Aflac Honors Hispanic Entrepreneurs Making a Difference in Texas
November 02 2007 - 1:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
Insurer aligns with The Latino Coalition to honor Hispanic
entrepreneurs in Texas with Aflac Civic Awards. COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov.
2 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, four exemplary Hispanic entrepreneurs were
recognized with an Aflac Civic Award for making a difference in
Texas. Vernon Herrera, a district sales coordinator at Aflac, and
Hector Barreto, chairman of the Latino Coalition and former
administrator of the Small Business Administration, honored each
winner during an awards ceremony held at the Fairmont Hotel in
Dallas, Texas. "We are extremely proud to recognize these
extraordinary business leaders for making a difference in their
community," said Herrera. "They continuously strengthen the
community through their civic contributions in their quest to
building a better future." The Aflac Civic Award honorees are: --
Arcilia Acosta is the president of CARCON Industries &
Construction specializing in commercial, institutional and
transportation construction in Dallas, Texas. Acosta was named
Texas Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year in 2006. She serves as
board of advisor for Texas State Bank; chair-elect for Texas
Association of Mexican- American Chambers of Commerce; board member
of QUOIN (Association of General Contractors); and, immediate past
chair of the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is an
active civic leader, role model and mentor for Latinas in business
through her participation in the Junior League of Dallas, the
Dallas Assembly, the Dallas Together Forum, Texas Health Resources,
the MBE Policy Institute and the Hispanic Contractors Association.
-- Patrick H. Cordero of Midland is the CEO of Strategic Abstract
and Title Corporation and city attorney for Fort Stockton in Pecos
County, Texas. He was appointed by the Governor of Texas to serve
as chairman of the Texas Residential Construction Commission.
Previously he served on the state's Telecommunication
Infrastructure Fund Board and Texas Appraiser Licensing and
Certification Board. He is the founder and president of the Midland
Community Development Corp., a nonprofit affordable housing and
micro-loan program; a board member of Children's Community Council;
and operations chairman of Casa de Amigos. His past leadership
positions have included board chair, Midland Chamber of Commerce;
vice chair and treasurer, Texas Association of Mexican American
Chambers of Commerce; and board member of High Sky Children's Ranch
and Midland Neighborhood Housing Services. Cordero was also named
Businessman of the Year and Member of the Year of the Midland
Chamber. -- Vince E. Puente, Sr., president of Southwest Office
Systems, Inc., in Fort Worth, Texas, civic advocacy extends beyond
monetary donations. His devotion and passion for service is
evidenced in his involvement on several organizations' boards,
ranging from the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce and Casa Manana
Theater to advisory councils for U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger and
Chancellor Dr. Victor Boschini at Texas Christian University. He
was recently honored as Father of the Year in Texas, the 2005
Business Man of the Year by the Texas Association of Mexican
American Chambers of Commerce, Texas Ambassador of Jewish Council
for Public Affairs- Israel Institute for Hispanic American Leaders
and member of the Holloman Air Force Base's Civic Leaders Tour. --
D. Jorge Urbina is an attorney and title expert in Denton, Texas,
and an exemplary volunteer leader who's committed to active
community service and social change. Born in Eagle Pass, Texas, and
one of nine children, Urbina was an exchange student in Austria, a
Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and a technical advisor in Rural
Housing. A tireless advocate for the elderly, children and
immigrants, Urbina's community work spans from founder of the Legal
Hotline for Older Texans and the citywide Back-to-School program
for low-income children to Denton Affordable Housing Corporation
and AIDS Services Advisory Committee. He also serves as chair of
Board of Directors of the Denton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and
executive board member of Denton Council's League of United Latin
American Citizens. Nominees for the Aflac Civic Award were
considered based upon their involvement in the community and
evaluated through an online process with a group of leading
business executives who served as judges. Earlier this year, Aflac
presented 12 national and regional Aflac Civic Awards to Hispanic
entrepreneurs who find time to give back to their community despite
the demands of running a small business. To learn more about the
award and the nomination process, visit aflac.com or
enespanol.aflac.com. Aflac is ranked among the top corporations of
Latina Style's 50 Best Companies for Hispanic Women to Work for in
the U.S. Aflac has also made the list of Hispanic Trends magazine's
Top 50 Companies for Supplier Diversity and Hispanic magazine's Top
100 Companies Providing the Most Opportunities to Hispanics. About
Aflac For more than 50 years, Aflac products have given
policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed
most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial
challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of
guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and the number
one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in
force in Japan. Aflac's insurance products provide protection to
more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in
Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for
seven consecutive years and Forbes magazine's Platinum 400 List of
America's Best Big Companies for seven years. In January 2007,
Aflac was included in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best
Companies to Work for in America for the ninth consecutive year.
Aflac was also included in Fortune magazine's list of the Top 50
Employers for Minorities in August 2005, and in September 2005,
Aflac Japan was named the Life Insurance Company of the Year at the
Asia Insurance Industry Awards, sponsored by the Asia Insurance
Review. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the
New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more
about Aflac, visit aflac.com. About the Latino Coalition The Latino
Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in
Washington, D.C. TLC was established to address policy issues that
directly affect the well-being of Hispanics in the United States.
TLC's agenda is to develop and promote policies that will foster
economic equivalency and enhance overall business, economic and
social development of Hispanics. For more information, visit
http://www.thelatinocoalition.com/. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO ) Media
Contact: Darcy Brito Aflac Incorporated (706)320-2348
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aflac CONTACT: Darcy Brito
of Aflac Incorporated, +1-706-320-2348, Web site:
http://www.aflac.com/ http://www.enespanol.aflac.com/
http://www.thelatinocoalition.com/
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