In the United States, a free market economy has always propelled the country to work and progress, providing great incentives to self-starters and citizens that work for the better life they so desire. When an unencumbered free market has been allowed to propel growth, the United States has prospered. In great measure, this is how the history of this great country has been written.
Behind U.S. leadership as a country, we find individuals who are leaders in their professional fields and the education of their colleagues in those fields. Free market also plays an important role as an incentive for national leadership. An example of this is the “Leaders” program of the beer enterprise, MillerCoors, which recently revealed this year’s 12 Hispanic leaders through a national advertising and public relations campaign. Candidates are nominated by charitable organizations associated with MillerCoors. Winners will be individuals that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to progress and success in the Hispanic community.

The Leaders of 2009 is a group made up of respected community leaders that have demonstrated with their actions and achievements what a person can accomplish in this country with hard work, commitment, and dedication and will appear in advertisements in national and local print media and on the MillerCoors Leaders Program’s website and inspire Hispanics nationwide to strive for success.

In this way, a private enterprise, in this case, MillerCoors, uses all of the creative force of the free market’s social influence in the pursuit of a commendable objective like encouraging and recognizing the accomplishments of those individuals that have become leaders and in this way, purports powerful tools of recognition and leadership so that national and local leaders in the Hispanic community can benefit from and increase their leadership and become better role models, in addition to providing resources to help Hispanics face current social and economic challenges.
One of these 12 individuals will be selected Leader of the Year through a public vote on the MillerCoors website, which was open until the 20th of November. The winner will receive a grant of US$ 25,000 to fund a leadership project that he or she will have to develop with his or her charitable organization and Miller Coors. This is a very powerful way to use incentives to encourage positive leadership in the Hispanic Community: a community that especially needs national and local leaders that defend their interests, projects and identities.

The Selected Leaders for 2009 are:

— Cheryl Nadine Aguilar, National Hispanic Leadership Institute (NHLI), Washington, D.C.

— José Calderón, Hispanic Federation, New York, New York

— Sara Garcia Duran, Dallas Council of Hispanic Service Organizations, Dallas, Texas

— Rebecca Heather Gomez, Navidad en el Barrio (Christmas in the Neighborhood), Houston, Texas

— Anjenys Gonzalez-Eilert, Cuban American National Council (CNC), Miami, Florida

— Lizette Jenness Olmos, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Washington, D.C.

— Veronica Melvin, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), Los Angeles, California

— Rolando Pablos, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio, Texas

— Maria Luisa Ramos, ASU Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, Phoenix, Arizona

— Michael David Rodriguez, Enlace Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

— Erica Romero, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Sacramento, California

— Omar Vargas, Deauville Relief Fund, Washington, D.C.

It’s truly inspiring that programs like the MillerCoors’ Leaders program are now concentrating on showcasing the work of Hispanic leaders and nationally acknowledging these individuals. In this way a positive example of Hispanic leadership and real progress in the Hispanic community is shared with the entire country and millions of Hispanics; these individuals are true role models, and are making the American dream come true on a daily basis. With initiatives like the MillerCoors Leaders Program, the market wins the heart of the public and positively influences their lives and society.

MillerCoors, sponsor of the Leaders program since 2006, highlights the advances and successes of a diverse group of recognized Hispanic leaders with the Leaders grant. Additionally the company conducts training workshops across the country, where participants can network, establish new contacts as well as learn about and discuss leadership in depth. Since then, almost 60 Hispanic leaders have received recognition from the program.

Those who aspire to participate in the MillerCoors Leaders Program must be of Hispanic origins, of an age between 21 and 39 and work with a charitable organization whose mission is to support the Hispanic community in some way.

In summary, the Leaders Program is great example of how the market, through private enterprise and initiative recognizes and educates leaders in a real way, creating real progress in the Hispanic Community.
Les dejo con algunas de las frases más brillantes de los candidatos a Líder de 2009.

“Todo es posible”.
Veronica Melvin, Directora Ejecutiva, Alliance for a Better Community

“Si no le das la mano a los que están detrás mientras asciendes, no habrá nadie contigo cuando llegues a la cima”.
Sara García Duran, Miembro de la Junta Directiva, Dallas Concilio of Hispanic Service Organizations

“Dar incondicionalmente y dar gracias por lo que tenemos”.
Rolando Pablos, Presidente, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

“Comunidad no es el lugar donde vivimos, sino las personas con las que nos relacionamos en nuestras vidas”.
Rebecca Heather Gómez, Enlace Escolar, Navidad En El Barrio

“Liderazgo es comprometerse con algo más grande
que uno mismo”.
Omar Vargas, Miembro de la Junta Directiva, Deauville Relief Fund

“Los lideres verdaderos ni juzgan ni mandan; ayudan a los demás a encontrar la grandeza que hay en cada persona”.
Michael David Rodríguez, Director, Violence Prevention, Enlace

“Liderazgo es tener visión con responsabilidad y compromiso, dando un ejemplo extraordinario a la sociedad.”
María Luisa Ramos, Directora, American Dream Academy, ASU Center for Community Development and Civil Rights

“Si le pones mente y corazón, puedes lograr cualquier cosa”.
Lizette Jenness Olmos, Directora de Comunicaciones, League of United Latin American Citizens

“El auténtico líder no busca el consenso; lo forja.”
José Calderón, Vicepresidente Principal, Hispanic Federation

“Los verdaderos líderes educan e impulsan a los demás para que ellos también aporten a sus comunidades”.
Erica Romero, Directora Ejecutiva, Western Regional Office, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

“El liderazgo consiste en mejorar la comunidad y aportar a ella, recordando de dónde venimos, sin vacilar jamás en la defensa del bien común.”
Cheryl Nadine Aguilar, Gerente de Comunicaciones y Mercadeo en Internet, National Hispana Leadership Institute

“El verdadero líder nunca sirve a sus propios intereses. Su inspiración es servir a los demás.”
Anjenys González-Eilert, Voluntaria, Cuban American National Council, Inc.