Founding member, John Echeveste, to serve as senior advisor

Los Angeles, CA--(HISPANIC PR WIRE – PRNewswire)--February 26, 2008--The Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) today announced its new executive board and the addition of John Echeveste, principal of Valencia, Perez & Echeveste (VPE) Public Relations and one of the organization’s founding members as its senior advisor. As HPRA enters its 24th year, the organization continues to serve public relations professionals by offering innovative thought, leadership, professional development, and career advancement opportunities for individuals in the public relations, marketing, and advertising fields.

“HPRA has made a very meaningful contribution to the advancement of Hispanics in the public relations profession in our 24 years of service,” Echeveste said. “I am very pleased that the organization has continued to grow and to serve the needs of working professionals and students alike.”

The 2008 -’09 executive board consists of President, Ivette Zurita, of Edelman Multicultural; Vice President, Lourdes Rodriguez of VPE PR; Secretary, Albert Proctor, of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development; returning Treasurer, Lucila Garcia, public relations consultant; and Parliamentarian, Delia Lopez, public relations consultant.

“This is an exciting time in the Hispanic communications profession and we look forward to providing learning opportunities and resources in order to advance both professional and student PR practitioners,” said Zurita, HPRA President.

The Board of Directors also extends its appreciation to those Board members who have completed their terms: immediate past-President, Romina Bongiovanni, Edelman Multicultural; past Vice President and PRemio Committee chairman, Leticia Rhi Buckley, Los Angeles Music Center; and Executive Director and veteran Hispanic public relations industry pioneer, Ray Durazo.

Key initiatives in 2008 include the addition of the “Campaign of the Year” PRemios award category and the expansion of HPRA with the addition of a new chapter in New York. HPRA will also continue offering scholarships to Hispanic students pursuing a career in public relations and related communications fields. To date, HPRA has provided more than $200,000 in scholarships to students. For additional information regarding scholarships and membership please visit http://www.hpra-usa.org.

About the Senior Advisor
John Echeveste, Senior Advisor, co-founded VPE after a 15-year career in the fields of journalism, public relations, government and broadcasting. At VPE, he specializes in accounts in the areas of consumer and healthcare marketing. Echeveste served as vice president of Communications for TELACU for eight years, and also served as Manager of Public Communications for the Southern California Association of Governments. Echeveste is a founding member and past president of the Hispanic Public Relations Association.

About the Executive Board
Ivette Zurita, President, has been an active HPRA member for the past five years, previously serving as membership chair, Secretary, and most recently as Vice President in the ’07 term. She currently is a senior account executive in the Edelman Multicultural practice in Los Angeles, where she works on media relations for the Microsoft and Zune accounts.

Lourdes Rodriguez, Vice President, is a seasoned integrated marketing communications professional with extensive experience in public relations, advertising, marketing and promotions. As account manager at VPE, Rodriguez manages the Nestlé account handling Hispanic public relations and promotions on a national level.

Lucila Garcia, Treasurer, brings more than a decade of PR experience working with various health, consumer, food and beverage, and energy companies. As a consultant, she oversees direction on media relations initiatives and strategic planning.

Albert E. Proctor, Secretary, brings a breadth of experience in public relations, cause marketing, and community development. As a Community Planning & Development Representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Los Angeles, he is responsible for overseeing the implementation of large federal grants that empower communities to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination.

Delia Lopez has over seven years experience in the public relations industry and works with companies and organizations developing strategic communications plans that are in line with marketing and business goals.

Board Committee Chairs:
Activities – Jennifer Gonzalez, Paine PR
Digital – Herbert Serrano, consultant
Fundraising – Monica Chavarria, Farmers Insurance
Marketing – Fabiola Brenes, RL Public Relations and Edna Silva, Wells Fargo
Membership - Laura Amarillas, Chandler Chico Companies
National Chapters – Sandra Bernardo, Bernardo PR
PRemios – Lourdes Lopez, Recording Academy/GRAMMY Awards
Professional Development – Carlos Munguia, Ogilvy Worldwide and Laura Castillo, Weber Shandwick
Scholarship/College Outreach: Letisia Marquez, UCLA Media Relations

About Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA):
HPRA was founded in 1984 as a non-profit organization to establish a network of Hispanics employed in the public relations profession in the Southern California area. HPRA has more than 250 members representing public relations, marketing and advertising professionals from agencies, government, non-profit and corporate companies. HPRA is dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic professionals and provides educational seminars and workshops throughout the year. The organization has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to Latino students pursuing a career in communications during the last 20 years. HPRA strives to be a resource for communications professionals and for those seeking insights into the Hispanic market. For more information please visit http://www.hpra-usa.org.

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