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This Year’s Award Recipients  Outstanding Community Leadership, Service & Commitment
Outstanding Public Service Exemplary Corporate Leadership
Media Excellence Perseverance Award
Philip Alequín
Outstanding Community Leadership, Service and Commitment 
Whether it's directing traffic, working with youth or serving as chair of the LAA's Hispanic Corporate Leadership Forum, Philip Alequín Jr.'s passion for serving our community is evident in all he does. No volunteer job is too big or too small for Philip, which is why the Latin American Association is very proud to honor him for Outstanding Community Leadership, Service and Commitment. Professionally, Philip is the quality control editor for network operations at Turner Broadcasting Sytem, Inc. In this capacity, he and his staff provide quality control support for the programming of TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, and truTV. At Turner, he assisted in the establishment of the TurnerUNO Business Resource Group for which he has held both the co-chair and chair positions since its inception, creating collaborative partnerships between community organizations and Turner. As a volunteer and community leader, Philip is deeply involved with the Latin American Association, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO), and Junior Achievement of Georgia. He is very passionate about motivating Latino youth to succeed academically and achieve their dreams. As a volunteer champion for Junior Achievement, Philip ensures that Latino students receive the educational resources and support they need through mentoring and organizing career shadowing days. He also leads Turner's volunteer efforts at the LAA's yearly Latino Youth Leadership Conference, School Supply Drive and Back-to-School Shopping Day. Philip is an example and outstanding role model for young students. Philip also cares deeply about empowering the Latino community as a whole. He serves as chair of the LAA's Hispanic Corporate Leadership Forum, spearheading its efforts to inform the larger community about important issues impacting the Latino community. At GALEO, he helps advocate on behalf of the Latino community, supports voter registration efforts and helps facilitate its Leadership Institute. Philip's philanthropic spirit has not gone unrecognized. He received the CNN 2008 MY HERO Nominee award For Exceptional Achievement in the Service of Others. In 2011, he was merited by Junior Achievement of Georgia for his Inexorable Diligence and Commitment to the Students of Atlanta. In 2011, he was selected as Power Player of the Year for his strong commitment to making a positive impact in the community by El Club de Comerciantes and Black Latino Council. Alequin earned an Associate of Science Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology from Valencia Community College. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from St. John Vianney College and performed graduate work in Religious Studies at Barry University. Alequin is married to Rosie Alequin and has two sons. His hobbies include coaching little league baseball and community outreach volunteerism. We give our sincere thanks to Philip's outstanding commitment to our community. His leadership and volunteer efforts truly change lives and create a better future for all. Back to top
Stacey Y. Abrams, House Minority Leader
Outstanding Public Service 
Representative Stacey Y. Abrams believes in human rights for all, and the LAA is very honored to recognize her for Outstanding Public Service as House Minority Leader for the Georgia General Assembly and State Representative for the 84th House District. Having grown up in Mississippi, Stacey comes from a long tradition of fighting for human and civil rights. To date, she is the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and is the first African-American to lead in the House of Representatives. She is very passionate about ensuring equal opportunity for all, and is a strong voice for Latino rights in the House. In her role as House Minority Leader, she is currently fighting against SB 458, which would bar undocumented immigrants from attending any Georgia public college. She successfully advocated against HB 72 which would have required administration of driver's license exams only in English. Finally, she actively spoke out against and continues to challenge HB87, Georgia's anti-immigrant legislation. Stacey also makes it a point to involve Latino constituents in the legislative process. She works closely with Latino organizations such as GALEO and Latinas for Lewis. She also collaborated with her bilingual staff in preparing her response to the State of the State Address in Spanish for the Latino constituents of Georgia. Stacey currently serves on the Board of Trustees for St. Joseph's Health System, the Board of Trustees for Agnes Scott College, the Board of Directors for the Gateway Center for the Homeless, and the Advisory Boards of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, Literacy Action and others. Among many accomplishments and awards, Stacey was recognized as one of "12 Rising Legislators to Watch" by Governing magazine and one of the "100 Most Influential Georgians" by Georgia Trend in 2012. She was inducted into the Academy of Women Achievers by the YWCA of Metro Atlanta in 2010, was chosen in January 2005 by Atlanta Woman magazine as one of its "25 Power Women to Watch," and in 2004, she was selected for Georgia Trend's "40 Under 40" list of young Georgia leaders and for the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Top 50 Under 40" list of metro-Atlanta young leaders. Stacey received her J.D. from the Yale Law School. She graduated from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin with an M.P.Aff. in public policy. She earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Political Science, Economics and Sociology) from Spelman College, magna cum laude. Representative Stacey Abrams has made incredible impact not only in the Latino community, but in the state of Georgia and the nation as well. The Latin American Association congratulates her outstanding work in the community. Back to top
Wells Fargo
Exemplary Corporate Leadership 
