Centro Hispano of Dane County has announced its 2019 Community Award Winners that will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Centro’s 30th Annual Celebration Gala – ESPERANZA – at the Premiere Park Hotel in downtown Madison. The annual Centro Hispano Gala will be a chance for the entire community to come together to recognize the achievements of area youth and successful leaders in the Madison community and to honor the community support that has made Centro’s successes possible.
The Ilda C. Thomas Award, named after Centro Hispano of Dane County’s founder, represents someone, who with humility, ensures a strong Latino community voice. This year, this award will be given to Aissa Olivarez, staff attorney at Community Immigration Law Center (CILC). Olivarez has worked to keep families together in Dane County through her work focused on deportation defense, and is a strong advocate for universal representation.
The Marcus S. Miles Volunteer Award is given in honor of community photographer Marcus S. Miles to a volunteer who significantly helped to advance Centro’s goals and mission through their talents and expertise. This year’s awardee is Elena Jimenez-Quiroz who recently retired from her position as Community Impact Coordinator at United Way of Dane County. For years, Elena has coordinated the annual United Way Days of Caring at Centro and provided valuable assistance with the Centro Hispano Tres Reyes Celebration.
The Roberto G. Sanchez Award honors an individual that has demonstrated leadership in advancing educational and career opportunities for Latinos in Dane County. This year’s award will be presented to Valentina Ahedo, dean at the newly built Madison College Goodman South Campus, who has been dedicated for decades to advancing the dreams of Latino students by improving the educational opportunities available and providing valuable support.
The Mario Garcia Sierra Young Dreamer Award is given to a young Latinx who has completed their education and reached their goals and dreams, while contributing significantly to the community and serving as an example to others. This year’s award will be presented to social worker and community activist Yesenia Villalpando-Torres Yesenia, a first-generation college graduate, Dreamer, and tireless advocate for the immigrant community.
The Centro Visionary Award is given to a person who consistently strives for Centro’s greater vision of a thriving Latino community in Dane County and who is deeply committed to the agency’s role in helping to advance this vision across multiple sectors. This year’s award will be given to Gary Wolter, former president, chairman and CEO of Madison Gas & Electric, whose dedication to Centro’s mission, and work at leveraging support for the agency has been invaluable.
