officer of a global industrial company; the largest in the world in its field, telling us when we finished the conversation: “… I cannot let you go with all what I’ve said to you. You know things that even my closes friends don’t know…” That is a privilege but at the same time, also a great compromise as a journalist. But access means nothing if you don’t do something with it. How can you multiply the effect that conversation had on you? How can you make sure that other people get the lessons and meaning of that story? That’s why our mission is to tell these stories, to inspire others and connect them to produce advancement and productive interactions. But you need to know how to read the leaders, how to interpret the double meaning an expression has, how to understand the purpose of the story as it is told, and what are the lessons and implications not only for the ones listening, but for their own selves. This is when the art of storytelling meets the art of reading and understanding these stories. Like the celebrated phrase Nobel Prize Gabriel Garcia Marques starts his biographical novel “Vivir para contarla” (To Live to tell it): “Life is not what one lived, it is what one remembers, and how one remembers it to tell it” (La vida no es la que uno vivio, sino la que recuerda y como la recuerda para contarla”). The collection of interviews in this edition is a wide variety of stories of leaders with different talents, experiences, values, visions and skills. We hope you enjoy them.

Human Resources Manager Susana Sanchez Administration and Bookkeeping Claudia García Bejarano Executive Assistant to the Publishers Liliana Morales Digital Media & Design Manager Nicole Richard nicole@latinoleaders For advertising inquiries, please call 214-206-9587

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino (ISSN 1529-3998) is published seven times annually by Ferraez Publications of America Corp., 11300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, Dallas, TX, 75243, January/February 2021. Subscription rates: In U.S. and possessions, one year $15.00. Checks payable to Ferraez Publications of America, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Latino Leaders, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA.© 2001 by Ferraez Publications of America Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino. The periodical’s name and logo, and the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of Ferraez Publications of America Corp.

Member of The National Association of Hispanic Publications

Enjoy this edition. Jorge & Raul Ferraez Jorge Ferraez

Audited by Member of

Jorge Ferraez

Reg. # 283/01

MEMBER OF SRDS

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Latino Leaders The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino 11300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, Dallas, TX, 75243 Phone: 214-206-9587 / Fax: (214) 206-4970

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EDITOR´S LETTER

We’re back and for this edition we were excited to meet and

speak with so many different leaders throughout different industries. Our edition starts out with our annual section dedicated to Public Infrastructure. From Portland to South Texas, we focused on themes such as affordable housing, seaports and clean water. You will also find an exclusive interview with the CEO of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly. He talks about the diversity efforts and initiatives practiced internally and what Covid-19 looked like for them. Throughout the edition you will also find several Q&A’s we had with a diverse of leaders. From education to a game developer. It’s every day we continue to find game changers within different industries. It’s through their unique stories that we find the magic we need collectively to continue our work. Finally, we curated a collection of features on different winemakers and individuals who continue to disrupt and grow the winemaking industry in the U.S. - Mexico border. As always, I truly hope you enjoy this edition that contains the variety of industries Latinos continue to own and disrupt. I’ll be back soon with our next annual Latinas Edition, where we will be publishing this year’s most influential list.

In the meantime, stay safe and keep thriving. Ximena Vivanco Editor

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CONTENTS

MAR/ APR

•14. Our annual section focused on infrastructure and its impact today. •15. Meet Eduardo Campirano, Director of the Port of Brownsville •18. A special Q&A session with Maria Echaveste on the impact of Infrastructure and the future of our communities •24. Get a closer look at Southwest Airlines through this inclusive interview with Gary Kelly, CEO. •30. Khristina Gonzalez and her new role as Director for the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity •41. We go to the Baja region and explore the best winemakers and vineyards today.

WRITE AND SHARE #ConnectLL FOLLOW US @latinoleadersmag

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DE LA VEGA ON LEADERSHIP

UNLEASHING THE POWER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP The power of technology and entrepreneurship can help advance people, the planet and our global collective prosperity. Addressing some of the biggest challenges we face like climate change, social inequity and pay inequality, will require our best entrepreneurial efforts.

My love for entrepreneurship and engaging young people in the field attracted me to an organization called Junior Achievement. JA is dedicated to teaching kids all over the world financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Kids from more than 100 countries learn how to establish their own companies, develop a product, plan and budget, and participate in a pitch to a group of judges. Students “set up” thriving companies across a diverse set of economic variables for a chance to win prizing and notoriety to support their business education and ventures. With every company, every competition and every pitch, I have more and more hope that the world’s biggest challenges will be solved by this next generation of entrepreneurs. While there will be more prominent use of artificial intelligence, robots and machine learning, according to the third edition of the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report the key to the future lies in skills related to critical and creative thinking, problem-solving and a strong capability to use and develop technology - these are core entrepreneurial skills. Those who are already creating or running their own business have a leg up on the future. By teaching young kids about entrepreneurship, supporting entrepreneurs and embracing technology, we can unleash creativity and innovation to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems and secure a better future for people, the planet and our global prosperity.

ar ownership fueled Americans’ spirit of independence and made the American dream possible. New roads were built. Suburban life was born. Gas stations popped up. Family vacations with stops at the new motels and drive-through restaurants became popular. Related industries such as steel, petroleum, and rubber flourished. Millions of jobs were created. Latinos have a natural penchant for pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors. Our capability to seek advancement, think creatively, and embrace technology, is fueling growth in the American economy and helping to prepare the next generation for the future of work. The latest data show Latinos leading America’s entrepreneurial pack in growth. Over the last decade alone, Hispanics represented the largest and fastest growth in America’s small business ecosystem. According to Stanford’s 2020 Entrepreneur Report, Latino businesses have grown by 34% compared to 1% for all business owners, contributed more than 3 million jobs a year and over $500 billion in annual sales, and delivered The future rests in unleashing the power of entrethe highest revenue growth increase rate of any industry or demographic, at 14% - outpacing the U.S. economy - the preneurship. report found. The future of our country and success of our Ralph economy is inextricably linked to Hispanics. Ralph de la Vega is the former vice-chairman of AT&T Inc. He is the author of the best-selling book “Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life.” He is also a LinkedIn Influencer, posting regularly on leadership and innovation.

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COMERICA X CORNER X

PANADERIA LA NUEVA Joining the family business was a step to excel. Today, the business continues to grow.

PPORTUNITY CAME to Gabriel’s dad when he was young. He decided to take the risk and buy a local bakery or “panaderia.” As an immigrant from Guadalajara Mexico, Gabriel’s dad and his uncle were now proud owners of a small business in Dallas, Texas. Gabriel Soto graduated from college in 2001 and started his career in IT. “Times were difficult for the industry,” he explains. Gabriel was tired of bouncing between different jobs and feeling the instability in his life. He usually spent some extra time outside of his jobs always helping his dad and uncle with the business, whether it was book keeping, basic accounting responsibilities or making sure everything was flowing well. One day, Gabriel was offered the full time job with his family and decided to go after that stability he was seeking in life through his family’s business. Today, he runs as the main Director and he’s proud to serve his Latino community and the loyal customers who have been visiting them for years.

As a first generation American and first in his family to graduate from college, Gabriel knew he could offer so much to not only his family in the business but to all employees and his community. It’s been ten years now, and Gabriel feels confident and proud of where the business has gone. As all small businesses, Panaderia La Nueva went through a tough year. Gabriel learned how to take the challenge, react and serve smartly. They survived this past year due to aid and resources coming through organizations such as Comerica. Gabriel clearly remembers visiting his local Comerica Bank branch since he was a kid. From its clerks to managers, he still identifies many of them today. His father’s relationship with the banks has now lead them to having a unique relationship with their manager who consults them on every detail about their finances. After a difficult year, Panaderia La Nueva is ready to look into the future and plan to expand.

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LEADERS HUB WITH JOE

DREAM TEAMS

ALL ORGANIZATIONS have problems they need to resolve. Many leaders feel stuck managing people issues. Rather than driving results, they spent time wrestling with conflict and diverse personalities. Meanwhile, performance is poor, the team is dysfunctional, and the strategy is at risk. Great achievements are almost always the work of great teams. But most leaders rely on old ideas and practices about teams developed by companies that have lost their edge. Times change and so must our teams. Those who cling to outdated views of teamwork and team building will be left behind. So, what do you need to do to create a team that can successfully face the challenges of today’s world? One example of exceptional teams is Whole Foods, as described by Robert Bruce Shaw in his book “Extreme Teams”: Whole Foods is a purpose-driven company that takes exceptionally good care of its people. Three guiding principles underlie the team environment at Whole Foods. First, the company believes that people are by nature social beings who feel most comfortable when they are part of a small group. Everyone in the company belongs to a team. Teams, when designed and staffed properly, also maximize what people can contribute to the success of a business. A second management principle shapes how teams operate at Whole Foods. The company believes teams function best when they embrace a set of companywide practices. Teams at Whole Foods have a great deal of autonomy to make decisions that benefit customers, team members and the company. A third guiding principle at Whole Foods is a belief in the benefits of being open and transparent as a company. The goal is to create an open environment where information about its strategies and operations is available to all employees. The firm believes that creating a high-trust culture requires sharing information that is concealed in most firms and working with people to ensure that they understand the implications. In 2019, The Predictive Index sought to discover the types of teams that existed among client organizations through a large-scale empirical study. Using PI Behavioral Assessment

(BA) results from 125,000+ employees across 20,000+ teams, they found evidence for nine distinct Team Types based on the behavioral make-up of their members. If we map Whole Foods’s team configuration with PI’s team configuration study results, the Whole Foods example most likely falls under a “Cultivating Team”. A Cultivating Team is all about cooperation and loyalty to one another. Decisions are made as a group; the consensus is respected, and team members bring each other in on mutually interesting activities. Conflict is generally avoided, but when it occurs, it is addressed in a constructive manner and is used as a relationship-building tool. You may start wondering why we have spent time describing top strategic priorities, behavioral assessments, and team types. It is all about aligning business strategies with talent strategies to deliver business results. The power of designing dream teams using a talent optimization platform can help us answer the following questions: • How can we leverage our team’s natural strengths? • Where are our gaps when it comes to achieving our objectives? • What does each team member bring to the table with respect to these strengths and gaps? Do you want to learn more about how to design dream teams and gain competitive advantage? Contact AlliancesHub to request a complimentary C-Suite 1:1 Talent Strategy Session.

