Features
Defending our Country, Latinas Serving in the Military
According to the Department of Defense statistics, Latinos make up 17 percent of active-duty service members. The Marine Corps has the highest percentage (23 percent) of Latino active-duty members. Meet 22 courageous Latinas fighting for our freedom at home and abroad.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
Supporting Veterans through Employee Resource Groups
Honoring the outstanding contributions and achievements of ERGs LATINA Style, Inc is proud to present the best ERGs in the country. Launched in 2010, the ERGs listed here (in no specific order) have successfully made an impact both internally and externally, improving the company’s overall business.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
2022 LATINA Style Corporate Executives of the Year, 2022
Launched in 2009 to highlight individual Latina achievements in the corporate arena, the LATINA Style Corporate Executive of the Year program recognizes the hard work and dedication Latinas are performing at the top of their respective companies. Meet 12 Latinas nominated by their superiors and peers for their achievement, commitment, and success.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
Latina Board Members Paving the Way
Considering that Latinos in the U.S. are the main economic forces, diversifying corporate boards fosters greater inclusion policies, improving business, innovation, and employment retention. Latinas, however, hold 1 percent of the board seats on the 2020 Fortune 500, the lowest percentage of any racial or ethnic group, according to the Latino Board Monitor. To expand the number of Latinas on corporate boards, some progress has been made, but more work has to be done. Learn ways Esther Aguilera, Sandra Campos, Anne Alonzo, Carmen Bauza, Maria Alonso, and Yolanda Macias are changing the future of corporate board representation.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
Laura Fuentes, Creating Networks and Relationships at Hilton
Laura Fuentes originally set out to build buildings, starting her career sporting steel-toed boots and a hard hat as a structural engineer. But soon into that journey, she began to feel a calling to a different form of building: Building teams of people.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
2022 National LATINA Symposium
On Thursday, September 29th, LATINA Style proudly honored Latinas serving in the Armed Forces at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C. Since 2004 the National LATINA Symposium is a one-day event that convenes Latinas from coast to coast to address the most pressing issue affecting their lives. The highlight of the National LATINA Symposium is the Distinguished Military Service Awards Luncheon honoring Latinas serving in the Armed Forces.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
Veteran’s Perspective: The Most Powerful Weapon Against Adversity is YOU!
From an early age, as a Mexicana from the inner city of Chicago, my dream was to become a United States Marine. Although my mother urged me to attend college and ensured I would have the opportunity and financial support I needed, I knew my heart was elsewhere. In 2004, one week after my high school graduation, I was on my way to recruit training aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC.
By Alejandra Hernandez-Walker (USMC Veteran) , Federal Investigator
Top 15 Employee Resource Groups of the Year, 2022
Honoring the outstanding contributions and achievements of ERGs LATINA Style, Inc is proud to present the best ERGs in the country. Launched in 2010 the ERGs and BRGs listed here (in no specific order) have successfully made an impact both internally and externally, improving the company’s overall business.
Jackie Gutierrez, Vice President-Community Manager, Chase Engaging the Underserved Community
While the pandemic delayed many programs, the opportunity to build robust ones for a brighter future is more promising than ever. Jackie Gutierrez, vice president and community manager for community and business development at Chase, is an example of a Latina who works hard to achieve success.
Articles
Latinas Today
Monica Lozano Elected to Apple’s Board of Directors
Monica Lozano, president and CEO of College Futures Foundation has been elected to Apple’s board of directors. Lozano brings with her a broad range of leadership experience in the public and private sectors, as well as a long and storied track record as a champion for equity, opportunity, and representation.
Eggy’s Corner
Unconditional Love
By Juan Pablo Benítez,
Translation Services Coordinator, A&P International.Inc.
Hello, hola, bonjour! My name is Kisses Lowry, but you can call me Kisses. I am a 10-year-old black American Cocker Spaniel. My hobbies are: hanging out with my beautiful family, taking walks, eating healthy, traveling, and of course, taking long naps in my spare time. In my early years, I was a show dog, and I am deeply grateful for that experience because it developed my passion for diversity!
Eggy’s Corner
Maya, the Therapeutic Yorkie
By Susana Gonzalez
My name is MAYA, I am a two-year-old Yorkie rescue. I had a lovely owner but she had some surgeries and with a long recovery, she couldn’t take care of me anymore. She tried really hard to find me a home and I got lucky when she called.
Veterans and Military Spouses Efforts at Walmart, Inc.
“Veterans and military spouses bring a great deal of value to their teams and to our company overall,” shares Brynt Parmeter, Senior Director Walmart Military Programs.
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
About the Author
Clap When You Land
By Elizabeth Acevedo
I come from a community-driven people; my very large Dominican family and the very Black and Brown neighborhood I was raised in New York both put a strong emphasis on building tight connections, supporting one another when traditional channels failed us, and continuously communicating the needs of ourselves and those we love to the people in power.
College Beat
Floreciendo – A Latina Pre-Med during COVID-19
By Karina Reyes
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The toughest part of my journey has been determining the woman I want to be and allowing myself to flourish. I first realized that I had grown from being a shy and anxious child to a confident young woman during a campus tour I led at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
Veteran’s Perspective
A Seamless Military to Civilian Workforce Transition, Consejos Para Usted
By Lisa “La Coronela” Carrington Firmin, USAF Ret.
