National News
New America Alliance anounces 10th Annual Latino Economic Summit
By HE&IT
Oct 21, 2010, 16:12

The New America Alliance (NAA), an organization of the most influential Latino business leaders committed to leading the process of Latino empowerment and wealth-building, today announced its 10th Annual Latino Economic Summit, to be held for the first time in Washington, DC, Nov 17-19.

As the center of influence over capital markets has shifted to our nation’s capitol, the NAA now brings the Summit to Washington in its continuing effort to highlight the untapped talent and opportunity contained in the Latino community that is helping rebuild the economic vitality of the nation.  Convening CEOs, entrepreneurs, top business leaders, high-ranking government officials and other thought-leaders, the Summit will examine the state of the U.S. economy from the standpoint of the American Latino community around the theme, “Economy in Transformation: Our Proactive Solutions to Our Nation’s Needs”.

The NAA will celebrate its 11th anniversary at the Summit by addressing critical issues facing the American Latino business community such as access to corporate and pension fund boards, greater availability of private equity funding at major institutional investors, and investing in education and mentoring for American Latino students and entrepreneurs. 

The Summit will feature such luminaries as: Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ); The Honorable Rosie Rios, United States Treasurer; Juan Sepulveda, Director of the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics; Dr. J. Mario Molina, President and CEO of Molina Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest Hispanic-owned companies; The Honorable Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Urban Development and Co-founder of the NAA; and The Honorable Raul Yzaguirre, U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and NAA Co-founder.

A highlight of the event will be the Congressional Town Hall Meeting, billed as “Latinos and Election 2010:  Analysis and Impact on Economic Development, Education and Immigration” co-hosted with the NALEO Educational Fund, the non-partisan leadership organization of the nation's more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials. 

Held at the U.S. Senate only two weeks after the midterm election, the interactive forum will feature an analysis of the recent election and its impact on the American Latino community to be presented by Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of NALEO, as well as an open dialogue between Members of Congress and Summit participants to be moderated by Maria Elena Salinas, co-anchor of Noticiero Univision.  

The Town Hall will be followed by an NAA and NALEO co-hosted reception celebrating the new Latino state legislators, municipal and county officials, and school board members from around the country participating in the eighth biennial NALEO National Institute for Newly Elected Officials, November 18-21, in Washington, DC.  Immediately following the reception will be the Latino Leadership Dinner, themed “Celebrating our Milestones and Recognizing the Gap”, also co-hosted by NAA and NALEO.  

As NAA advocates for higher participation of Latino financial services firms in the institutional investor space, the “State of the U.S. Public Pension System” session will gather key decision-makers, including: The Honorable Felix Ortiz, New York State Assembly District 51; Joe A. Dear, Chief Investment Officer, California Public Employees' Retirement Systems (CalPERS); Jack Ehnes, Chief Executive Officer, California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS); Lawrence M. Schloss, Chief Investment Officer, New York City Office of Comptroller; The Honorable Robert McCord, Pennsylvania State Treasurer; and Walt Koziol, Chief Investment Officer, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

Additional sessions will include discussion on education, green energy initiatives, finance and banking, and Latinos in the media.  The Business Awards Presentation will recognize distinguished business achievement in Latino entrepreneurship as well as those businesses working to advance American Latino business.

Founded in 1999, the New America Alliance is comprised by a 501(c)6 and a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to advancing the economic development of the American Latino community.  The Alliance is organized on the principle that American Latino business leaders have a special responsibility to lead the process of building the forms of capital most crucial to Latino progress – economic capital, political capital, human capital and the practice of philanthropy.