ABOUT JOE Joe Bacigalupo, MBA, MPEC, ACPEC is a Managing Partner and an Executive Advisor at AlliancesHub International, LLC. AlliancesHub offers Change Management and Strategy Consulting, Talent Optimization and Analytics, Leadership Development, and Executive/ Leadership Coaching services.

www.allianceshub.com info@allianceshub.com 469-287-2086

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LATINO LEADERS is deeply sadden on the passing of our former Editor Wendy Pedrero Williams. Wendy was an outstanding professional who’s visions and work helped our publication to be one of the most relevant magazines in the Country. We will always remember her with our appreciation for her service. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

The Staff of Latino Leaders Magazine March 2021

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In Collaboration with:

BRINGING AWARENESS TO LCDA’S MISSION

LCDA

Throughout my professional career, I’ve utilized my communications and advocacy skills to focus attention on gender-equity, political engagement, and ensuring that the Latino community is included in conversations around diversity at all levels. This has guided my professional ambitions from work in grassroots advocacy, to political campaigns, and now to centering Latinos in discussions around corporate board diversity. What is your role in LCDA and what is some of the work you are currently doing? As Director of Marketing and Communications for the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), I have the unique privilege of engaging with and sharing the stories of US Latinos at the highest levels of corporate leadership. Through LCDA, I am helping transform the ways in which mainstream media reports stories about Latinos by making sure we’re a part of conversations that impact us.

Meet Monique Navarro, Director of Marketing and Communications at Latino Corporate Directors Association

Why LCDA? What keeps you inspired today to keep doing what you’re doing? Although Latinos comprise nearly 20% of the US population—on TV and in movies, in textbooks, in the media, and in corporate America, Latinos are invisible. It is my job to play a part in changing that. As a leader in Latino-specific boardroom research, LCDA is driving unprecedented impact with a jaw-dropping 331% increase in Q1 2021 public company board appointments as compared to Q1 2020. As part of the solution, my work to inform, educate, and engage the public regarding the woefully low representation of Latinos in boardrooms across the US, is incredibly valuable. Through this exposure, LCDA is helping drive this upward progress to change the boardroom landscape and pave a path of opportunity for the Latino community. How do you see your work today creating impact in maybe 10 years? I have dedicated my career to uplifting the Latino community by sharing our stories, struggles, and success through a “Latino lens." The conversations we’re having today and LCDA’s push for corporate board diversity that includes Latinos is invaluable, it’s a game changer for future generations of young Latinos like my own two children, Matix, 12, and Mia,10. I am striving to increase Latino representation now to create a future of increased opportunity later.

Tell us a little bit about your background, where are you from? I’m a proud fronteriza from El Paso, Texas. My journey growing up on the border shaped me in profound ways. From the beautiful Mexican culture that runs through my veins to the unique struggles that are faced in a low-income, predominantly Hispanic county—these experiences drove my passion to expand opportunities for Latino/a/ xs by creating narratives that build us up, surface our rich Favorite quote to live by? “La mujer que adelante no mira, atrás se queda”- Proverbio stories, and expand our reach. What are some of the first memories you have from your career? Where do you start? From the onset, I’ve strived to build my professional capacity while uplifting fellow Latinas and mentoring others as much as possible. I’ve been successful by never shying away from demanding space, especially because all too often, Latinas are silenced or left out completely.

WRITE AND SHARE #ConnectLL

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ART

WILLIAM HANHAUSEN

“I AM A COLLECTOR AND PROMOTER. IT’S MY MISSION AND A PASSION.”

William Hanhausen

LATINO ART LEADERSHIP, WHAT WE NEED TO LEARN FROM IT WHY CUTTING THE GENRE WITH AN X-ACTO KNIFE? FOR MANY YEARS, what has bothered me the most about this genre’s own classification is that all Latino art and artists have been marked with an “X”. In it, my mind traces the narratives of every artist strokes imagining the path they are taking with their intimate message and deep perspective. A mark that indicates a STOP, a block in the road, no trespassing, a NO more. Not acknowledging the failures of others and the harm they caused in recent social circumstances that mark violates the core value of all Latino artists. Let ourselves validate this statement and make visible altogether the quality of Latino Art! Denying narratives, removing emotions and going into public spaces to capitalize on the artists personal’s is totally absurd and wrong, these artists are real people stranded along the way watching their identities walk away from them, passing time seen time passing and putting in second place their work. That denigrates and imposes austerity and simplicity, and ignores the intimacy and authenticity of this genre.

“THE PURPOSE OF ART IS TO MAKE VISIBLE THE INVISIBLE” FRANCO FONTANA Just call it Latino! Had not yet been smothered enough in ugly “ideological patois”? Haven’t we learned enough in this pandemic? We cannot allow ourselves as Latinos and the same art world in panels, interviews, exhibitions, movements, associations and books slaughtering the genre with politics. An eccentric work of art awakens a new way of seen the world, not a personal preference or a minority group discrimination. As I stated before; this is “Damn good Art” despite not two people perceive the clouds the same way. There are two significant art exhibitions coming up in the next eighteen months, and they materialize by competing against each other, not complementing or helping the

“Shadow Game” 2019 by Amaryllis de Jesus Moleski

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“Business is Business” 2020 by Marcos Raya

genre and participants see their colleagues as contenders, fighting for a deserved attention from the public’s opinion. “Estamos Bien” NYC Museo del Barrio’s first contemporary LatinX exhibition. Where artists in the caliber of Amaryllis De Jesus Moleski, Justin Favela, Lucia Hierro, Esteban Jefferson, Roberto Lugo and Vincent Valdez, among others are joining and excluding each other’s from… “Xicano- a.o.x” the American Federation of Arts’ first exhibition of its kind, packed with highly influential Chicano contemporary artists in the magnitude of Celia Alvarez, Mel Casas, Marcos Raya, Liz Cohen and Rafa Esparza, that also exclude themselves from the others. Yet I ask, what is this all about and why is this important to us as Latinos? Latino artworks are often both or more classifications, and numerous and adverse exhibitions including the above mentioned will be able to represent the totality of the

genre’s faces simultaneously and with sensitivity. Where audiences are invited to admire the technical virtuosity and creativity of this artists as a fundamental purpose. It seems to me when critic’s display such ignorance about the scope of view held by these experts, it exposes their bias and disqualifies their authority on these issues. Indeed, it is almost beyond parody that these same expert critics preach professionalism that demands fair honesty about equality in the valuation and appreciation. Restoring our national unity of quality of Latino art and genre is our mission, by rekindling a brave and honest love and recognition for our heritage and by rising new generations of grander artists who not only know the self-evident truth of legacy and past, but act worthy of their self “identity” and not allowing an ignorant branding of one of the most influential genres of American Art with an “X”. MARCH / APRIL 2021 LATINO LEADERS 13

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

THROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE AND BEYOND Perhaps one of the most iconic real estate developers in the country, a man whose Related Group has built enough buildings to change completely the Miami skyline, has had his ups and downs, and here’s the story of how he’s risen from ashes, like a phoenix. Seaports •Nearly 31 million U.S. jobs are genera ed or supported by port activity.

•America’s trade volume is expected to increase by 300% by 2030.

•Over $6 billion in goods are handled by seaports every weekday. aapa-ports.org

Affordable Housing •While white household

homeownership increased slightly to 73.3% in 2019, the Black household homeownership rate remained virtually flat at 42.8%. The homeownership rate for Hispanic households was 46.3%, and for Asian households 57.3%.

•As of late September, 18% of Hispanic homeowners,

17% of Black homeowners and 12% of Asian homeowners were behind on mortgage payments, compared to 7% of white homeowners. habitat.org

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE

MARKING THE SOUTHERN BORDER’S PORT RIGHT ON THE MAP Enmanuel Vera

For Eduardo Campirano, becoming a director and CEO of the Port of Brownsville was not just done overnight.

o Eduardo, building long-lasting relationships and commitment to hard work are his driving force. One thing his parents instilled in him and his siblings is the fat that in order to get ahead one has to work hard. His family came from low means but he never noticed it because of his parents, to which he never went hungry and always had a roof over their heads. As a kid, he remembers selling peanuts in the parades, shining shoes, washing cars, and cutting lawns because they didn't know the difference between good work and bad work. To them, it was all good because you earned something for it. Additionally, being involved in athletics was where he learned teamwork and real leadership, such as work-

Moisés Cervantes

ing together as a group to strive for the same goal. Those were all important and strong traits that would help Eduardo mold him into the leader he is today. His first internship in public administration with the old HUD 701 program introduced him to something never even thought of, being a city planner for the municipal government. As a city planner in the city of Brownsville, Texas, Eduardo noticed many issues in the community development area. He reiterated “even though we were a city, there were so many parts of the community that had no running water, no sewer system, no paved streets, no sidewalk. It also lacked gas service, streetlights, etc.” As he assessed the neighborhoods and walked the streets he wondered “how do we fix this problem?” MARCH / APRIL 2021 LATINO LEADERS 15

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE

THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE CONTINUES TO EXCEL • Today the Port of Brownsville ranks third among the US ports for “strong financial resilience” during the economic impacts from the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. • The Port ranks among the top U.S. steel ports. It moves more steel into Mexico than any other domestic competitor. In 2019, the port moved 3.2 million short tons of steel across the southern border.

Port of Brownsville Remains Competitive and Continues Job Creation

Eventually, through his work and past involvements in different organizations he began to address those needs. Eduardo took the lead in the department and began to pave the streets, bring water to the homes, and sewer systems to the neighborhoods. Later on, he would become a graduate intern with the city of Brownsville’s planning department and continued to work in community development to address the poverty in the neighborhoods and needs being unmet. Eventually, after seven years as a city manager in South Padre Island, Texas, Eduardo accepted a position back in the city of Brownsville. He was offered a general manager position at the largest corporate entity at the time. For five years, he took the experience of leading at a new working environment. After a brief corporate experience, Eduardo was offered his current role at the Port of Brownsville. ”I was grateful for the people who decided to take a chance on me,” he expressed. He took the challenge of becoming a director with not much experience in ports but he knew exactly what the community looked like and needed. He was given a chance as a minority within a highly populated Latino region. Today, Eduardo continues his leadership position and will be his fourteenth year in June. Today, border cities such as Brownsville and their region continue to grow due to the increase of the younger population and their driving force both in the area and the country. Eduardo agrees how days look extremely different from the days in his youth. The struggle to get a good respectable job coming from high education may still be a challenge in the area but Eduardo states how things are changing and they’re changing for good.

