Accomplihed leaders honored at NCLR Awards Gala

Washington, D.C. - NCLR (National Council of La Raza) presented six awards on July 26th to honor individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exemplaryaccomplishments, both in their fields and in service to the Hispanic community and the United States. NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía congratulated the winners at the organization's Awards Gala which was the closing event of the 2011 NCLR Annual Conference held July 23-26 in the District of Columbia.

The award winners are Mary's Center, a nonprofit community organization in the District of Columbia; Maria Otero, Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs; Jorge Muñoz, founder of the nonprofit organization An Angel in Queens; Ignacio E. Lozano, Jr., former publisher of La Opinión; former NFL player and coach Thomas R. "Tom" Flores; and former chair of the NCLR Board of Directors José H. Villarreal.

"NCLR is thrilled to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Hispanic community and to our great nation. They have shown that there are no limits to what can be achieved through hard work, vision and perseverance," Murguía said. "We congratulate Mary's Center, Maria Otero, Jorge Muñoz, Ignacio Lozano, Jr., Tom Flores, and José Villarreal and thank them for being an inspiration to us all."

Mary's Center, the recipient of NCLR's Affiliate of the Year Award, is a federally qualified health center in the District of Columbia that served more than 18,000 clients from over 40 countries in 2010. Mary's Center provides immigrants with services such as prenatal care, home visits, family planning, and primary care for children and adolescents, as well as help with school and job placement. This award is the most visible recognition that NCLR bestows annually to showcase the achievements and impact of an outstanding Affiliate and to recognize the Affiliate's active engagement ...