8th Annual National LATINA Symposium: Celebrating Latina Success

PRESS RELEASE

Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy to Receive President's Award for Leadership

Opening Ceremony address will be presented by BG Linda R. Urrutia-Varhall, U.S. Air Force. She will be joined by BG Camille Nichols, U.S. Army and RADM (Select) Raquel Cruz Bono, U.S. Navy.

Awards Luncheon Keynote Message will be delivered by the Hon. Juan M. Garcia, III, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Navy

Captain Kenneth J. Barrett, Deputy Director, ODMEO to serve as Featured Speaker

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The Anna Maria Arias Foundation and LATINA Style Inc., are proud to present the 8th annual National LATINA Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel located at 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington, VA 22202, on Thursday, September 8, 2011 from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. The Symposium provides a national platform for Latina leaders, women in the service, entrepreneurs and professional working women to address the status of the Hispanic professional woman in the United States.

The Honorable Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) is the 2011 conference Honorary Chair. Open to the public and attended by Latina leaders from corporate America, the government and military, the Symposium will feature panels and workshops designed to unite and empower Latinas and will include some of the most prominent Latinas in our country.

This year's panels include "Nurturing Latina Leadership" featuring distinguished panelists RADM (Select) Raquel C. Bono, U.S. Navy; LTC Irene M. Zoppi Rodriguez, U.S. Army, and Linda Jimenez, CDO WellPoint. "The Power of Networking" a discussion on how Employee Resource Groups and Affinity Groups can play a vital role in professional growth and development will be moderated by Ms. Carla J. Grantham. U.S. Coast Guard; panelists include CDR Mery-Angela Katson, U.S. Navy, Ms. Marie Quintana, SVP Multicultural Sales, PepsiCo, Inc., and Ms. Arlene Gonzalez, Directorate of Civil Rights, U.S. Coast Guard.

This year Symposium will further expand the agenda by producing a groundbreaking panel designed to address issues unique to Latinas in the military. The panel, "Translating Military Expertise into a Civilian Workplace" will focus on the integration and assimilation of returning military into the civilian workplace. This signals a major initiative for LATINA Style and its partners.

The Symposium's feature event is the Distinguished Military Service Awards Luncheon, co-hosted with the Department of Defense. Among the honorees are: Gunnery Sergeant Marisa Gonzalez, U.S. Marine Corps, Major Elaine M. Bryant, U.S. Air Force, and LT Commander Angelina Hidalgo, U.S. Coast Guard. We are proud to also honor military members and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees who support the DoD mission. Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy, will be presented with The President's Award for Leadership. U.S. Army Brigadier General Camille Nichols and Rear Admiral (Select) Raquel C. Bono will be presented with the Trailblazer Award.

The 2011 National LATINA Symposium Awards are presented in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense. Sponsors for the Symposium Conference include the U.S. Navy, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Southwest airlines, and Teleflora. Lead Media partners include: Telemundo Washington D.C.; MPT, Romantica 900AM, CapitalWirePR, El Tiempo Latino, Washington Hispanic, and PR Newswire.

For further information and to register, please visit www.nls.latinaStyle.com or call 703-531-1424.

SOURCE LATINA Style Magazine

CONTACT: Tania Einhorn, +1-703-531-1424, tania@latinastyle.com