Dominion Energy Offshore Turbine

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“Our community today, has some real strong young Latino leaders who are making a difference, look at the electric body that we have right now. Look at some of the young people involved in the business. One thing I would like to see is more people get involved in the community which is the best way I've paid my dues. I'm not talking about just being successful but doing service to your community. Find an organization, a cause, find something that is rewarding but be part of making it successful especially those kinds of organizations that serve the community you know. I've kind of paid my dues and done my public civic duty, I just wish I saw more and more of that with this generation, there's honor in service. It's not about recognition, your ego, it's about service to the community and that's one thing I keep striving and pressing hard for.” The Port of Brownsville is the only deep water seaport directly on the border with Mexico besides California, for this reason, they’re in the business trade with Mexico. The port connects the community to the world such as China, Africa, and Brazil. It's through the seaport, that Brownsville imports commodities from those countries here, some are domestic consumption but many of them land at the port. “We turn around and export them to another foreign country,” stated Eduardo. “In our case, it's Mexico, whether it's steel slab that goes to the Mills in Monterrey or white appliances as well as premium gasoline or diesel we import there.” According to Eduardo, Texas is the leading maritime

THE FACES OF THE P ORT Latino workers continue to step up on the work. Dominion Energy, which is committed to sustainable, reliable and safe energy is constructing the first Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, together with the global marine shipbuilding firm Keppel AmFELS at its Brownsville, Texas shipyard. This means that due to the region being majority Latino, this monumental step is being created largely by them.

“WHEN YOU PAVE THE WAY FOR OTHERS, YOU ALSO PAVE THE WAY FOR PROGRESS.”

state in the nation with 20% of all the commerce that moves through water either in or out of the port originates or is destined to Texas. Eduardo reiterates the importance of understanding how the Port of Brownsville is one of the few seaports in the country. This port in particular impacts over 50,000 jobs in Texas alone. In its Brownsville region alone it's more like 8,500 jobs. The Port in Brownsville is also handled as a landlord, which means the tenants build their facilities and operate them, leaving them to lease the land. This impact alone brings this region about $2.6 billion in trade revenue and jobs in the area and the state of Texas. As Eduardo reflected, the one thing that has stood out to him in his tours through the communities in the ports was seeing the faces of the Valley. “I saw skilled workers, the electricians, the pipe fitters, the welders, building those world-class facilities and all being Latinos.” For the Port of Brownsville, 80% of the revenue comes from being a landlord port or from the use of their facilities. The port is actually not a tax-dependent entity, although it is a government entity, they don't charge a tax. The port needs to generate money not only to operate and be maintained but it’s also responsible for maintaining the roads and the access to the facilities that the port owns. Regardless of what changes are to come, there is more diversity incoming from people moving into the community. “We are becoming diverse not only in different cultures moving to the area but people from different parts of the country moving to the area bringing another way of thinking,” states Eduardo. “I've just been very lucky and been very fortunate, but at the same time I can appreciate the effort that's gone into getting to this point as well. So don't take anything for granted that's the other thing I'll tell you, nobody owes you anything, you earn it. “. MARCH / APRIL 2021 LATINO LEADERS 17

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE CADIZ, INC.

THE POWER OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO ACHIEVE INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL

Maria Echaveste serves as director of the board of Cadiz, Inc. She is a scholar with a distinguished career as a community leader, public policy advisor, lecturer, senior White House official, and attorney. She is presently President and CEO of the Opportunity Institute, a non-profit working to increase economic and social mobility focused on equity for the most vulnerable communities.

Photo courtesy

adiz, Inc. is a publicly-held natural resources company that owns 70 square miles of property and water resources in Southern California. Since the 1980s they have operated an agricultural development in the Cadiz Valley of eastern San Bernardino County, California and are presently focused on partnering with public water agencies to implement the Cadiz Water Project, which will create a new water supply for approximately 100,000 Southern California families and make available up to 1 million acre-feet of new groundwater storage capacity. We asked Maria a few questions to learn more about infrastructure and some of the work she is focusing on: How would you define infrastructure and why is it so important today? I think of infrastructure as the skeleton of society. A human being could not walk if it did not have this invisible to the eye skeleton. Public infrastructure is just the same. It addresses and provides services and goods that allow society to function, ideally to prosper and better yet for more communities to advance. Think of water, roads, garbage removal, electricity, infrastructure that are essential for ouor society to functiono. But now more than ever we also know how important infrastructure such as broadband is. It’s the things you do not notice except when they do not exist. Is infrastructure important for communities’ economic and social mobility? An example of infrastructure necessary for economic and social mobility is the creation of public universities and public education. The growth of this infrastructure on the human capital side is seen in many states such as California. It is public and essential for Latinos because we represent a growing part of society and the economy. Those of Hispanic descent are really the future of workforce, given the median age of this population. No one group will really be the majority in the future, but we really need to think of our collective needs and see as priorities those things that help our entire society so that each individual achieves their potential.

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What are your thoughts on the improvement of diversity in work today? A lot has improved, and I think it has to do with the demographic changes in our youth. It really wasn’t until the 60’s and 70’s that we saw an increase in Hispanics oobtaining a college education. So, the numbers are improving in part because we have a greater number of diverse and educaterd people. Our greatest challenge in achieving equitable representation around those tables of decision making is really strengthening our social capital networks. We’re doing better and frankly the internet age facilitates learning about other people but still there are times when I speak to young people in grade school and high school and they still see certain careers as a stretch. Either earning a a PH.D. degree, becoming a judge or a CEO of a major company seems impossible. We need to mentor, invest in social capital and we need to help each other out. Can you tell us more about your role in Cadiz, Inc. and its current Cadiz Water Project initative? This coming summer it’ll be two years since I joined as a Director of the Board with Cadiz. My role as a director involves adivising and approving the strategic direction of the company. I just took role of chair of the Governance Committee which includes looking for new candidates for the board. As a director, I also review management performance and pay attention to financials.

BENEFITS OF THE CADIZ WATER PROJECT SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY The Cadiz Water Project will create a new water supply for up to 400,000 people across the region every year for the next 50 years. ECONOMIC IMPACT The Cadiz Water Project will contribute $878 million to the San Bernardino County economy and create nearly 3,000 jobs in phase 1. WATER CONSERVATION The Cadiz Water Project will conserve approximately 500 billion gallons of fresh water over the 50 year life of the Project. IMPROVE WATER QUALITY The Cadiz Water Project will realize nearly $400 million in savings to regional ratepayers over the 50-year life of the Project due to better water quality. DESERT PROTECTION The Cadiz Water Project is an environmentally safe project that has been reviewed and approved in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. ENERGY EFFICIENCY As a southern California based, local water supply, Project water will be transported shorter distances, reducing energy usage and lowering costs.

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE CADIZ, INC.

The Cadiz Water Project will provide benefits to the railroad

I have served on several of nonprofit boards including CARE, which had a budget of $500 million a year so applying that experience to a private sector company is in many ways not different. I think the only difference is what the ultimate mission is. I have found it very useful to have had those other experiences. Having Cadiz able to provide water in a time of scarcity in a state such as California is a core goal of the organization. One of the reasons I joined Cadiz was because I have worked on agriculture issues. California is facing a drought this year. The chair of the board once said to me, “Is it possible for a private company to be a good steward of a public good?” The truth is that Cadiz has the values of understanding that water is a public good. Government can’t do everything. You need the private sector. I believe in private and public partnership. I think there are things that government does better than the private sector and frankly that involves regulation. Corporations’ first responsibility is to their shareholders and while some corporations may want to engage in more sustainable activity, if they try to do it alone, it will hurt them in the market place against their competitors. Therefore, you need government to set the rules so that everyone plays by the same rules. With this, those companies with innovation and better management will flourish from a playing field that has guardrails. What keeps you motivated and inspired today in order to keep going? I have optimism. My motivation comes from the fact that I truly know what my life might have been had I not obtained an education. I know that because I have

female cousins slightly younger than I am from a small village in Mexico and I just know what my life would’ve been. In my current work, I continue to expand opportunity. I’m particularly excited right now because this disruption caused by the pandemic, the impact of the movement for racial justice and now investments from the government in both human and physical infrastructure is a real opportunity for transformation. That would be so beneficial to all Americans but particular to the younger Latino community who is really the future of the American workforce.

"WE NEED TO THINK AS A COLLECTIVE AND SEE THE PRIORITES THAT HELPS THE ENTIRE SOCIETY SO THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVES THEIR POTENTIAL."

Cadiz Water Project

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE HACIENDA CDC

CONSTRUCTING DREAMS Enmanuel Vera

Courtesy

Carlos Cuevas

ERNESTO FONSECA, CEO OF HACIENDA

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PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE HACIENDA CDC

For Ernesto Fonseca, CEO of Hacienda, he had a desire to help families, and improve their lives by providing them with affordable housing, something he wished he once had. His story begins in the state of Querétaro, Mexico growing up in a part of town that resides in the slums. No running water, lack of electricity, with houses made from cheap plywood and sometimes no roof which was his home till age 11. By age 12 his dad bought a little house in a better neighborhood, for the most part, life was good in his childhood.

n due time Ernesto grew an interest in construction by watching his father be a builder or sell carpets and wallpaper. Then he joined him at work and learned a little bit of construction from that part of his life. Although things seemed to be going up, things took a turn, there was a huge Mexican economic collapse in 1994 and two years later his parent’s finances were not looking good. By 1998, he worked a number of jobs including with the secretary of health of Queretaro doing evaluations in rural clinics. Ernesto had trouble finding opportunities at the time in Mexico, so he decided to move to Wisconsin and worked as a server for about two years. He later found a job caring for young men in their late teens and early ’20s with disabilities. “I left that job due to being undocumented at the time. Eventually, I moved to Arizona in June and I applied to Arizona State University and got in. In 2004, I got deported back to Mexico, which was emotionally

difficult,” shares Ernesto. His wife at the time was a community organizer and spoke to the current congressman who today, Ernesto feels like he owes him a lot as he assisted for his return. Ernesto became a citizen in 2011. In 2006 he developed his own business doing housing development which started with doing one small house at the time with his hands. He then finished his PhD at Paterson University. In 2011 Ernesto decided to run for City Council and tries a few times. He lost, but he did become the affirmative action chair of the Democratic Party. Ernesto’s inspiration to study architecture and dedicate his careers in construction goes back to his childhood and the poor conditions his family lived in. His former house was very small, the restroom was outside with no roof, wide open. He remembers a special occasion as a child when it was raining, it leaked inside his house while he slept on a cot. At that moment he knew he wanted to create something beautiful. Ernesto did and carried

ABOUT HACIENDA • Hacienda CDC is a Latino Community Development Corporation that strengthens families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement and educational opportunities.

