After a hiatus due to the pandemic, La Paz Chattanooga’s Latino Leadership Awards program is back — returning this fall with an evening of dinner, dancing and new award categories.
This year’s awards ceremony will be Sept. 21 at The Westin Chattanooga. To submit nominations, visit lapazchattanooga.org/awards by May 26.
“We absolutely hated the COVID-induced hiatus to this wonderful and needed annual event, and we are so pleased to bring it back this year,” La Paz Chattanooga Executive Director Stacy Johnson said in an announcement of the awards program. “In addition to making this an evening celebration, we’ve added new award categories so we can shine a spotlight on even more members of the Latino community who are doing valuable work.”
Categories for this year include:
— Latino Leader of the Year: Latino individuals who excel as professionals, business leaders or community leaders. The Latino Leader of the Year is someone who has contributed to their industry/community, promoting the positive influence of Latinos in Chattanooga.
— Chattanooga’s Choice: Recognizing influential Latino individuals across all sectors and communities in the Chattanooga region, building cultural bridges and connections to strengthen the local Latino population and the city as a whole.
— Latino Community Champion: Recognizing organizations and businesses that have championed services for and/or made a significant impact on Chattanooga’s Latino population.
— Emerging Latino Leader: Recognizing the emerging influence and accomplishments of a young Latino adult under the age of 25. The recipient of this category will be eligible for a $2,000 educational scholarship, sponsored by the Anne Shelton Scholarship Fund.
— La Paz Volunteer of the Year: Recognizing an individual’s dedication and volunteer service in supporting the mission of La Paz Chattanooga.
— Latino Business of the Year: Recognizing Latino-owned businesses in the Chattanooga area that serve as an economic backbone of the community and are critical in the cultivation of Latino progress in the city.
— Latino New Business of the Year: Recognizing up-and-coming Latino-owned businesses (operating for three years or less) that showcase exemplary business practices and contribute to the cultivation of Latino progress in Chattanooga.
Three finalists will be chosen from each category and will be notified in early June, with ticket sales available to the public shortly after. For more on La Paz Chattanooga, the city’s longest-standing nonprofit dedicated to supporting the Latino community, visit lapazchattanooga.org.
— Compiled by Jennifer McNally