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Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez

For his visionary leadership carried out in words and deeds as exemplified in the following:

• During the annual fundraiser gala for Claridad, the newspaper of the Puerto Rica Nation – where he engaged Puerto Rico’s legendary artist Antonio Martorell in a historic conversation on “The Politics of Art and the Art of Politics,” demonstrating his skillful oratory and his profound sense of Puerto Ricaness.

• In the helping to design an innovative approach to the immigration quagmire by enlisting citizens to petition for their undocumented partners, family members and friends.

• In the working out a compromise for the workers of Republic Windows through which they were able to get back, wages as well as to provide a Christmas meal and gifts for each worker and his/her family.

Runner Ups:

Wilfredo de Jesus

• For his national prophetic voice in making comprehensive reform a national agenda issue for evangelical Christians, as well as for his national promise as a Latino leader demonstrated by his selection as one of 15 Latinos to serve as advisers to President-Elect Obama.

• For building one of the largest Puerto Rican/ Latino churches in Chicago, which has put out a welcoming for the hurting.

Freddy Santiago

• For his courage in hosting the largest “Familia Unidas – Yá Basta” gathering in his church Rebaño, and for making the church much more accessible to the surrounding community.

• For his leadership in speaking out on important issues impacting the Latino community such as education, health and youth services.

Alderman Billy Ocasio

For his many heroic stands on behalf of our community manifested recently in the following:

• For being the only Alderman to oppose the City’s budget which hit the working class the hardest.

• For the creation of a summer leadership youth institute to instill a sense of values, responsibility and cultural awareness to our youth.

Mildred Amador

• For her consistency and perseverance in producing a documentary about the flags of Paseo Boricua, titled, “Flags of Steel.” This project will inform future generations about the story behind the creation of our monuments to the Puerto Rican Flag.

Alberto Carrero

• For his many years of service to Banco Popular and for transforming it into a Peoples Bank in our community and his leadership in the capital campaign to build our national museum, the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture (IPRAC).

Maddi Elga Amil

• For her deep-seated commitment to the development of Paseo Boricua as exhibited in her instrumental role in moving the office of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration from Downtown to our barrio. And also maintaining and expanding the only Puerto Rican bookstore on Paseo Boricua.

Efrain Vargas

• For having the vision and the practice that created Bickerdike’s “La Estancia Housing Complex” on Division and California with its “Garita” like façade reminiscent of our Viejo San Juan, as well as his longstanding efforts to build affordable housing in our community

Michelle Morales

•For her uncompromising advocacy for the human rights for the Puerto Rican people through the National Boricua Human Rights Network as an organization actively supporting the release of the Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and the clean – up of Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Nereida Áviles

• For her untiring work as supervisor of Humboldt Park, which has transformed the park into a true people’s park by making it welcoming, accessible and culturally vibrant.[/lang_en]