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on to build custom designed homes but he wasn’t happy. He knew something was missing and was lead to doing more work around the Latino community. Prior to entering Hacienda, Ernesto had already developed around 1,000 houses. His expertise brought him to his current role. He was delighted to join the organization and arrive to Portland. When talking about his role as CEO, Ernesto describes working in the front house, interacting with people that serve people directly and then there’s the back houses were administration, human resourc-es, and philanthropy take place. In the last 30 years Hacienda has developed 381 houses. Today, they have developed almost 700 units with almost half a billion dollars in invest-ments right now. Additionally, since Ernesto’s arrival, Haci-enda has grown substantially when it comes to Family Services providing afterschool pro-grams and support for families and kids. By providing economic opportunity with mort-gage lending homeownership education or foreclosure prevention while providing ALS for minorities including women. Lastly, they provide technical assistance to grow one’s business and upward mobility. “This is why housing is so important for infrastructure in our communities and mo-bility, which creates housing choices that we need. This means having the availability of housing for any different income and family types and individuals. One cannot be a very

well-developed or civil society until we find a house for everybody. If anything you know housing education and healthcare should be basic human rights in order for us to have a healthier community healthier society.” Ernesto expresses how although in 1986 the government came out with low-income housing tax credits which allowed more affordable housing projects, more work needs to be done around homeownership models. Investment opportunities only exist with those financial institutions that have the capacity to do so such as banks. There are fifty million dollar projects and those institutions are huge in investing but they don't give opportunities for investment for tax abatements to the low and middle income families. For Ernesto, his grand vision is to be a multi-state organization. “It’s important for people to understand who we are and where do we want to go not based on our own desires but based on where our communities are located,” he says. His goal now in the next two years in Hacienda is to be strongly present in seven cities across the state. As for his vision, Ernesto shares his hope of “ the organization to have covered a large portion of the states by not just bringing in housing but the many services that we provide. I have seen people succeed over and over again when they are provided with a little more than just a place for them to stay.” Ernesto strongly believes in the idea that anybody can to move forward. In order to

grow and succeed he believes in one attribute and that is to be persistent and believing that what one can do will be doable despite the many obstacles. “We as Latinos need to recognize oppression, we need to recognize the obstacles that we're going to face, they should not be a handicap in our lives. They should not be any of those attributes that prevent us from reaching our potential. Where do you want to go is really what is going to make a big difference.” LATEST PROJECT • Las Adelitas will be the largest redevelopment project in the Cully Neighborhood to date and the largest public investment in the NE Cully community. Located just across the street from Hacienda’s headquarters, the four-story, multifamily affordable housing development will create 142 homes and a new outdoor plaza. Las Adelitas is the outcome of a 5+ year community design process that transforms a former strip club site, known for illegal gambling and human trafficking, into a catalyst development. Aptly named after feminist Mexican revolutionaries, the building brings deep social, economic and environmental benefits.

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EXCLUSIVE

GARY KELLY, , SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

RISING WITH RESILIENCE Joseph Trevino

Moisés Cervantes

The world was experiencing one of the most devastating pandemics in the last 100 years. Add to that a crippled economy, a reluctance to travel, and health and social restrictions rarely seen in recent memory and you have what some believed would be a near demise for many businesses, let alone the airline industry. 24 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2021

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he main component was one of the most dangerous, some say, most lethal pandemics in the last 100 years. Add to that a crippled economy, a reluctance to travel and health and social restrictions rarely seen in recent memory and you have what some believed would be a near demise for many businesses, let alone airline companies. For many in the business community the question was: how do you lead a company in the middle of one of history’s greatest economic and social challenges? If you are Gary C. Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, of Southwest Airlines®, the nation’s largest airline, long considered one of the most innovative in the world, you take a deep breath, lean on your Company’s unique business model, and rally your more than 50,000 Employees to embrace their Southwest Warrior Spirit. Like most other airlines, Dallas-based Southwest lost almost all of its business in early 2020 due to the pandemic. Things quickly dimmed for everyone in the company as the Coronavirus affected almost every part of life in the country. But Kelly says that since its creation in 1967, Southwest has proven to be resilient. He admits there were times ear-

ly on in the pandemic, when the company was already losing money, it became apparent this was a far worse situation than that of the aftermath of 9/11. As the weeks progressed, things went from bad to worse. “The following week it was ‘oh man,’ this is a huge problem. That was the longest month of my life. Every day things were getting worse and worse and it took me a couple of days to come to grips with how bad it was,” Kelly says. “We knew what needed to be done topically, but we didn’t necessarily have the punch list on all the items that were needed to accomplish it. Our main priority, at that point, was to secure cash because we knew we were going to be suffering very large cash losses and had to cover that.” 50 years of connecting People and championing communities How Southwest managed to survive and is making a comeback is likely to go down in the history books, especially since Southwest is now getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Yes, there are many things to lament, Kelly admits. But there are also many things to celebrate and be grateful for at Southwest, he says.

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EXCLUSIVE

GARY KELLY, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

“I think we're so proud of the fact that in 50 years we've never had a furlough, we've never had a layoff, we've never had a pay cut, even through this pandemic. Now, it took government grants to see us through,” he says. “That’s the nature of the challenges we were faced with in this unique 12-month period,” he says. “All of those things have been top priorities for us, despite losing almost all of our business at times.” During his career with Southwest, and even before that, Kelly lived the values and vision of his Company, including offering world-class hospitality to Customers, a commitment to diversity at all levels, and providing access to air travel through low fares. Experts concede that before Southwest, air travel was mostly for the rich or for people with a good income, but all that changed when the Dallas-based company came into the picture. “I think finally the public knows what we're all about in terms of our business model, our brand, and our low fares,” Kelly says. “Make travel affordable for our Customers, and we feel like we give America the freedom to fly. We have democratized the skies and created a diverse Customer set and that’s something we’re really proud of.”

So much more than a numbers man

The man who would lead Southwest into the digital era and oversee the expansion of the company to other countries, becoming the largest airline in the U.S., first met his wife, Carol, when he was in the eighth grade. They married when he was 21; they have two daughters. Kelly, 66, was born in San Antonio and received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas, in Austin. He is also a public accountant. Before joining Southwest, Kelly was an Audit Manager for Arthur Young & Co. He later became a controller for Systems Center, Inc.. “The interesting thing about accounting is that it is not really numbers," Kelly told Barron’s, during an interview in 2012. "It is really more theory and understanding business and transactions, and then translating that into some kind of financial representation." It was in 1986, the year when big hair was common, Reaganism was the political rule of the land, big financial deals were famous and three-piece power suits were the norm in most boardrooms when Kelly joined Southwest Airlines as a controller. The company was on its fifteenth year and though it had about 70 planes (now it has more than ten times that), it was a big job for Kelly, who was then 31. Herb Kelleher, long considered one of the country’s most visionary business leaders, a chain-smoking maverick who slept four hours per night, planned Southwest Airlines on a paper napkin and once arm-wrestled a business rival instead of suing him (they later became friends), was to be Kelly’s mentor. Three years later Kelly was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance. He would later become Executive Vice President and CFO, before the company promoted him to CEO and Vice Chairman in 2004.

In 2019, Kelleher, who had been retired by then but was still close to Kelly, passed away. Mourning his death, Kelly called Kelleher "a lifelong mentor and friend, a pioneer, a maverick, and an innovator ... [whose] vision revolutionized commercial aviation and democratized the skies." Kelly, who has been called a history buff and an avid reader of all themes and subjects, is also a football fan. A Texan through and through, his family has owned a small ranch located near San Antonio since the Old West days. Like most Texans, he loves the outdoors, golfing, hunting and driving his 1964 356C Porsche. And he owns several electric guitars, claiming to know the first 10 licks to at least 100 songs. “Right when he gets into it, then he changes song,” says his wife Carol, jovially, during a video interview for Turn it up! And every Halloween, Kelly dons a costume. He has been, among other characters, Dracula and a Beatle.

The skies ahead

But lately, despite Kelly’s Joie de Vivre that most say embody the Company’s work ethic and sense of joy, there’s no denying the coronavirus managed to affect Southwest. The numbers reflect this. Southwest concluded the first quarter of 2021 with a fleet of 730 aircraft, which includes 61 MAX 8. It also took delivery of 20 MAX 8, 12 of them owned and eight of them leased, with the company expecting eight more of those aircrafts this year, according to a Southwest media report. In this same quarter, the company returned eight leased 737700 aircraft to lessors and expects to retire up to nine more 737700 aircraft in 2021. Referring to the company’s finance today, Kelly says, "in first quarter, we benefited from temporary cost relief as a result of PSP Extension proceeds, which offset a portion of salaries, wages, and benefits expenses, resulting in first quarter 2021 net income of $116 million, or $.19 per diluted share. We remain grateful for this much-needed federal payroll support on the heels of substantial losses in 2020, and ongoing non-GAAP losses in first quarter 2021. The payroll support from the federal government has allowed Southwest to preserve its 50-year history without involuntary layoffs or furloughs, an achievement unprecedented in the U.S. airline industry. Excluding the benefit of PSP Extension proceeds and other special items, our first quarter 2021 net loss was $1.0 billion, or $1.72 loss per diluted share.” Still, things are looking up, Kelly says. He adds that while the pandemic is not over, the worst is behind, resulting for Southwest with some steady, weekly improvements in leisure bookings that started in February 2021. And Southwest is more than poised to respond to people that want to travel again, he says. Be it for pleasure or business. “I do think business travel will recover. I just don't know how fast it will recover and to what level it will recover,” he says. “I think there's a lot of people, me included, that are anxious to get out and see my colleagues and suppliers and customers, face-toface of course, but we will need to be prepared to have much more traffic coming from consumer travel and I think we're perfectly situated for that.”