Wells Fargo is changing lives through its philanthropic and volunteer activities on both local and national levels, and the Latin American Association is delighted to recognize the bank for Exemplary Corporate Leadership. In 2011, Wells Fargo invested more than $213 million in 19,000 nonprofits across the United States, and its team members served 1.5 million volunteer hours. In Atlanta, the bank is deeply committed to serving the Latino community, both financially and through volunteer efforts. The company partners with local organizations such as the Latin American Association, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, and the Latin American Chamber of Commerce. Last year was Wells Fargo's "Year of the Volunteer" and company employees served many organizations, including the LAA. For example, team members collected school supplies and volunteered at the LAA's back-to-school shopping event, where more than 800 students received the supplies they needed to achieve academically. The bank also participated in the Latino Youth Leadership Conference, inspiring youth with leadership skills and future educational and career opportunities. The company also offers financial education to the Latino community through the program, El Futuro en Tus Manos, which reaches thousands of children and adults each year, empowering them with the money management skills needed for a successful future. Wells Fargo also makes it a priority to hire bilingual team members in metro Atlanta so it can better serve its Latino customers. Wells Fargo is very committed to the entire Atlanta area, and just last year its company giving initiatives benefitted 355 local groups. For example, team members raised more than $50,000 for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and collected 10,800 cans for their annual food drive. Wells Fargo volunteers renovated an entire neighborhood of 70 homes and gave $170,000 to Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity. The bank also financially supported Grady Memorial Hospital, Teach for America, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, and CredAbility. Wells Fargo is a true community partner and the Latin American Association truly appreciates its outstanding contributions and support of the Latino community and beyond.
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Lino Domínguez
Media Excellence 
As the founder of MundoHispánico, Lino Domínguez changed the face of news reporting in Georgia, and the LAA is honored to recognize his legacy of Media Excellence and long-lasting impact of positive change. The development of MundoHispánico was groundbreaking – it was the first Spanish-language newspaper to be published in Georgia, paving the way for other Latino news sources to later come. Originally the paper started as the Latin American Association's newsletter, called Gazeta Latina. Lino bought the paper from the LAA for $10, turning it into MundoHispánico. In its early years, garnering funding and resources for the paper was difficult, so Lino credits its success to the hard work and dedication of many. As a former director of the Latin American Association, Lino has always been passionate about giving back to the community. His vision was to create an outlet of information that relayed important local, state and national news, as well as resources such as job opportunities and medical benefits. He saw a great need to help Latino immigrants overcome language barriers, and the Spanish-language publication was designed to help them integrate into the community at large. Lino also noticed a trend that Latinos often received negative coverage in mainstream media, and he desired to showcase the positive contributions of the community. Since its inception, MundoHispánico has served as a voice for the Latino community for more than 30 years. It has grown from a readership of more than 200,000. Now owned by Cox Communications, the paper continues to cover vital news, important issues and opportunities for community engagement. The LAA salutes Lino on his visionary leadership and resolve to create MundoHispánico, a pivotal moment in the history of Georgia's Latino community. Back to top
María Vargas
Perseverance Award  Maria Vargas personifies perseverance, strength and hope for other women, and the LAA is honored to recognize her with the 2012 Perseverance Award. As an immigrant, Maria has faced many challenges, but has met every adversity with bravery and determination. Maria was trapped in a terribly abusive relationship, desperately trying to find a way to safety for herself and, most importantly, for her children. Later, as a single mother she faced poverty and struggled to provide food and shelter for her children. Transportation and language barriers prevented her from achieving stability and employment. Dealing with the psychological trauma of abuse, Maria also sunk into a deep depression she wasn't sure she would ever be able to surface. Then, Maria found the Latin American Association. There she obtained the help she needed to escape her situation. And not only did she find the resources to achieve the life she wanted, but Maria found peace and restored hope. The LAA's domestic violence and immigration department helped Maria obtain a divorce, a protection order, and a U Visa, which empowered her to achieve stable employment and provide for her children. She also received rent assistance to keep her family afloat during the transition, as well as food stamps and Medicaid which gave her children access to health services and good nutrition. English classes at the LAA gave Maria news skills and enhanced her employability. Finally, she connected with CETPA, where she received emotional and medical support to overcome the depression she faced. Maria is a unique survivor of a critical situation, and she continuously strives to improve her life and the lives of her children. Her future goals are to continue her education and volunteer to help other women in similar situations. She empowers other women through sharing her story, a story that gives hope and strength. Maria is an inspiration to all, and the Latin American Association is extremely proud of her spirited resolve and perseverance. Back to top
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