Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rosario Dawson, Co-Founder of Voto Latino to Speak
(WASHINGTON, D.C. ) — Henry Bonilla, former Member of Congress, and Lionel Sosa, Republican presidential campaign strategist and author, will be honored at the upcoming Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™, taking place from 11:30am-2:00pm on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Room 208 A-D (1301 2nd Avenue South) during the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The series is a quarterly event hosted by Latino Leaders Network™ and Mickey Ibarra, Founder & Chairman, to provide a platform for prominent Latino leaders to share their personal story of obstacles overcome to achieve success. This event will mark the fourth anniversary of the popular luncheon series, which was launched in 2004.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Henry Bonilla served as a Member of Congress from 1993 to 2007, a Republican representing the 23rd District. Bonilla won his seat by a 38-point margin, the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent that year. In March 1999, then Governor George W. Bush named Bonilla as the only Texan on his presidential exploratory committee. Bonilla was a respected media surrogate for the candidate, appearing on numerous national news programs on his behalf. After his term in Congress expired, Bonilla was nominated to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador. After two months with no action by the Senate, Bonilla asked the President to withdraw his nomination. Today, Bonilla is a member of the Washington based firm, The Normandy Group.
Lionel Sosa is a marketing guru, portrait painter, political consultant and author. He is the founder of Sosa, Bromley, Aguilar & Associates, now Bromley Communications, the largest Hispanic advertising agency in the U.S. An Hispanic Media Consultant who has served in seven Republican presidential campaigns, he is currently an advisor to Presidential candidate John McCain. A recognized expert in Hispanic consumer and voter behavior, Lionel was named “One of the 25 most influential Hispanics in America‚” by Time Magazine in 2005 and is a member of the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He is the author of Think and Grow Rich, a Latino Choice published in 2006 by Random House, and The Americano Dream: How Latinos Can Achieve Success in Business and in Life, published in 1998 by Dutton.
“We are delighted to welcome Henry Bonilla and Lionel Sosa to the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ and to present them with the Nambe Eagle Leadership Award for outstanding service to their community,” said Mickey Ibarra, Founder and Chairman of the Latino Leaders Network™. “Together, they have been two of the most influential Latinos in Republican politics and have advised every Republican presidential candidate over the past two decades. Their voice on the national political stage has helped elevate the impact of the Latino vote nationwide.”
Joining Ibarra in tribute to Bonilla and Sosa will be Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who will deliver a keynote address, Luis Fortuno, the Puerto Rico Delegate Commissioner to Congress and Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and actress Rosario Dawson, co-founder of Voto Latino. Sponsors for the reception include MillerCoors and for the luncheon include Verizon Communications and The Coca-Cola Company. The Hispanic Leadership Fund (HLF), a 501(c)(4) membership organization dedicated to promoting common-sense public policy solutions, is the special partner for the event.
The event will be broadcast live at 12pm CDT on September 2nd via NextGenWeb, which is providing live video streaming throughout the Republican National Convention. In addition to live streaming, NextGenWeb will be blogging to make sure everyone stays connected and informed.
The first Latino Leaders Luncheon was held in 2004 and featured then Representative Bob Menendez. In 2005, speakers included Senator Ken Salazar and Representative John Salazar, brothers from Colorado currently serving in Congress, delivering joint keynote addresses; Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa delivering a keynote address just days after his historic 2005 victory; and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales headlined the luncheon in November. In 2006, the luncheon series featured Senator Bob Menendez; Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte; Father Virgilio Elizondo, a Hispanic Heritage Awardee; and actress Eva Longoria. In 2007, luncheon speakers included Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM), Oregon State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo, NY Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, actor and youth advocate Wilmer Valderamma, and journalist Maria Hinojosa. The 2008 series has honored Senator Mel Martinez and LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina. Details and photos from each of these events are available on the Latino Leaders Network™ website.
Latino Leaders Network™ (LLN) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to develop ongoing opportunities to bring leaders together to establish relationships and dialogue on issues important to the Latino community. In addition to the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™, other signature events supported by the LLN are the Latino Leaders Issue Hour and the Latino Mayors Tribute. LLN is also the producer of the “Latinos on the Hill” directory and first-ever Latino Honor Roll. Mickey Ibarra, Founder and Chair of LLN, is the President of Mickey Ibarra & Associates, a government relations and public affairs firm that hosts the events of the LLN. He served as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House from 1997 to 2001. In addition to Mickey Ibarra, the Board of Directors of the Network includes: Michelle Minguez Moore, Executive Director; Maria Teresa Petersen, the founding Executive Director for Voto Latino; Raul L. Rubio, a government affairs consultant; Ruben Alvarez, co-founder and Managing Partner of the Molera Alvarez Group; and David Ibarra; a Utah business owner and founder of the Ibarra Foundation.
Notes: Participation in the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ is by invitation only. For more information, please contact Michelle Minguez Moore at 202-969-8777. Media wishing to cover the luncheon must be credentialed press attending the convention and must RSVP no later than August 29th to Jennifer Devlin at 703-876-1714 or jennifer.devlin@cox.net.
