The Inclusion Initiative companies will work closely with the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) to identify best practices for major corporations to maximize relationships with high quality minority and women owned law firms throughout the United States.

The Inclusion Initiative is administered by NAMWOLF, which is comprised of certified MWBE law firms and dedicated to increasing the utilization of MWBE law firms by corporate legal departments.

Web Site: http://www.namwolf.org/

One such example of this growth is the Association's partnership with The Hispanic PR Blog to hold the first Hispanic Public Relations & Social Media Marketing Conference in Dallas, TX, May 10 -12, 2010. The conference will provide attendees with case studies, professional development, and career and networking opportunities that are focused on Hispanic PR and social marketing. Detailed information and registration is available at the conference website, www.HispanicPRConference.com.

An additional component to the conference is the recent announcement of a national Hispanic PR Census. The census, sponsored by RL Public Relations, is an effort to measure the size and strength of the growing Hispanic public relations industry and is available at HPRA's website.

Other key initiatives include a more powerful and integrated website (www.hpra-usa.org) developed and maintained by Conexion (www.conex360.com) that's user-friendly and provides social media integration, as well as increased funding amounts for HPRA scholarship recipients. Applications are currently being accepted through Friday, May 7, 2010. The application and more information are available at HPRA website's scholarship's section.

The new programs and initiatives are being spearheaded by the incoming 2010-2011 executive board: President Lourdes Rodriguez, VPE Public Relations; Vice President Delia Lopez, PR Consultant; Secretary Sara Rubalcava-Beck, MSB Ideas; Treasurer Mario Flores, Sportivo; and Senior Advisor John Echeveste, VPE Public Relations.

  The 2010 HPRA Board Committee Chairs include:
  Programs - Ivette Zurita, Accent Marketing
  Marketing - Mariluz Gonzalez, Vesper Public Relations
  Social Media Marketing - Jose Xicohtencatl, Edelman Multicultural,
   and Martin Canchola, Social Media Consultant
  Membership -Edgar Mejia, Conexion, and Veronica Potes, LAGRANT
   COMMUNICATIONS
  National Chapters - Stephen Chavez, Ketchum
  Scholarship/College Outreach: Anai Ibarra, PR Consultant; Susan
   Bringas, Hill and Knowlton; and Denisse Montalvan, Ketchum

About Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA):

HPRA was founded in 1984 as a non-profit organization to establish a network of Hispanics employed in the public relations profession. HPRA has more than 250 members representing public relations, marketing and advertising professionals from agencies, government, non-profit and corporate companies. HPRA is dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic professionals and provides educational seminars and workshops throughout the year. The organization has awarded more than $220,000 in scholarships to Latino students pursuing a career in communications. HPRA strives to be a resource for communications professionals and for those seeking insights into the Hispanic market. For more information please visit www.hpra-usa.org.

Humana and State Farm Insurance® will be this year's corporate lead sponsors, and the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame will be the academic lead sponsor.

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs' Annual Conference and Career Expo is the largest gathering of Hispanic MBAs in the country. An estimated 8,000 people are expected to attend including 250+ corporate and academic sponsors. Participating corporations will have the opportunity to recruit well-educated, diverse students and professionals and conference attendees will have numerous opportunities to attend professional development and networking sessions with top Hispanic leaders from across the nation.

About NSHMBA

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) was created in 1988 as a non-profit organization. Widely known as the "Premier Hispanic Organization," NSHMBA serves 32 chapters and over 8,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It exists to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development in order to improve society. NSHMBA works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S., so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation's diverse workforce.

Web Site: http://www.nshmba.org/

"When I was a professional dancer, I was fascinated by the female form," says Arroyo. "Soon after I became a visual artist, I began doing research on women's images. Since then, I have been intrigued not only by the female form, but also by female stories."

Not long after arriving in New York City as a dancer in 1983, Arroyo started experimenting with sculpture and drawings. She held her first solo exhibit, "Andrea Arroyo/Sculptures and Reliefs," five years later at On the Wall Gallery, which garnered a positive response from casual observers and art collectors. Her public art commissions, including "Harmony" (two relief murals) and "My City, My Planet, My Sun" (a series of large-faceted glass art panels), can be found at schools and subway stations in the Bronx.

Arroyo's latest project, "Flor de Tierra" ("Flower of the Earth"), looks to commemorate the women of Juarez, the border city in Mexico where more than 400 women have gone missing or been killed in the past 15 years. The phrase is also a Spanish expression that means something is buried or planted in a shallow place.

"I was appalled by the number of women who have been killed or missing and by the fact that the authorities have not taken proper measures to investigate or stop these crimes," says Arroyo.

Many of these victims were abandoned in the desert or buried in shallow graves, and Arroyo's project focuses on the vastness of their deaths. She's creating a pastel-on-paper drawing for each victim; to date, she's completed 230 of them.

