
Houston Latinos you should know, from La Voz
La Voz de Houston has pulled together a really good list of Latinos in Houston: “35 Houston Latinos you should know.” (And, by the way, when did La Voz start providing content in English? That’s a topic for another day.)
It’s a really good list and you need to and click your way through, if nothing else to see who you did and didn’t already know. On the list:
- Claudia Ortega-Hogue — the director of Civic Engagement of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). (I participated in a Twitter party with her when I was Co-Director of the Houston Chapter of LATISM.)
- Arian Foster — Houston Texans player and who I didn’t even know was a Latino. His mother is Mexican American (according to Wikipedia.)
- Adrian Garcia — Harris County Sheriff and possible mayoral candidate (has he announced yet?). We worked together in the City of Houston Mayor’s Office under Mayor Lee Brown.
- Gonzo247 — one of the best urban artists you’ll ever meet, and one of the nicest guys. He did an art project for the Houston Public Library while I was manager of Public Relations, and I set up several interviews for him to promote the project.
- Andrés Orozco-Estrada — who is the first Hispanic music director for the Houston Symphony. I had the opportunity to meet him during a reception and live show Houston Public Media held to introduce him to Houston.
- Grace Olivares — the Community Affairs Director at Univision 45. I’ve been interviewed by Grace, worked with her on projects that Univision has sponsored, and collaborated on community service social media projects.
- Hugo Ortega — the talented chef and driving force at Hugo’s, Caracol and Backstreet Cafe. I’ve never met him, but I’m a big fan of his work.
- Tony Diaz — founder of Nuestra Palabra. His organization collaborated with mine (Library) on several projects.
- Sylvia Garcia — who was City Controller of the City of Houston during my employment there. She was also at some point a State Senator, a county commissioner, a just and presiding judge, and the national president of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO).
- Chingo Bling — who is a singer and entertainer. I’ve never met him offline, but once interviewed him for a panel that was livestreamed via Google.
- Gwendolyn Zepeda — who was the first Poet Laureate of Houston. I handled most of her publicity and press in her official role during her first year as Poet Laureate.
- Michael Cordúa — owner of some of my favorite restaurants, including Churrascos and Américas. As with Ortega, I’ve never met him but am a fan of his work.
- Alex López Negrete — co-founder of Lopez Negrete Communications and my former boss.
- Macario Ramírez — owner of Casa Ramírez Folkart Gallery and Shop. I met him once a long time ago. I think that counts.
- Dr. Laura Murillo is the President of Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I’ve previously written about how she recruited me as a member to HWIL.
- Dr. Tatcho Mindiola — director at the Center for Mexican American Studies (CeMAS) at the University of Houston. I spent a lot of time in CeMAS while I was a student at UH. And it was at CeMAS where I first met Dr. Laura Murillo, while she worked there.
You need to check out the entire list. You’ll learn a few new things (or meet new people). I know I did.
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NOTES
- SOURCE: 35 Houston Latinos you should know – La Voz.
Sandra Fernandez is a professional communicator, tech enthusiast, book lover, and blogger. You can find her main blog at SandraSays.com and more of her writing at HispanicHouston.com.
One thought on “Houston Latinos you should know, from La Voz”
Hola, tocaya!! A lot of great people and friends on this list. Ran across it looking for something else, but glad I did. Adelante, amiga! 🙂