First Hispanic Leadership Awards

Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer honored six outstanding members of the Latino community for demonstrating strong commitment and leadership during the first Hispanic Leadership Awards ceremony on October 29.
At the awards held at the Floresta Restaurant in Sunnyside, each honoree was presented with a City Council Proclamation. Among the honorees were FOX 5 reporter and anchor Taina Hernandez, SEIU 32BJ activist Nick Troya, co-owners of Big City Graph-X & Printing Raquel and Paul Salas, LGBT activist Brian Romero, local artist Edwin Cadiz, and artistic/executive director of Thalia Spanish Theatre Angel Gil-Orrios.
“It is important to honor those great individual who are doing great things for the community,” said Charnée Perez, Van Bramer’s press secretary. “We want to make this an annual event and we hope to expand and honor more individuals for the next year.”
“These individuals have helped enrich our community with their talent, dedication and involvement,” Van Bramer said. “I would like to thank the honorees for being such outstanding leaders and for helping to make our community be the very best in all of New York City.”
“We wanted to do something for Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Perez, who organized the event. “Even though it did not take place before the 15th of the month, we wanted it to fall within the same month. We wanted to celebrate the Hispanic Heritage month and honor them at the same time.”