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COMCAST RISE INVESTMENT FUND – NATIONAL COMBINED CHAMBER OP-ED

hile the pandemic has presented economic challenges for everyone, BIPOC-owned (Black, indigenous, people of color) small businesses have been among the hardest hit. Nationally, the number of active business owners in the United States fell by 22 percent from February to April 2020 as the pandemic forced business to close their doors. But for Black-owned businesses, the devastation ran nearly twice as deep: active African American business owners declined 41%. Other minority communities also experienced deep losses, including immigrant (a 36 percent drop), Latinx (32 percent), and Asian (26 percent) business owners. This narrative has become the norm in America; it’s time to address this crisis head-on. The pandemic poured gasoline on a fire that was already smoldering. Businesses already operating closest to the margin were most likely to fail as the worst recession in 75 years quickly exacerbated and accelerated existing inequality. With infection rates declining and vaccinations accelerating, it’s comforting to think we may finally be seeing the light at the end of the pandemic’s tunnel. But a gradual return to “normal” is cold comfort to BIPOC business owners struggling to keep their heads above water. In order to dig out of this economic hole, minority-owned businesses need support – cash grants, technical resources, accessible loans — to help level the playing field and truly promote equal opportunity.

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We need all hands on deck; both the federal government and the larger corporate community have critical roles to play here. The Biden Administration’s proposed American Rescue Plan calls for a $15 billion grant program for small businesses, and an additional $35 billion to seed a small business lending program. The Administration expects to leverage an additional $175 billion in loans and venture capital. These funds are desperately needed – and it is absolutely vital that minority-owned businesses be given equal opportunities to benefit. Congress needs to ensure that businesses owned by entrepreneurs of color get their fair share this time. And we need reporting requirements to ensure accountability. Promises and press releases aren’t enough; we need sustained commitment, follow through and transparency. In the meantime, corporate America needs to step up. As racial justice protests flared across the country last summer, many large companies announced meaningful new commitments to combat inequality. For example, Comcast’s RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment) initiative, launched in October, is awarding $10,000 grants to at least 500 BIPOC-owned businesses across five of the cities hardest hit by the pandemic — Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Detroit. More than 700 businesses nationwide are also benefitting from marketing and technology services through this initiative, helping them get back on their feet. The Comcast RISE program is part of a 3-year,

$100 million commitment to fight injustice and inequality that the company announced last summer. This is the kind of concrete commitment that we need to build on. And as important as these federal and private sector initiatives are, they cannot succeed unless the rest of the village joins in. We all have to paddle in the same direction in order to realize the American promise of true equal opportunity. The federal government has to sustain its new efforts over time, and more leaders in the private sector need to initiate efforts like the Comcast RISE program in order to achieve scale. With a coordinated effort from both the public and private sectors, minority business owners will be able to access the resources they need to thrive, and the economic recovery we’re all striving for will come closer to representing the fair, equitable playing field we should have built in the first place. * Sponsored Content, not necessary reflects Latino Leaders opinion.

Ron Busby, President & CEO of the U.S. Black Chamber Ramiro Cavazos, President & CEO of U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Chiling Tong, President & CEO of National ACE

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EDUCATION ANA PONE

REDEFINING PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR LATINO SUCCESS Enmanuel Vera

Courtesy

Carlos Cuevas

he learn tremendously early exposure to beauty and color within her diverse Latino community. Interestingly, part of her story was about her parents, who didn't have formal schooling, and lacked aspirations for education due to their personal experiences. “ What I wanted to aspire to was breaking the cycle of poverty and living a life where I wasn't just surviving but thriving,” Ana shares. As she rose as top student with honor rolls in high school, she also worked a full-time job to help her family and pay tuition for the private school she attended. Finally, she headed to Mulberry College in the state of Vermont where she envisioned becoming someone that would uplift others. Ana realized that she wanted to be an educator, but while in college she also learned about the white culture of power and how they used their networks. She realized how undereducated she was. It was then that she decided to even out the playing field for all Latino students and those who followed.

Ana Ponce is the current Executive Director for Great Public Schools Now (GPSN). Her wanting to work in the education field came from her own experience in education as a child. Ana’s story begins when she and her family immigrated to the United States from Mexico when her parents wanted to provide them a better life. Neither parent had any formal schooling since they belonged to the agricultural community until they were forced to move into the city. They settled in Los Angeles, in the area of pico union, which was a primary community with immigrants from Central and South America, but few Mexicans. After she finished college she headed to the education field and began teaching from kindergarten to doing some tutoring. She eventually started her own charter school in South LA and lead to great success. Her big vision started with 2 classrooms with 50 kids, which then expanded to 400 kids. Eventually, the school had 3,800 kids who ended up graduating. About 80% of those students went on to four-year colleges. During those years she sat with moms ,cried with them, and helped them make the best decision for the family and for their child. Ana shares how oftentimes those conversations were a lot about young girls that wanted to go to college like her. It was then Great Public Schools Now reached out to her and recruited her. Ana took th decision to take the job mainly of the reasons being their mission statement aligning with her own belief. The organization’s main vision is “a great public school for every student in Los Angeles.” Guided by this vision, their mission is to invest in schools, organizations, and initiatives that catalyze excellence in public education, convene leaders, and uplift public understanding to advocate for great public schools. Ana truly believes that the basic element for a child to have a good education is being able to address systemic inequities within the larger system and those barriers.

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“WHAT I WANTED TO ASPIRE TO, WAS BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY AND LIVING A LIFE WHERE I WASN'T JUST SURVIVING BUT THRIVING.” ANA PONCE For Ana her core strategies consist of three main things: “One is investing in quality school models. Second, we have the collective action initiative which is about working with community-based organizations to leverage influence and power to create policies that will push on improving quality in schools and accountability. Third, is around catalytic initiatives which are really being aware of where the opportunities are so that we can step in and invest in taking advantage of that opportunity.” During the pandemic, GPSN has partnered with over 30 organizations to start a rapid relief fund, called One Family LA(OFLA). Back in March, the week after schools closed many families were going to be economically negatively impacted by the shut down and so they launched the effort. Within two weeks of launching, deploying funding directly to families began immediately and provided assistance with food, rent, medical care, sup-

plies, childcare, and other basic needs. In total OFLA raised over $2,000,000 and they were able to support over 4,500 families with financial assistance for what was needed. As Ana reflects on her core belief, she comes to explain that families are part of the educational journey. She connects deeply and relates her own personal story from both her education journey and coming as an immigrant. Ana remembers her mother being marginalized at her elementary school due to her lack of English speaking. This strongly shaped how Ana and many more children of immigrants saw themselves in society. It’s situations like these affecting students and their families that have made family engagement and outreach become front and center of Ana’s vision as an educator. Today, Ana’s personal journey, experiences and work continue to redefine and re-imagining what public schools can be like to set kids up for success.

CEO, Great Public Schools Now

Dr. Ponce is the Chief Executive Officer of Great Public Schools Now (GPSN), and the former Chief Executive Officer of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy (CNCA). CNCA is a neighborhood network of 5 elementary and secondary schools serving over 2000 students within the greater MacArthur Park neighborhood near Downtown Los Angeles. Under her supervision, the CNCA schools have won the Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, the California Association of Bilingual Education Seal of Excellence, and the California Distinguished Schools award. Cannes

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EDUCATION

KHRISTINA GONZALEZ

PRINCETON’S NEW DIRECTOR FOR ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY

Khristina Gonzalez currently serves as the Director for the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity in Princeton University. With the goal of enhancing and expanding Princeton University’s fundamental commitment to the college success of talented students from first-generation, lower-income and underrepresented backgrounds, Bloomberg Philanthropies made a significant gift that established the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity. 30 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2021

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Tell us a little bit about yourself, your roots.

I am, at heart, a girl from a working class family in Poughkeepsie, New York. My mother, Colette, was born and raised in Queens, NY and hails from Polish and German immigrants. My father, Andy, was born and raised in Lima, Peru and immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. That they had the opportunity to meet and marry is truly a story of New York City’s diversity—and luck. My mother and father are not only the hardest working people that I know (they still show up to my house to help shovel the driveway, even though it should definitely be the other way around), they also empowered my brother and me to pursue our own educational paths, even when that meant that I insisted on studying obscure 19th century literature and culture. This support often meant that they were making great sacrifices, which my brother and I did not even know about. Only recently, when I asked him how he possibly knew how to pave a patio, did my father tell me that he took on additional construction work each morning before he started his shift as a chef in order to make my tuition payments at Dartmouth. Through their work, their love, and their faith in us, my parents built a platform from which my brother and I could launch into our own academic and professional paths. They empowered us to ask questions, to take risks, and to never be content with injustice. Both my brother and I now work in education and we both specialize in educational access and equity work.

How did the start of your career look like?

I often say that I consider myself the proud product of diversity and inclusion pipeline initiatives. I entered college thinking that I would be a lawyer, largely because it was the only professional pathway that

I knew that didn’t involve science or math! In my first year of college, a professor nominated me for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, which supports Black, Latinx, and Native American students in their pursuit of the Ph.D., with the goal of diversifying faculty at colleges and universities. At the time, I had no real knowledge of the path toward graduate school or a doctoral degree, but this faculty member, Keala Jewell, saw something in me that I didn’t see at the time—a love for research and teaching. I was selected for the Mellon Mays fellowship, and through her mentorship and advising, ended up pursuing graduate school in English Literature. I was supported in that pursuit by other pipeline programs, like the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers at Andover, which advised me through the application process and financed all of my applications. During graduate school, I realized that as much as I loved literary research, I was more drawn to the work of teaching, mentoring, and advising. I wanted to ensure that other students would have the same support and opportunity that I had. I had experienced so much good fortune in my educational journey: meeting the right mentor at the right time, receiving fellowships, etc. I realized that I wanted to have a career that focused on creating broad, equitable academic pathways for all students, particularly those from marginalized communities. I wanted to create programs that would institutionalize the luck that I had experienced, creating opportunity for all.

