The Hispanic National Bar Association has named Martin E. Garza 2008 Latino Lawyer of the Year. Mr. Garza is one of the founders of the Dallas Diversity Task Force, an organization that fosters the hiring, retention, and promotion of minorities in the city's most successful law firms. The Dallas lawyer is a partner at K&L Gates LLP, a director of the Hispanic Bar Association Scholarship Foundation, and president of the Friends of Dallas Law Magnet High School Foundation.
Ruben Jose King-Shaw Jr. is the new CEO of Al-Med Services of Florida and the company's Puerto Rican branch, Clinical Medical Services. Founder of both companies, Raul Rodriguez, will now serve as executive chairman. Mr. King-Shaw has over 20 years experience in health care and public service, including two years in the administration of President George W. Bush. There he served as senior advisor to the secretary of the Treasury and as the deputy administrator and CEO of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Myrna Soto, VP of Governance and Chief Information Security Officer at the MGM MIRAGE, was recognized as one of Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine's "Most Important Hispanics in Technology" at the National Women of Color Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Conference in Dallas.
The National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives' Board of Directors named founding member Michael Anaya president and chair of the board of directors. His priorities as president and chair include strengthening Hispanic healthcare leadership and developing programs to introduce young Hispanics to healthcare leadership roles. Mr. Anaya is the CEO of Colorado Plains Medical Center in Fort Morgan, Colorado.
Hispanic market research and public opinion polling firm Ecuestra Inc. won Coors Brewing Company's 2007 Gold Supplier Award for providing the company with "world-class expertise." President Martin Cerda accepted the award on behalf of the Miami-based company, which will celebrate its 20th year of business in 2009.
Zandra Zuno has been promoted by public relations agency GolinHarris to senior vice president. Ms. Zuno, who was previously the vice president and marketing director, will now lead Confianza, the company's Hispanic marketing practice. She will also continue leading internal and external marketing communications initiatives for the company, which specializes in international marketing. In 2001, Ms. Zuno joined GolinHarris as a manager of global integration.
Hispanic USA, a Hispanic market communications firm, has hired Jack Varela as Vice President of Public Relations and Client Services. During his nearly 15 years of marketing experience, Mr. Varela was the marketing director for prepaid wireless distributor Blackstone and the promotions manager for General Motors R Works. He has also worked as a producer and publicist for Univision Network and Nickelodeon Latin America, and earned two Bulldog Reporter Awards for Excellence in Media Relations and Publicity.
New England Financial, a MetLife company, has appointed Corina Alvarez to the newly created position of Agency Multicultural Director. In her new role, Ms. Alvarez will be dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and marketing of Hispanic financial services representatives and will work to strengthen the company's ties to Miami's Hispanic community.
