Washington D.C.--(HISPANIC PR WIRE - BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2004--The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) will host its 14th Annual Legislative Conference on March 24-25, 2004 at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. The conference will convene members of Congress, Hispanic business owners and corporate leaders to discuss the most critical public policy issues facing the Hispanic community--from small business legislation to the impact of poor health and nutrition on business. Richard Macedonia, President & CEO of Sodexho North America, is this year's Legislative Chair. Below is the schedule of events, followed by event descriptions.

Schedule of Events

(as of 3/22/04)

All events will take place in the Capital Hilton Hotel, 1001 16th St., NW, unless otherwise noted.

Visit http://www.ushcc.com for details.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM    Conference Registration

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM   USHCC Chamber Best Practices,

                      Room South American AB

1:00 PM - 4:00 PM     Briefing:

                      George W. Bush,

                      President of the United States

                      Treasury Secretary John Snow

                      SBA Administrator Hector Barreto

                      Location:

                      Renaissance Washington DC Hotel

                      999 Ninth Street, NW - Grand Ballroom

                      (TICKETS REQUIRED. PLEASE CALL

                      202-842-1212 TO RESERVE TICKET.

                      TICKETS CAN BE PICKED UP AT CAPITAL

                      HILTON HOTEL CONFERENCE 9-11 A.M.

                      SAME DAY ONLY.) (MEDIA CREDENTIALS

                      REQUIRED IN ADVANCE)

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM     Welcoming Reception

                      The Library of Congress,

                      James Madison Building

                      101 Independence Ave., SE,

                      Montpelier Room

Thursday, March 25, 2004

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM     Registration

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM     Continental Breakfast,

                      Foyer 1

8:45 AM - 11:15 AM    Legislative Briefing,

                      Congressional Room

11:20 AM - 12:30 PM   Issue Briefing I:

(Concurrent)          A Business Imperative:

                      Closing the Achievement Gaps

                      for Latino Students,

                      Room Statler A

11:20 AM - 12:30 PM   Issue Briefing II:

(Concurrent)          Federal Sector Procurement Council:

                      Expanding Opportunities for Hispanic

                      Business, Room Statler B

11:20 AM - 12:30 PM   How to Lobby Workshop,

(Concurrent)          Senate Room

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM     Capitol Hill Visits

1:30 PM - 3:30 PM     Corporate Partner Legislative Hearing,

                      Congressional Room

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM     Legislative Awards Reception,

                      Congressional Room

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM    Legislative Awards Dinner,

                      Presidential Room

10:00 PM - 12:00 AM   Viennese Dessert Reception,

                      Congressional & Senate Rooms

Event Descriptions

Chamber Leadership Training/Best Practices

Sponsored by Altria Group, Inc.

Recipients of the USHCC's new Political Empowerment Awards will present their award-winning government relations programs. The Political Empowerment Awards recognize member Hispanic chambers of commerce with outstanding government relations programs.

Presenters:

-- Latin Chamber of Commerce of Nevada, Inc. (Region I)

-- New Mexico 8(a) and Minority Business Association (Region II)

-- McAllen Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Region III)

-- Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Region IV)

-- New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (Region V)

-- Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Region VI)

White House Briefing

Underwritten by Chase Bank and Telemundo

President George W. Bush, Treasury Secretary John Snow and Hector Barreto, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will address the Hispanic community during a White House Briefing at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel.

Presenters:

-- President George W. Bush

-- Treasury Secretary John Snow

-- SBA Administrator Hector Barreto

Welcoming Reception

Sponsored by Washington Mutual

A reception hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to welcome conference participants to the USHCC's 14th Annual Legislative Conference.

Presenters:

-- J.R. Gonzales, USHCC Chairman of the Board and Acting President/CEO

-- Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus

-- Peter Villegas, First Vice President, Community & External Affairs, Washington Mutual

Legislative Briefing

Sponsored by Pfizer

An overview of the USHCC's four major legislative priorities: access to capital, procurement, e-commerce and workforce development. Members of Congress will also provide an update on major issues pending in Congress, including legislation to reauthorize the Small Business Administration, and proposals to address federal procurement and contract bundling, broadband internet access, the impact of poor health and obesity on business and the plight of America's immigrant farm workers.

Moderators:

-- J.R. Gonzales, USHCC Chairman of the Board, Acting President & CEO

-- Franceen Friefeld, RD, P.H.Ec, Director of Marketing and Nutrition, Corporate Services, Sodexho USA

Presenters:

-- M. Kenneth Bowler, Vice President, Federal Government Relations, Corporate Affairs, Pfizer

-- Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

-- Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)

-- Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE)

-- Rep. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

-- Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

-- Rep. Nydia Velasquez (D-NY), Ranking Democrat, House Small Business Committee

-- Rebecca Reeves, Ph.D, RD, Chair, American Dietetic Association, Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group

-- Tuckie Westfall, Director, Government Affairs-Food, Altria Corporate Services

-- Donna Shields, MS, RD, Manager, Nutrition and Health Communications, The Coca-Cola Company

Issue Briefing I

A Business Imperative: Closing the Achievement Gaps for Latino

Students Sponsored by Verizon Communications

A panel discussion about how to engage business in the education of Latino youth. Panelists will highlight the findings of a 2003 report authored by NHCSL and the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI), Closing the Achievement Gaps: Improving Educational Outcomes for Hispanic Children, which examined the factors that contribute to the educational disparities between Hispanic students and their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Moderator: Frank Lopez, President, USHCC Foundation

Presenters:

-- Liz Burgos, Executive Director of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL)

-- Sarita Brown, Senior Fellow, Pew Hispanic Center

-- Dora Olivo, Texas State Representative

-- Magda Yrizarry, Vice President of Public Policy and Strategic Alliances, Verizon Communications

-- Susan Castillo, Oregon State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Issue Briefing II

Federal Sector Procurement Council: Expanding Opportunities to Hispanic Business

Part I: Congressional staff and key leaders will provide an in-depth overview of the SBA reauthorization legislation.