What excites you the most about your new role as director?

My favorite thing about my role is the time that I get to spend with our Fli (first-generation, lower-income) student community at Princeton. It is a real pleasure to be able to learn from our students about their experiences and to work with them to build initiatives and pro-

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EDUCATION

KHRISTINA GONZALEZ

grams to support future generations. At Princeton, we are privileged to have the resources to be able to experiment and innovate, as we work to create a truly inclusive and equitable campus—one that reflects, empowers, and grows our diverse student body. As a result, we have a commitment to use these resources responsibly; to ensure that our work reaches beyond our campus gates and has a positive impact on students nationwide. I am excited about the opportunity that the Center provides to scale this work and serve in a convening role, broadly sharing best practices for promoting educational access and opportunity. I’m also eager to help highlight and support the work that our colleagues at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities have long done to serve and empower our minoritized student communities.

Can you tell us more about the Latino student population in Princeton?

It is an incredibly strong and diverse population. Our students hail from all over the globe, so the members of our Latinx community have varied backgrounds and lived experiences. Some students come from communities and high schools with large Latinx population, where they spoke Spanish at home and at school. Some of our Latinx students come from majority White communities and haven’t had the opportunity to learn or speak Spanish. But at Princeton, there is an opportunity to come together to discuss shared elements of culture, to learn more about our diverse heritages, and to speak across and through difference. It is an ideal space to think through the multiplicity of Latinx identity—and, of course, to have fun and join awesome student groups like Princeton Latinos y Amigos and Mas Flow. Students also have the chance to connect and grow cross-generational friendships with Latino alumni through groups like ALPA (Association of Latino Princeton Alumni) and their regular cafecitos.

How will this new center aid current and future Latino students? The Center’s aim is to ensure equity of opportunity for students, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. The goal is to address persistent inequities in access to educational and professional pathways. For instance, we know that the percentage of Latinx faculty members at US colleges and universities has hovered at the low rate of about 4-5% nationwide. It is very difficult for Latinx students to see themselves in a particular career or opportunity, if they have never seen anyone like them in a similar position. The Center will work to create new pathways for Latinx and other BIPOC students to pursue fields in which they have been historically underrepresented, so that, over time, these gaps will be erased. More generally, the Center provides us with the opportunity to ensure that students feel that they can bring their full selves to the University.

Why should Latinos consider schools such as Princeton? What would be your advice?

As a historically White and wealthy institution, Princeton still carries, for many, a reputation for being “snobby” and exclusive. I myself did not consider Princeton as a high-school student because I had that perception! But my advice to students would be that they should get to know our awesome community. We have a vibrant Latinx community and, more broadly, vibrant communities of color. At places like Princeton, you’ll have the chance to think broadly and expansively about your academic and professional path, while being supported through ongoing mentorship, socioemotional, and financial support. There is a place for you on this campus—and you do belong here.”

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EDUCATION

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY PUEBLO

TIMOTHY MOTTET, COLORADO STATE’S LEADER OF EDUCATION

The Colorado State University Pueblo was recognized in the 2016 Nov/Dec issue of Latino Leaders Magazine among the top 50 schools for Latino students. Though it is one of the smaller schools in the listing (5,000), it boasts one of the larger percentages of Latino students. Elsa Cavazos

Luis E. González

he student population at CSUPueblo is nearly 50 percent minority with 34 percent of students reporting being of Hispanic descent. More than 55 percent of the freshmen in Fall of 2016 reported being from a minority

group. Timothy Mottet is the 15th president of Colorado State University-Pueblo. As a higher education leader, he is recognized for designing innovative learning systems that allow all students to be successful. Mottet has a record of success in developing high-performing educators, aligning people and processes to enhance organizational sustainability, facilitating and implementing strategic planning processes, and building consensus among diverse groups of individuals. “We have seen growth in all of our underrepresented groups. I recently published an article on my experiences in working and leading Hispanic institutions, higher ed comes with the culture and language,” Mottet said. ‘It can be challenging, we are always working to make it more elegant and simple. Then you add on a first generation, underrepresented students where language is a barrier. The need for employment and jobs, there are a number of obstacles that need to be mitigated,” he said. Mottet considers accessing affordability as one of the most important tasks. “One thing we have learned is we are in a community that is not a university going culture. We are a small town surrounded by farms and in an agrarian economy,” he said. The university is trying to create a university going culture by opening small admission centers in high schools.

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“Early on we are trying to introduce the idea of going to college. Also working with moms and dads and having a conversation. Not necessarily at CSU Pueblo it is to help them to go wherever they would like to go,” Mottet said. He calls CSU Pueblo, a university for the people. One which recognizes students live complicated lives and they work and study. “Our students come with a job and we are building an education around their job. For the first two years we try to get them embedded in an industry they want to go,” he said. “We partner with the student to make them a successful working professional, all of this is paid employment where they are working and making college credit,” Mottet said. Many of CSU Pueblo's students want to be teachers or nurses, many of them have to do clinicals which are not paid. With the department of education assistance, they are allowed to pay students for their clinicals and student teaching. “If you are a student of a lower socioeconomic status, you are not going to be getting to those fields because the pathway is not there. These are small decisions students have to make especially in career fields where we need more of them,” he said. “We are trying to figure out these obstacles and challenges, to me, of affordability. We do not want to have a student choose,” Mottet said. The university is working locally to help bridge the gap between how much parents make and how much tuition is. Mottet said there has been exponential growth at CSU Pueblo since the pandemic. Ironically, it has been able to transcend and become a better institution. Besides having more technology available, it has improved in all kinds of modalities. 25 percent of class will be online and the other 75, blended or face to face. “We are doing a much better job meeting the needs of 21st workforce development. We are doing a better job at meeting their needs and we are not

going back to the old way,” he said. Mottet stressed how the university and the community is a blue collar environment. It emphasizes the recognition of work. “The last thing I would want it to associate is elitist attitudes especially at a poor community, especially transitioning from old economies to new economies. We are a university for the people,” he said. Leadership is not a course, but it is having a mindset, according to Mottet. It is socializing people for professional life, it requires partnerships with employers. “Developing soft skills, the more we can partner and stress on them, then moving forward it is very important. We do that through our internship experiences,” he said. “Your education is by doing, we pride ourselves on experiential education. Our students create, build, discover. We got to start a job and career that is going to allow you to make contributions to your family, your community and your workplace,” Mottet said. In doing all of that, students will become a fabulous citizen in his eyes. The school’s mission statement is to prepare students to navigate work in a rapid changing world. Mottet attributed most of what he has learned from his president at the University of Texas Pan-American, a strong Latina leader. “She was bold, she was big, she was loud. A great advocate, working for her, I guess it lit a light in my belly for the work I am doing,” he said. “A part of my leadership today is benefitting from a Latina leader. I am a better Latino leader from what I have learned from them,” Mottet said. Lastly, he added his role is advocating for the needs of students no matter what. Whether they are DACA students, Black Lives Matter, etc. “There are a lot of leaders who are less willing to take the front stage on those and I am not afraid to do that because it is the students I serve. You have to be committed to the advocacy,” he said. WRITE AND SHARE #ConnectLL

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TECH

ALEXANDER FERNANDEZ

BUILDING DIVERSE GLOBAL INTERACTIONS

Alexander Fernandez is a Latino entrepreneur whose passion is building value between the video game and traditional enterprise industries.

e has used that passion to help grow Streamline from a small startup focused on gaming, to a global business with over 180+ employees in 3 continents, and multiple brands under the Streamline Media Group umbrella. He believes that technology must always be a tool that helps people move forward, and the creative economy can be a launching ground for developing markets and economies. LL: We asked Alexander a few questions and this is what he had to say: AF: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, your roots. My mom is from Nicaragua and father from El Salvador. I was born and grew up in rural Utah.My Mom bought me and my twin brother a computer when we were 13. Her hope was that we’d stay out of trouble and learn it to create new opportunities for

“FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD.” - LATIN PROVERB ourselves. It paid off. Playing games gave me the opportunity to mentally escape my rural surroundings and explore other worlds and ideas. Along the way I became fascinated by the technology involved in game development. LL: How did the road to becoming CEO of Streamline Media Group look like? AF: Streamline started 20 years ago with four guys in an apartment in Amsterdam. We were in our early twenties, had a passion for video games and a desire to make our own games. We needed money to do that, so we figured out a way to sell our skills in art and game development. The

journey in the early years was feast or famine and there was a lot of struggle to break into the industry. What kept me going during those tough times was to think about how my family had come to the United States and fought hard to make it work. That gave me the strength and energy to keep going as I realized I was standing on the shoulders of people who really sacrificed to get me to where I was.

Luis E. González

LL: How does diversity and inclusion align with the success of your organization? AF: Streamline was built by diverse partners. None of us are from the same country.

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We speak different languages and have different cultures that require all of us to become more understanding towards differences. This set the foundation that attracted people from all over the world and different walks of life that add to the richness of what’s possible for the company. We currently have 25 different languages and 45 different nationalities. This richness in backgrounds allows us to maneuver globally and to enrich the work we create to vastly different tastes. What has struck me over the past 20 years is how despite our different backgrounds our shared love for creative, technology, and diversity has united so many people together while demonstrating how similar people are. LL: How can more Latinos get involved in this sector? AF: I believe deeply you need to see people like yourself succeeding in a given field to know you can do it. Examples and role models matter. More importantly, it comes down to family support and exposure to not just the entertainment side of playing games, but highlighting how they’re made and encouraging STEM education. We don’t just want to be the talent, but the publisher, creator, and IP owner. Streamline recently announced our US expansion with new headquarters in Las Vegas. Working remotely has pushed humanity to adopt tech at a much faster rate—both on a corporate and a personal level—and has expanded the opportunities available to people worldwide.

