Hispanic Roundtable mentors Young Latinos

Special to La Prensa

On October 5, 2009, the Hispanic Roundtable hosted the Young Latinos Network (YLN) at what may be characterized as a seminal moment in the development of the Latino Community.  The event was held at The Union Club in Cleveland where presidents of the United States, United States senators, governors, and business titans, such as Mark Hanna, have been members. 

Attorney José Feliciano of the Hispanic Roundtable mentoring Young Latinos at the Union Club.

José C. Feliciano, Sr. discussed the purpose of the Hispanic Roundtable, which is E³: empowerment, education, and economic development in the Latino Community.  The president of the YLN is José C. Feliciano, Jr.   He described the purpose of the YLN—leadership development for civic engagement and involvement.

The format of the evening was one based on “speed dating,” where the respective coaches/mentors, i.e., members of the Roundtable were located at various places in the Reading Room of the Union Club, and the Young Latinos would spend five minutes with each of the Roundtable representatives, asking questions about their careers.

The three fundamental questions discussed were:           

1. Can you share your career development with me?

2. How did you get started in your professional field/business?

3. What practical advice would you give me regarding your professional life?

Among the participants were: José Villaneuva, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge; Diana Centeno-Gómez, engineer at NASA; Miriam Lugo, founder of Latinas; Adrian Maldonado, president of Logik Construction; Lorraine Vega, vice-president at Key Bank; Gus Hoyas, principal at Gus Hoyas Nationwide Insurance; Maureen Dee, assistant executive director Catholic Charities; Victor Ruiz, Vice-President, Cleveland Scholarships Program; Andrés González, director of diversity at Cleveland Clinic; Ed González, founder and president of Ferrous Metals; and José C. Feliciano, Sr., Partner at Baker Hostetler Law Firm. 

The participants from the YLN included: Fredy Benavides, Eradin Berrios, Luis Cabrera, Jessica Cartagena, Luis Cartagena, José Feliciano, Jr., Kelly Feliciano, María Haller, Pastor José Marrero, Stephanie Morales, Jerry Peña, Maggie Peña, David Ruiz, Andrés Velásquez, and Jon Rivera.

The evening was an enormous success with the YLN members asking for another such coaching/mentoring session to include more representatives from the Latino leadership and more Young Latinos.  Numerous professional contacts were made; many doors were opened for the Young Latinos in major public corporations, politics, and civic institutions.