HispanicBusiness

For those struggling entrepreneurs out there, filmmaker Gregory Nava has inspiring words of advice: "Si, se puede!" (Yes, you can!).

Mr. Nava, whose credits include the Academy Award-nominated "El Norte," as well as "My Family/Mi Familia" and "Selena," was the keynote speaker at the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's awards banquet held Friday evening.

More than 300 people attended the eighth annual banquet at Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort. Santa Barbara Police Chief Cam Sanchez served as master of ceremonies of the event.

"Latinos just need an opportunity. No matter how small it is, we make the best of it," said Mr. Nava, who was a screenwriter for the film "Frida," about the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. His most recent project is the PBS television show "American Family," on which he serves as director, producer and writer.

Mr. Nava encouraged the audience to dream big: "Our community needs ambition," he said. He stressed the importance of the encouraging support of family, friends and organizations such as the chamber in helping people achieve their goals.

Three privately owned businesses that have demonstrated long-term success were honored at the event.

Bill Connell, founder of All-American Surf Dog, received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Mr. Connell started his popular hot dog stand on Bailard Avenue in Carpinteria in 1993. In October 2002, he opened another hot dog stand at the Greyhound bus station in downtown Santa Barbara.

Despite a recent setback to his stand at the Greyhound station -- part of the station's roof collapsed after a recent storm and damaged his new $12,000 New York City-style pushcart -- Mr. Connell had optimistic words of advice for the audience.

"Keep interested in your own careers, no matter how humble," he told the audience. "I sell a hot dog.

"No one realizes how important this award is to me. I worked hard for it," added Mr. Connell, who fought back tears as the audience gave him a standing ovation.

Another longtime business owner, Julio Juan Veyna, received the chamber's Small Business of the Year award. Mr. Veyna has been a landscape architect in Santa Barbara for 40 years.

"This is an organization we laboriously started many years ago," Mr. Veyna said. "One day we decided not to take orders from another organization similar to ours. And now it's exciting to see how we have grown."

The chamber's Business of the Year award went to Mission Linen, which was founded in 1930 in Santa Barbara. It now has more than 3,000 employees in several states.

Casa de la Raza received the chamber's Community Service Award, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art garnered the President's Award.

In addition to local businesses and organizations, the chamber also gave out honors to outstanding Latino high school seniors. They are: Aidin Castillo and Dora Olvera of Santa Barbara High School; Jessica Haro and Ramon Gonzalez of San Marcos High School; Elizabeth Romero and Felipe Velasquez of Dos Pueblos High School; Lionela Garcia and Cesar Macias of Carpinteria High School; Lorena Reyes and AJ Cavaletto of Bishop Garcia Diego High School; and Mayra Huerta and Luis Alvarado of La Cuesta High School.

Congresswoman Lois Capps and Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson presented their own certificates of recognition to each of the students.

New officers and directors of the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce were installed at the banquet. Alex Rodriguez, owner of VirtualHispanic.com, is president; Pedro Nava, attorney, and Emma Torres of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust are vice presidents; Olivia Rodriguez of Women's Economic Ventures is secretary; Carola Nicholson, CPA, is treasurer.

Board of directors include Marsha Bailey of Women's Economic Ventures; Leticia Perez of Wells Fargo Bank; Matt Quintos from the County of Santa Barbara; Vicky Reese of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust; Hugo Rodriguez of GMAC Mortgage; Rogelio Trujillo of Trujillo Garden Service; and Luis Villegas of Mesa Communications.