WASHINGTON – The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) announces the winners of its 2022-2023 Leadership Awards. The awards program recognized 17 individuals for their outstanding advocacy and leadership in education. The recipients were announced during a special awards gala after 7 p.mth ALAS Annual National Education Meeting held recently in Puerto Rico.
The honorees for 2022-2023 are:
ALAS Awards
ALAS 2022 Pioneer Award – US Senator Tim Kaine
Estrella ALAS 2022 Award – Illinois Senator Carina Villa
ALAS Award 2022 Friends of ALAS – Anthony Kim, CEO of Education Elements
Lifetime Achievement Award – Cathy Hurley, Consultant
Community Partner Award – UnidosUS
Latino Equity Champion Award – Dr. Betty Rosa, Commissioner of Education and President of the State University of New York
Inspirational Leader Award. – Carlos Cobian, entrepreneur and CEO of Cobian Media
Legend Award – Panfilo Contreras, Executive Director of AZ-ALAS
ALAS National Superintendent of the Year Award – Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, Connecticut
Serving Latin American Superintendent of the Year
- PAST – Dr. Roosevelt Nivens, Superintendent, Lamar CISD, Texas
- PRESENT – Dr. Calvin Watts, Superintendent, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Georgia
Latin American Assistant Superintendent of the Year – Dr. Ruth Perez, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, Riverside County Office of Education, California
Latino Serving Assistant Chief of the Year – Dr. Tommy Welch, Head of Culture and Community, The Lovett School, Georgia
Latin American Head Office Administrator of the Year – Araceli Medina, Director of Multilingual Services, Valley View School District 365U, IL
Latino Serving Central Office Administrator of the Year – Dan Swartz, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Skokie School District 73.5, IL
Latino Tech Champion of the Year – Sofia Mendoza, Director of the Technology for Learning Initiative, LAUSD, California
National Latin American Director of the Year – Carmen Vargas, Principal, Uriah Hill Elementary School, Peekskill City School District, New York
Latino Administrator of the Year – Dr. James Martinez, Educational Administrator for Counseling and Social Services, Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut.
“Our 2022-2023 award recipients exemplify strong, mission-driven leadership, and their support and advocacy for Latino and historically marginalized youth is truly inspiring,” said ALAS Executive Director Dr. Maria Armstrong. “We were thrilled to be able to celebrate and recognize these incredible individuals at our annual meeting for the important work they do in their schools, districts and communities.”
For more information about ALAS visit https://www.alasedu.org/.
About the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)
Association of Latin American Administrators and Superintendents [ALAS] is committed to providing perspective to all aspiring school and district administrators, including superintendents, through programs, services, advocacy and networks rooted in the Latino experience and culture. ALAS has nearly 8,000 members in 18 state affiliates with several more states soon to be part of the ALAS Familia. Our vision, mission, and goals are to provide leadership at the national level that ensures that every school in America effectively serves the educational needs of all students with an emphasis on Latino and other historically marginalized youth through ongoing professional learning, policy advocacy, and networking to share promising practices for our students and the communities we serve.
By 2026, Latino children will make up 30 percent of the school-age population. In the nation’s largest states—California, Texas, Florida, and New York—all of which are ALAS state affiliates—Hispanics have already reached that level. It is of vital interest to invest in the education of every child and the professional training of all educators who serve Latino youth.
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