"I feel privileged that I'm able to create art, so when I receive an award or acknowledgment I'm grateful and humbled," says Arroyo, who was named official artist for the 7th Annual Latin Grammy Awards by the Latin Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2006. She also received the Groundbreaking Latina in the Arts Award from "Catalina" magazine and the National Association of Latina Leaders in 2008.

In addition to "Flor de Tierra," Arroyo is working on "Flor de Vida" ("Flower of Life"). This project consists of brightly colored acrylic paintings based on historical and mythological women, such as Lilith, Athena, Cleopatra, Xochiquetzal and Frida Kahlo.

"In my work, female forms connect all women--linking the past with the present, the vulnerable with the indestructible."

http://www.womensenews.org/21Leaders

http://andreaarroyo.com

Building on its successful summer Congressional internship program, the CHLI Global Leaders Internship and Fellowship Program offers a dual-faceted program for academic credit and Congressional work experience for the rising generation of young American leaders. In addition, CHLI Interns collaborate with public policy experts and corporations that play an important role in both the domestic and global economy.

The CHLI Global Leaders Internship and Fellowship Program enables outstanding young Americans witha strong interest in the U.S. Hispanic community to expand their professional horizons and enhance their understanding of government and business by conducting policy and business oriented research and related professional activities in Washington, D.C. for an academic semester. The three students selected for the spring 2010 program, will spend fifteen weeks working closely with Congress and corporations, and will take classes on applied politics and political management with the Semester in Washington Program at The George Washington University.

This semester's CHLI Global Leaders Program is supported by CHLI corporate partners, Altria, the Coca-Cola Company, Comcast Foundation, and MillerCoors, These corporate partners recognize the value of this important program as part of their respective commitment to help foster the growth of future Hispanic leaders in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

The Spring 2010 CHLI Global Leaders Comcast Interns are:

  --  Maria Luque
  Hometown: Weston, Florida
  University: Florida International University
  Internship: Office of Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-13)

  --  Janelle S. Perez
  Hometown: Miami, Florida
  University: Florida International University
  Internship: Office of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs

  The Spring 2010 CHLI Global Leaders Altria Intern:

  --  Eduardo Arabu
  Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
  University: Northeastern Illinois University
  Internship: Office of Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL-21)

Through this new program, qualified undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to spend 12-15 weeks in the fall and spring semesters working closely with Congress and corporations in Washington, D.C. Students will also take classes on applied politics at The George Washington University for which they can receive up to six academic credit hours. CHLI Interns will also perform project-focused assignments that provide hands-on experience and enhance their education and practical work experience.

The CHLI Global Leaders Internship and Fellowship Program is made possible with the generous financial support of Altria Client Services Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, MillerCoors, Pacific Gas &Electric Corporation, and Southwest Airlines.

Web Site: http://www.chli.org/

The Mujeres de HACE at NLU program is specifically designed to meet the needs of today's working Latina in order to help move her into leadership roles in the workplace and in the communities she serves.  In turn, we hope to see these women passing their successes from this program on to other women ultimately improving productivity levels and retention rates for Latinas in the U.S. companies/organizations over the next decade. 

Location:
National-Louis University
Chicago Campus
122 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
located across from the Art Institute

When:
The program meets from 4:00 - 8:00 pm on the following dates.

Agenda:
Orientation:    Latinas Rule - February 22, 2010
Session I:    Defining Your Strengths and Committing to your Goals - March 9, 2010
Session II:    The wellness Revolution - March 23, 2010
Session III:    Relationships and communication in the Home and at Work - April 6, 2010
Session IV:    Managing your economic assets - April 20, 2010
Session V:    Implementing Plans For Life - May 4, 2010
Graduation:    May 18, 2010
 
START TODAY by following these action steps:
 
1. Contact: Ana Maria Soto, Executive Director, Proyecto Comunidad:
Telephone: 800.443.5522 ext. 3003
Email: anamaria.soto@nl.edu
 
2. Go to the website and register:
Register: www.nl.edu/mujeresdehace

Have trouble closing a sale? Need to harness your stress to achieve positive results? Has planning been pushed to the back burner because you're busy putting out fires?

These are only a few of the challenges confronting business owners that will be addressed at the Sixth Annual Women Entrepreneurs Small Business Boot Camp at the Chaparral Suites Resort in Scottsdale on February 6th from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registrations for the day-long event are being accepted online at www.womensbusinessbootcamp.com.

Nine workshops will be featured at the conference designed to help attendees understand the dynamics that support business growth and to focus their energy and attention on the things that lead to greater profitability.

Linda Thompson of Life Path Solutions will present "Viral Marketing in the 21st Century", describing how to apply social networking - Linked In, Twitter, You Tube and others -- to your business.