“EVERY MAN'S LIFE ENDS THE SAME WAY. IT IS ONLY THE DETAILS OF HOW HE LIVED AND HOW HE DIED THAT DISTINGUISH ONE MAN FROM ANOTHER.” - ERNEST HEMINGWAY FUN FACTS: We believe there is a lot of undiscovered talent out there in the tech industry, particularly in the Americas and in the Latinx community. We are opening our doors to this talent and embracing the opportunities that come with a remote working world. LL: What is your favorite part about your work? AF:Watching people grow and surpass their own perceived limitations. I also love creating jobs and working with highly talented people. LL: What are some projects you are working on right now? AF: We’re currently developing multiple original games as well as expanding our development platform, Streamframe. Our game services divisions are working on several AAA games for partners in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Where do you see the future of the gaming industry? Video games have broken through as an entertainment medium and entered the enterprise space. Big business has taken notice and is utilizing video game technology and their ability to create immersive experiences to reach their customers while also supporting their employees across their operations. This blending

of entertainment, business, and immersiveness is transforming the global economy and its only a matter of time that everyone’s lives is touched by gaming.. LL: Favorite quote? AF I have two: •“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” - Ernest Hemingway •“Fortune favors the bold.” Latin proverb Starveup.com @starveup @starveup_ Starveup

• Alexander currently serves on the advisory board of Gamescom. • In 2016, Alexander was accepted into Endeavor, a global network of high-impact entrepreneurs and Harvard Business School OPM program. • In 2020, Alexander launched Video Games Real Talk, a podcast about the business of video games, the future of the industry, and how the concept of gamification and the metaverse can benefit non-gaming companies in a post-COVID business era.Â • Streamline recently launched Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow, a video game designed to present the Balenciaga Fall 2021 collection. The COVID pandemic presented Balenciaga an opportunity to lead the fashion industry into new territory by crafting an immersive virtual experience. The game takes players into the year 2031, where they move through five different levels- starting with a Balenciaga store - and encounter avatars showcasing clothing from the new line.

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EMPOWERMENT PEDRO CEVALLOS

Elsa Cavazos

Courtesy

Carlos Cuevas

A PIONEER IN EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE 01

Pedro J. Cevallos-Candau, Ph.D., P.E, has always demonstrated progressive executive leadership for more than 35 years. He cofounded Primera Engineers, Ltd., in 1987 and sold the firm in 2016. During this time the firm grew to become one of the largest Latino-owned engineering firms in the country. The Chicago Tribune named Primera Engineers as one of Chicago’s Top Workplaces several years in a row. He launched PECECA Business Consultants, a management consulting firm, in March 2016. In 2021, he was assumed the position of Vice President for Workforce Development at St. Augustine College.

r. Cevallos-Candau has been a leader for the empowerment of Hispanic professionals in the Chicago area for years. He was a founding member of the Chicago Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE) and was involved in the formation of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE). “My story is not very common, my mother was Originally from Span and my father was from Ecuador. They met in Madrid when my father had a junior position at the Ecuador Embassy and from then they got married and went to Ecuador,” Dr. Cevallos-Candau said. “Both were academics and with time they decided they wanted to come to the United States but they could not find a university which would admit them both. They found an opportunity in Puerto Rico, we packed our suitcases and moved,” he said. Dr. Cevallos-Candau studied in Puerto Rico, where he majored in civil engineering, and later earned a Doctorate in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, in Champaign/Urbana.

01 PEDRO J. CEVALLOS-CANDAU, Ph.D., P.E. Vice President for workforce Education at St. Augustine College

THERE MUST BE A BASIC FOUNDATION OF EDUCATTION TO ACHIEVE A BETTER ECONOMY AND INCORPROATE IN TO THE MIDDLE CLASS.

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He then had the opportunity to go to the Illinois Institute of Technology as a professor. “I learned it was not what I wanted to do. I then realized I wanted to be an entrepreneur and worked as a consultant in Chicago,” Dr. Cevallos-Candau said. He then ventured out and started Primera Engineers during the recession. According to Cevallos-Candau, Primera Engineers grew into two different areas. One being the vertical area, which are buildings and horizontal which was bridges, highways and airports. “At the beginning of the 2000s we were looking into transmitting electricity and it was one of the areas which grew more and took us out of Chicago,” he said. Cevallos said you have to be an employer of choice and made it a priority to have a high quality program to serve clients as best as possible. The success of Primera was because it always invested in its employees. “I have to offer all kinds of incentives and opportunities so they do not choose another company. Any business needs to have the right employees, that is the key to success,” he said. Five years ago, the company was sold and Cevallos-Candau retired and served in St. Augustine College’s Board of Directors. This is an accredited, independent, non-profit college, with four locations in Chicago and one in Aurora, Illinois. It offers Associate and Bachelor degrees, is committed to promoting success through education, and is in the process of transforming into a university. Soon after he joined St. Augustine’s board, the President, Dr. Reyes Gonzalez, asked him to take over the reins at the college’s Institute for Workforce Education (IWE), which he accepted.

The roots of education in his family helped him realize the importance of developing a prosperous economy through leadership and education. “Definitely, part of what has been discussed at the Illinois Latino Caucus Foundation, of which I am a member, is that there must be a basic foundation of education to achieve a better economy and to incorporate into the middle class. There are more Latinos joining the workforce and education allows them to earn beyond the minimum wage and incorporate into the middle class,” he said. Much of the training offered by IWE is focused on the incumbent workforce. “We train current employees of companies and non-profits. We have a client in the food industry who needs certifications for Wal-Mart and we can help with that, it is one case,” Cevallos-Candau said. “Other groups need to maintain licenses or are required to train ABOUT IWE The Institute for Workforce Education is a division of St. Augustine College and is the leading provider of dual-language workforce development services in Illinois. Their mission is to add value to businesses and organizations by delivering resultsdriven career and professional development and customized training services in a responsive, professional manner. They deliver training to businesses and individuals through comprehensive model designed to achieve one main goal: develop qualified professionals with market-ready skills.

WRITE AND SHARE #ConnectLL

employees when a law is passed. The institute provides training, in various languages, in manufacturing, construction, health, professional services and other areas. We also provide small business training,” he said. IWE has developed strategic partnerships to expand its workforce and small business training with various entities that include the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association. At the same time, young people are being trained so that they can become electricians, carpenters, etc. “I am meeting with a group who needs airplane mechanics and we are pursuing multiple training opportunities.” “I am excited about expanding our training services at St. Augustine and IWE. Our economy is changing rapidly and, in order to succeed in the workforce or as a business, we must adapt and stay up-to-date with the skills needed to move ahead and be successful,” He concluded.

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THE WINES OF BAJA Baja California wine country is just 90 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, and within 15 miles of the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, the region of Valle de Guadalupe has a hot, dry Mediterranean clime but uniquely with a strong maritime influence. Baja, has recently become an attraction to winemakers from all over the world to experiment in this region. In the meantime, they have all contributed to its development and have all together seen growth and recognition. We curated a list of recognized profiles from importers to winemakers, contributing to the winemaking industry through their innovation and global experiences.

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WINE

LA COMPETENCIA IMPORTS

TOMÁS BRACAMONTES FROM LA COMPETENCIA IMPORTS Founded by Tomás Bracamontes, La Competencia Imports is in an importer of fine wines of Mexico. In a little more than 18 months La Competencia Imports has orchestrated a broad penetration of Baja wines into the U.S. market which now includes 11 different distributors covering 17 different markets. A LONG TIME Wine Business professional and consultant, Tom was Director of Sales and Marketing for Mi Sueño Winery, but after a trip to Baja (Mexico) wine region in 2015, he immediately recognized the potential of it and quickly formed his company. In a little more than 5 years, La Competencia Imports has established the largest distribution network for Mexican wines in the United States. At present count, La Competencia has distribution in 25 states and projects that this will expand to 30-35 states by the first quarter of 2022. The La Competencia portfolio includes Casa Magoni, Bodegas Henri Lurton, Bruma, Adobe Guadalupe, Santos Brujos, Viñas de la Erre, La Trinidad, Madera 5, Solar Fortun, Quinta Monasterio, Chateau Camou, and Vinsur. “My grandfather, Ramon Gomez, felt that “competition” was good for the community. Competition drove him to offer a better product and a better level of service, all while aiming to offer the best possible prices. It is with this same spirit that La Competencia Imports aspires to provide the most compelling portfolio of wine from Baja California, Mexico. If I can replicate the level of customer service and connection to the community that my grandfather was known for, I will consider it a job well done.”

The Original La Competencia

Originally from Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, Tomás’ grandfather, Ramon Gomez shares a story similar to countless other hard working & proud immigrants that have come to the U.S. seeking a better life. “What he may have lacked in terms of resources or formal education he more than made up for it with hard work, perseverance and a healthy dose of “ganas” (Spanish for guts,” states Tomàs on the business’ website.

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About Tomás Education • Pepperdine University - B.S. Business Administration • Semester at Sea - International Business Studies Work History • Bear Stearns & Co. - Retail Broker • Delicious Vinyl Records - Director of Urban Promotion • Tommy Boy Records - National Director of Urban Promotion • Sony 550 Music - Vice President Urban Promotion • Virgin Records - Sr. Vice President Black Music Division • Mi Sueño Winery - Director of Sales & Marketing • TBA Napa, Inc. - Founder • La Competencia Imports - Founder

01 Tomás' Grandfather. 02 Tom & Camillo 03 Michelle Martain (La Mision), Maurice DiMarino (Cohn Restaurant Group), Michael Langdon (Whole Foods), Tom Bracamontes (La Competencia) and Danny Fancher (Estancia La Jolla)

Tom is proud to say that early on his grandfather provided numerous examples and life lessons that would remain with him throughout his lifetime. Honesty and respect for his customers while not being afraid of a little “friendly competition,” served as the foundation for a business he could be proud of. Tomás’ grandfather note only did he own the business and the building that housed it, but he also owned the little house his great grandmother lived in next door. Even after large grocery chains moved into town and threatened his very existence, he had the foresight to convert La Competencia from a “tiendita” into the areas first-ever Mexican Restaurant (The White Tortilla). Today, Tom is proud to carry on the name from the original La Competencia and extend his own business. MARCH/ APRIL 2021 LATINO LEADERS 43

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WINE

BRUMA VALLE DE GUADALUPE

BRUMA,

WINES CREATED TO ACHIEVE AN EXPERIENCE FOR ALL THE SENSES.