Presenters:

-- Steve Denlinger, CEO, Latin American Management Association

-- LeAnn Delaney, Contracting & Technology Staff, House Minority Small Business Committee

Part II: A discussion about the USHCC's new outreach initiative with federal agencies to boost federal contracting opportunities for Hispanic-owned businesses. Representatives of the USHCC Federal Sector Procurement Council will highlight this new initiative and federal agency representatives will highlight the federal government's current efforts to strengthen federal procurement for minority businesses.

Moderator:  John Gonzalez, Co-Chair, USHCC Federal Sector Procurement Council

Presenters:

-- Paul Rodriguez, Co-Chair, USHCC Federal Sector Procurement Council

-- Felipe Mendoza, Associate Administrator of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), General Services Administration

-- Theresa Avillar-Speake, Director of the OSDBU, Department of Energy

-- Ralph C. Thomas III, Associate Administrator of the OSDBU, NASA

-- Frank Ramos, Director of the OSDBU, Department of Defense

-- Kevin Broshears, Director of the OSDBU, Department of Homeland Security

How to Lobby Workshop

Presented by Mickey Ibarra & Associates, Inc.

For the third consecutive year, Mickey Ibarra & Associates will facilitate the "How to Lobby Workshop" at the USHCC Legislative Conference. Mickey Ibarra will moderate a panel of experts as they discuss on the "Dos and Don'ts of Lobbying". Panelists will offer media, corporate and congressional perspectives. Following the workshops, participants will put these strategies to the test on Capitol Hill as they advocate for the USHCC Legislative priorities.

Moderator: Mickey Ibarra, President, Mickey Ibarra & Associates, Inc.

Panelists:

-- Rebecca Cooper, Reporter, WJLA-7

-- Emilio Gonzalez, Director Public Policy and Strategic Alliances, Verizon Communications

-- Rita Jaramillo, Chief of Staff, Office of Representative Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)

Corporate Partner Legislative Hearing

Representatives from several USHCC corporate partners will share their key legislative priorities for the coming year to various congressional and community leaders.

Presenters:

-- Broderick D. Johnson Esq., Vice President of Congressional Relations, AT&T

-- Sam Wright, Sr. Vice President, Government Relations, Cendant Corporation

-- Rob Elliott, Vice President of Government Affairs, MGM MIRAGE

-- Dick Macedonia, President of Sodexho North America

-- Magda N. Yrizarry, Vice President, Public Policy and Strategic Alliances, Verizon Communications

Panelists:

-- J.R. Gonzales, USHCC Chairman of the Board, Acting President/CEO

-- Tina Cordova, USHCC Vice Chair, Legislative Committee Chair

-- Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-TX), President, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

-- Octavio Hinojosa Mier, Executive Director, Congressional Hispanic Conference

-- Maria Meier, Executive Director, Congressional Hispanic Caucus

Legislative Awards Reception

Sponsored by MBNA. Beverages sponsored by Corona.

A reception, hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Conference, to honor national, state and corporate leaders who have made life-long contributions to the Hispanic and minority communities.

Presenters:

-- J.R. Gonzales, USHCC Chairman of the Board and Acting President/CEO

-- Tina Cordova, Vice Chair of the USHCC Board of Directors, Legislative Committee Chair

-- Junior Ortiz, Senior Vice President, Director of Government Relations, MBNA America

Legislative Awards Dinner

Sponsored by Sodexho North America

The USHCC will honor Hector Barreto, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, with the Chair's Award; Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of the Department of Transportation, with the President's Award; and Senator Paul Feleciano, Jr., Past-President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The USHCC Foundation will present Magda N. Yrizarry, Vice President of Public Policy and Strategic Alliances of Verizon Communications, with a President's Award. The USHCC will also recognize the national Political Empowerment Award winner.

Master of Ceremonies: Ramon Rodriguez, Host of Hispanics Today

Presenters:

-- J.R. Gonzales, USHCC Chairman of the Board and Acting President/CEO

-- Tina Cordova, USHCC Board Vice Chair, Legislative Committee Chair

-- Dick Macedonia, President of Sodexho North America and Legislative Conference Chair

-- Liz Burgos, Executive Director, National Hispanic Caucus of States Legislators

-- Frank Lopez, President, USHCC Foundation

-- Jeffrey Smith, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs & Communications, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

-- Shuanise Washington, VP, Government Affairs Policy & Outreach, Altria Corporate Services

-- Former Congressman Bob Garcia (invocation)

The USHCC represents the interests of more than 1.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States and Puerto Rico, which earn more than $200 billion annually. It serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers nationwide, and it actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs. For more information about the USHCC 24th Annual National Convention and Business Expo, October 1-4, 2003, call 1-800-874-2286 or visit http://events.ushcc.com.

--30--RB/ph*

CONTACT:
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
Maria Ibanez or Natalia Martinez
202-842-1212