Sue Zepeda of The Next Level Business Solutions will discuss "Practical Organizing for Better Business Efficiency", a primer on strategies to maximize effectiveness at the office and at home.

Patricia L. Brooks of Brooks Goldmann Publishing Company will counsel attendees on self-publishing as a way to establish themselves as credible experts in their chosen field.

Karen Gridley of KMG Enterprises will discuss ways to shatter stress, calling it "the ultimate stimulus package" which transforms stress into increased profits and improved customer satisfaction.

Kandi Lee of One-Eleven Companies will speak on "Selling Your Way to Greatness." Her presentation focuses on communicating value and creating relationships that can close sales and improve profitability.

Cindy Anderson of GreatBiz Plans will show attendees how to create a business plan that provides a workable roadmap for growing a business.

Denise Meredith of Denise Meredith Consultants will offer guidance on "Marketing to an Ethnic Audience." As resources become scarcer and competition increases, businesses that embrace diversity will thrive.

Dee Schiavelli of Results Marketing will discuss the role of relationships in helping businesses survive down periods. Networking goes beyond collecting business cards. It's the relationship that matters.

The day concludes with a reception where, for an additional fee, guests can talk one-on-one with the featured speakers.

Business Matchmaking, has announced an expanded 2010 event schedule designed to encourage more small businesses to pursue government and corporate contracts.

The non-profit program, started by the Small Business Administration and HP six years ago, has enabled over 75,000 free face-to-face meetings between entrepreneurs and buyers representing all government agencies, as well as Fortune 500 corporations. The results have been several billions of dollars in awarded contracts, with a growing percentage going to women, minority and veteran owned growing companies.

In addition to regional face-to-face selling events in Los Angeles (March 16), New York (May 12), Nashville (August 18) and San Antonio (October 13), Business Matchmaking will host training workshops designed to help start-ups become familiar with procurement opportunities and how to team with other companies in sessions in Raleigh, Kansas City and Minneapolis.

Additionally, Business Matchmaking has partnered with the California Small Business Development Centers and the Small Business Advocate in the Governor's Office to host 15 workshops focusing on new opportunities triggered by federal stimulus funding for California's projects.

Based on its success in small business regional events, Business Matchmaking has again been selected to produce the procurement portion of the national conference hosted by the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization for all federal agencies on April 21 in Washington, DC.

American Express OPEN and American Airlines have joined HP in sponsoring Business Matchmaking events by providing funding, technology and volunteers throughout the country. Business Matchmaking, a 501 (c3) foundation, also manages businessmatchmaking.com which enables small businesses to secure online training and leads between events.

For more information contact Margaret Shaw, 310-432-6357

margaret@businessmatchmaking.com 

The March of Dimes has made a grant to UNICEF of $100,000 will help Haitian women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and babies who are in dire need of proper nutrition, safe water, and safe ways to prepare infant formula, as well as supplies such as diapers and clothing.

In addition, the March of Dimes says, mothers and babies in affected areas in Haiti have long-term needs that must be addressed over the coming months. These include:

   --  prenatal and newborn care for pregnant women and babies;
  --  specialized care and equipment for an expected rise in the number of
      babies born prematurely;
  --  multivitamins with folic acid for women of childbearing age and
      pregnant women to reduce the risk of neural tube birth defects;
  --  immunization and other measures to prevent infectious disease in
      mothers and babies;
  --  updated information for pregnant women and families on available
      services as the situation in Haiti changes.

The March of Dimes is the leading organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier March for Babies event, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit www.marchofdimes.com or www.nacersano.org.

Teach For America is a non-profit organization whose goal is to eradicate inequality in education through the recruitment and training of professionals and outstanding recent college graduates from all backgrounds and professional areas. The organization offers them an excellent opportunity to help their communities while at the same time allowing them to obtain a full-time job with a competitive salary, health benefits, financial support and training in different areas to ensure their success as educators and offer them the tools to become leaders and highly qualified professionals inside or outside the field of education. Additionally, becoming a member of Teach For America carries great prestige. BusinessWeek's 2009 ranking of "Best Places to Launch a Career" Teach For America came in at #7 and for the third year in a row was the top ranked non-profit organization.

Teach For America seeks individuals from all origins who have demonstrated leadership skills, high achievement in academic and extracurricular activities as well as in their work and family responsibilities. They will dedicate themselves to teaching in public schools, both in urban and rural areas, for a period of two years, offering the students in these low income communities, such as Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago and Dallas, the opportunity to receive a high standard of education that is comparable to that found in schools in higher-income communities.

This 2009-2010 school year, Teach For America placed more than 4,000 new teachers in public schools in low-income communities across the country, representing the largest incoming corps in its history. They are now teaching in 35 urban and rural regions in over 100 school districts in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Some 7.3% identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino, which represents an increase of over 1.3% compared with the previous school year.