LOURDES “LULU” MARTINEZ OJEDA WINEMAKER & PARTNER

IT WAS EIGHT PARTNERS who launched Bruma with the intention of establishing the premier wine brand in Mexico. It’s fair to say that they dared to envision a project beyond the scope of the general perceptions that existed at the time they broke ground. Acclaimed Lourdes “Lulu” Martinez Ojeda, formerly of Bodegas Henri Lurton, is the

winemaker/partner at Bruma. Lulu earned. Her craft working at Chateau Brance-Cantenac in Margaux for more than ten years. Bruma’s mission is to make wines that reflect the nature of their terroir and the typicity of their varietals through biodynamic and sustainable farming. Minimal intervention is used in the cellars in order to respect the grapes and produce. “We believe acidity is the elegance in wine complemented with aromatic complexity as opposed to intensity, and delicatessen in extraction.”

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“All of our wines have been created to achieve an experience for all the senses, everything about us, from the name and design of our label - to the final material selection and colors - depicts what we stand for. We want to share the history of this land that we deeply love and have an ongoing conversation with. Each season changes at Valle de Guadalupe, where the land talks to us and we've learned to listen. We believe in the delight that comes with a good glass of wine, it has to do with a longer route, one that overcomes the palate and moves us to another place, moves the soil from the harvest, its a metaphor for life and its process.”

The property is located in the Northern most end of Valle de Guadalupe. Approximately 40% of Bruma’s total production comes from estate-grown fruit. The remaining fruit is sourced from Lulu’s uncle who is a legendary grape grower in Valle de San Vicente. Bruma continues to learn at a fast pace and experimenting techniques used nowhere else that result in unique authentic wines. MARCH/ APRIL 2021 LATINO LEADERS 45

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WINE

PALAFOX

ALDO CESAR PALAFOX VINOS Y VIÑEDOS

LOCATED IN the heart of the Antigua Ruta del Vino, South of Ensenada, the Aldo Cesar Palafox winery is firmly rooted in family traditions that originated centuries ago by the Spanish missionaries. At the heart of the family’s traditions is an understanding and appreciation for the land and the importance of responsible stewardship which insures that it will be enjoyed and farmed by future generations of Palafox. The family tradition of making wine dates back to the nineteenth century with the focus being on artisan winemaking for family consumption. In 1997, the planting of noble

grape varietals initiated the evolution of a new wine project and in 2009, a new subterranean cellar was incorporated to this project. For more than three generations Palafox has honored the vision of the missionaries over these lands while embracing the family’s wine tradition. Steadily they have improved farming techniques as well as incorporating modern winemaking practices. All with one goal in mind . . . . making wine that pays tribute to Baja California’s proud wine making history and culture that spans more than 100 years. Today, Palafox counts with. Lourdes Martinez Ojeda as their winemaker and produce an average of 5,000 cases.

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Wine Uniqueness

The quality of the Palafox wines is kept by state of the art technology, including a BucherVaslin “Inertys” press which adds nitrogen during. pressing to avoid any oxidization and preserve pure color and varietal aromas.

“We focus on achieving great acidity in all of our wines, by taking care of the fruit from the vineyard to harvest and winemaking process.”

Tasting Notes • Aldo Palafox “Pionero” 2018 Chenin Blanc, Chardoonnay B.C. Slight citric notes with white fruity and salty. notes. Medium body, acid, and firm. Guava, pear and flowery hints. • Tributo 2017 (Tempranillo -Syrah) Flowery notes like violet and vanilla, with accentuated notes of raspberry and black pepper. Aromatic, powerful and balanced with velvety texture and elegant tanins.

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WINE

CASA MAGONI

CASA MAGONI CAMILLO MAGONI

BORN AND RAISED in Italy, Camilo studied and received his Enology and Viticulture degree from the prestigious Enologica a Di Alba, located in Piedmont. After working at the renowned Nino Negri de Chiuro winery in Valtelina, Camil joined the winemaking team at L.A. Cetto in Baja California, Mexico. He quickly rose through the winemaking ranks. He established his own Bodegas Magoni in 2002 and initially focused Ono producing high quality high quality wines from private consumption. In 2013, the Magoni Family introduced their first portfolio of wines available to the public, all of which are produced from grapes harvested from their vineyards. Today, the Magoni family is one of the largest growers in Valle de Guadalupe. Growing more than 110 different grape varietals on more than 278 hectares, Camilo has created the largest experimental vineyards in El Valle.

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WINE

CASA MAGONI

Philosophy

Casa Magoni’s philosophy is based on sustainability, aiming for the best grape quality and their trust in mother nature to do her job. Their main focus in their consumer, which they see as their biggest judge. Casa Magoni offers best quality at a fair price. It’s all about preserving the varietal character of the grapes because that is where the wines personality is derived from and reveals the personality of the wine. This wine region is still a small region but the potential and the optimism is a result from the market response, and the consolidation of the quality and character of their wines is derived from.

Wines

Casa Magoni produces a wide variety of Reds and Whites from Label “Casa Magoni”, including five “reservas” with varietals like Tempranillo, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

WINE NOTES Casa Magoni Chardonnay /. Vermentino, Manaz Vineyard V. Guadalupe B.C. 2018. Clean and lean. Not much on the nose, but Lemmon and tropical on the palate. Slightly salty. But fruit and critic dominate with light body and balanced structure. Nice and crisp. Casa Magoni Merlot/ Malbec 2017. V. Guadalupe B.C. Nice red candy and ripe berries nose. Regaliz, licorice filled aromas. Little salty hints, full body, grape candy and black pepper. Tanic, fruity and bold.

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WINE VINSUR

VINSUR

DANIEL LONNBERG HUME OWNER AND WINEMAKER

OWNER OF VINSUR, Daniel Lonnberg Hume is originally from the city of Santiago de Chile, where he studied Oenology at the University of Chile. After graduating he quickly found a position with Concha y Toro and later, Altair & Chocalan. Encouraged by Jose Luis Durand, a fellow Chilean and well-respected winemaker who had already successfully established himself in Baja, Daniel made the decision to bring his talents to El Valle. In 2005 he was selected by esteemed winemaker Hugo D’Acosta (Casa de Piedra), to become the Enologist for Paralelo. After a successful stint at Paralelo, Daniel turned to consulting and has since developed an enviable list of clients including: Adobe Guadalupe, Hacienda Guadalupe, Norte 32, Emeve & Hilo Negro. Considered to be amongst the region’s hottest winemakers, Daniel also produces multiple wines under the “VINSUR por Daniel Lonnberg” brand including two outstanding red blends, Cañada de los Encinos and Literal.

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WINE VINSUR

Tasting Notes VINSUR LITERAL 2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON / SYRAH B.C.

Great concentration and fruitless showing notes of licorice, gooseberry, plum and anise. Complex and rich with a good balance and a full body.

VINSUR LA CAÑADA DE LOS ENCINOS 2017 Floral notes with a hint of spice, rich. aromas of red and dark fruit with a touch of vanilla and oak. Silky, acid and persistent.

FOR DANIEL, understanding climatic and soil conditions of a place as a whole, is essential to making a good wine. “If you get to land that essence in a project, keeping it without further intervention, letting nature express itself, then you a achieved authenticity, the pure reflection of the terroir. Daniel likes to make wines that are easy to drink and enjoy, with the potential of being the perfect pairing for a good meal or simply to share during a good talk. Ever since he arrived to Baja he has witnessed a non-stopping evolution in the wine industry. “Mexican wine is starting to being recognized by its quality even outside Mexico, which was in the past unthinkable.” Baja has become now a beacon that attracts winemakers from all over the world eager to experiment in this privileged region and that at the same time have contribute to its development. Year after year we have seen a sustained growth and as a result more and more. People is talking about not only Baja, it’s wines and gastronomy but all the Mexican wine regions, we all are a common front where the ultimate goal is to achieve recognition for Mexican Wine. In this regard I believe Baja still has so much to contribute to place Mexico among the great world wine regions.

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HARD TO FIND Jorge Ferráez @ JFerraez_Latino @ferraez.wine Luis E. González

NE OF THE advantages of the Pandemic is that instead of wines shops, I did a lot of visiting websites, specially those from wineries of small producers, hard to find or mailing list only sales. Not only these producers were hit by the fall of wine consumption at restaurants and bars, but they basically live from their web sales. The advantage for me was that I discovered a whole new world of wineries, with great and delicious wines that I know I might never find on a store. Labels like “Vincent Arroyo”, “Chiron”, “Ulises Valdez” or “Jean-Charles Boisset” are hard to find in stores, especially the limited-edition wines. If you haven’t done yet, venture to explore small producers, specialty producers or just log into your favorite label website for getting access to wines that you never thought of getting. What I have been tasting lately?

CHAPEL DOWN BRUT CLASSIC N/V

• Region: Tenterden, UK • Varietal: Chardonnay • Price: $42 • Aromas: Apple, melon, pistachio • Impression: Nutty, mineral and hey notes • Structure: Light and ample • Drink with: Appetizers, White fish, sushi. • Why I loved this wine? Crisp and fruity • My Rating: 89 pts.

K VINTNERS SYRAH POWERLINE VINEYARD 2016

• Region: Walla Walla, WA • Varietal: Syrah • Price: $67 • Aromas: Dark fruit and chocolate cherries • Impression: Succulent with spice and plum notes • Structure: Bold, ample, complex • Drink with: Juicy steaks, burgers, BBQ • Why I loved this wine? Bold and delicious! • My Rating: 94 pts.

TENUTA DELLE TERRE NERE ETNA ROSSO “SANTO SPIRITO” 2018 • Region: Etna DOC • Varietal: Nerello 100% • Price: $48 • Aromas: Red fruit candy, strawberry • Impression: Currant, vanilla, earthy notes • Structure: Medium bodied, round • Drink with: Pizza, Pasta • Why I loved this wine? Some anise notes towards the end. • My Rating: 93 pts.

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