The Latino Professionals Association’s Annual Brindis Del Exito celebration gathers Latino Professionals Association (LPA) members, business partners, and community leaders to honor LPA members for their achievements, public recognitions, and civic appointments over the past year and to recognize and celebrate contributions of Latinx professionals to business and community.
“Brindis del Éxito is a staple event of the LPA, and a great opportunity to celebrate the collective achievements of our members,” LPA President Nicole Sandoval tells Madison365. “Madison has so much Latino talent and we need to celebrate that.”
This year’s Brindis del Éxito will be celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 29, 5:30-11:30 p.m. at the Madison Club, 5 E. Wilson St. The event is a significant opportunity for community organizations and businesses to support the growth and accomplishments of local Latinx professionals.
“This is the fifth year that we are doing Brindis del Éxito and the goal of this event year after year has been to basically to celebrate individual achievements of the Latino community in Madison and Dane County,” Norma Gallegos Valles, secretary of the board of directors for the Latino Professionals Association, tells Madison365. “I think the important thing to highlight is that we are celebrating the individuals, but we are also celebrating the collective impact through their achievement.”
The event will honor more than 40 members of the Latino Professionals Association.
“Brindis Del Exito first happened because it was one of our pillars – personal enrichment – which is encouraging and inspiring people through the achievements of the role models we are celebrating,” says Gallegos Valles, who, by day, is the workforce manager at Centro Hispano of Dane County and morning show co-host at La Movida Spanish Radio Station. “That’s pretty much why we decided to do this. In the Latino community, we tend to celebrate things that are community rather than the individual. We want to make sure that the younger generation is aware of the role models who are doing incredible work in the community. They are an inspiration.”
This year, the Latino Professionals Association will be hosting Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes as a special guest.
“I think this is the first time we’ve ever had a guest at Brindis at that level of government, so we are very excited to bring him in,” Gallegos Valles says.
Sandy Morales, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County, will be the emcee of the event. This year, Brindis Del Exito will include a plated dinner and a dessert bar. There will be Latin American-inspired hors d’oeuvres curated by Five Senses Palate, a business of LPA member Sujhey Beisser, originally from Venezuela.
The Latino Professionals Association’s mission is to recognize and enhance the lives of Latino professionals in the Madison area for leadership development, professional growth, civic and public engagement, and personal enrichment. The LPA has existed in Madison for seven years now.
“We’ve conducted a workplace assessment last year and we will be sharing more information about that at the Brindis del Exito,” Gallegos Valles says.
Sandoval has been president for the last two years, so a new president will be traditioning into her role. That announcement will also be made at the Brindis.
“We are recruiting for new board members, as well. This event is a great chance to learn more about our organization,” Gallegos Valles says.
This Saturday’s Brindis del Exito Celebration will be a great opportunity for community businesses and organizations to support the growth and accomplishments of area Latinx professionals.
“It’s a time to relax and have fun and network and bridge some of these gaps as we celebrate,” Gallegos Valles says. “It’s a great opportunity to bring everybody together and to take pride in what we do. We’re very excited.”