A professor once said to me that my transition from the military to academia was quick and impressive. Say what? In my head, it was neither. Fortunately for me, I had countless years of leadership experience with adapting and overcoming whatever situation or role I was thrust into from my years in the military.
Letters from the Front
By Yessica Ramos, CWO2, USMC.
I am a proud Latina with Ecuadorian origins. I am a Utilities Chief Warrant Officer in the Marine Corps. As a young child, I always had an interest in joining the military. I would always dress up like GI Joe and carry a kitchen utensil or anything that could resemble a weapon on my “war” belt.
Latinas Today
Corteva Agriscience Names Anne Alonzo as Senior VP, Chief Sustainability Officer
Anne Alonzo has joined Corteva Agriscience as the company’s senior vice president for external affairs and chief sustainability officer. She will report to Chief Executive Officer James C. Collins, Jr. and is responsible for setting strategy and leading the company’s external affairs function, which includes corporate communications
Johnson & Johnson’s Re-Ignite Program
By Gloria Romano-Barrera.
“The Re-Ignite program is part of Johnson & Johnson’s larger commitment to diversity and inclusion, and is a fantastic way for people with unique abilities, perspectives and experiences to feel supported as they re-enter the workforce,” states Jacqueline Maestri, Vice President, WW Engineering and Property Services at Johnson & Johnson.
Eggy’s Corner
Maya on the Phone
By Dixie Marroquin
My name is Maya and I love the smell of my owner’s perfume. I am a Border Collie. I am 10 years old and words that describe me are: intelligent, athletic, agile, acrobatic (my owners say I can spin on a dime when I am catching frisbees), and lastly but not least, I am sweet and caring…
Latina Letters From the Front!
By Lt. Col. Maritzel G. Castrellon Chief, Personnel Services Branch CENTCOM CCJ1, MacDill AFB, FL . My military heritage started way before I was born. This intricate story began in the early 1900s when my paternal grandfather, the son of two Italian immigrants, moved from …
Veteran’s Perspective
Transitioning to a Thriving Civilian Career
By Giselle Abritton, Director Hotel Support – CALA Region, Hilton.
I joined the Navy in 1994, straight out of high school in Puerto Rico. During my six years in the military, I served as a Mess Management Specialist where I was responsible for the lodging and food preparation for sailors in my duty station and advance deployments.
Las Jefas!
Latina Author’s Weaving Their Stories
By Marisa Rivera.
I grew up reading books like Don Quixote de La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, and La Carreta by René Marqués, Poems by Federico Garcia Lorca and Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz. I was worried about what our youth are reading nowadays and if we had any strong, creative and multicultural writers that could capture the essence of living in two worlds as many immigrants and first-generation feel …
About the Author
Defeating the Odds
By María Luisa Villagómez Victoria.
Growing up my father was rarely around, and my mother had to work long hours to provide for my four sisters and me. After my parents divorced, my mother decided that, in order to provide for us, it was best for my sisters and I to live with my grandmother in Mexico, so we moved. At the time, I was about 7 years old …
College Beat
Managing Transitions
By Maria Luis
B.A. Economics Major.
University of California, Merced.
My college experience has been an ongoing discovery of who I am and what I can become. Each year has presented itself with different obstacles and learning experiences that taught me independence, management, and communication as well as resourcefulness.
His View
Elevating Our Leaders
By Marco A. Davis,
President and CEO
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI).
I am a firm believer in the power of diverse leadership and potential in our community, so it’s an honor to serve the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) in our mission to develop the next generation of Latino/a/x leaders across all industries. CHCI’s track record of success is owed in large part to the women who led the organization before me.
Punto Final
“¡Que Viva La Mujer!
The United States dedicates the month of March for celebrating influential mujeres throughout history and present day, a mission that LATINA Style, Inc. embraces throughout the year. Mujeres fuertes y poderosas with names that sound like mine and facial features similar to my own—Dolores Huerta, Rigoberta Menchú, Ellen Ochoa, Major General
Las Jefas
Latinas in the Military, A Growing Force
By Marisa Rivera.
Women’s participation in the military has had a history that extends over 400 years worldwide, from Civil Wars, World Wars I and II to present conflicts. Women have been a presence in the United States military for decades and have worked to serve and defend the country for just as many.….
College Beat
By Daisy Guintos
Texas Woman’s University
English Major & Political Science Minor. I was born in Dallas, Texas, however, my parents decided for our family to move to Guanajuato, Mexico when I was 11-months-old. Later on, when …
His View
Walmart’s Commitment to Veterans and Military Families
By Mark Espinoza, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs, Walmart Inc.
At Walmart, we are grateful for the sacrifice our nation’s veterans, military men and women, their spouses and families make in service to the country. It is our duty and honor to…
Punto Final!
Latinas Adelante! Moving Beyond Diversity, Embracing Inclusion in the Fight for Equity.
By Linda Urrutia-Varhall, U.S. Air Force (Ret) and Dr. Cynthia Baron.
As Latinas, many of us face the concept of diversity. In both the civilian and military world, there are offices and personnel dedicated to ensuring diversity as it relates to numbers and representation.
His View
Continuing a Legacy
By Robert E. Bard.
It was 25 years ago that in the living room of a tiny Alexandria apartment in Virginia, Anna Maria Arias put the finishing touches to the first LATINA Style...
2019 Holiday Gift Guide
Check out Special gift ideas for your loved one. We are sure they will bring a smile to their life.
