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As Delivered
MANA Awards Gala
Washington, D.C.
September 25,
2003
Introduction of Secretary Chao by MANA President &
CEO Alma Morales Riojas
The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, the nation’s 24th
Secretary of Labor, has been dedicated to carrying out the Department of
Labor’s mission of inspiring and protecting the hardworking people of
America. She is respected as an effective and articulate champion of the
nation’s contemporary workforce, acting quickly to focus the Labor
Department on today’s realities of workers’ lives. Before coming to
the Department of Labor, Secretary Chao served as Director of the Peace Corps
and President and CEO of United Way of America. Her previous government career
includes serving as the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, Deputy Maritime
Administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation and in 1983 became a
White House Fellow.
Her efforts to reach out to the Hispanic community through programs for
minorities, women, and small business owners are commendable. To have a
perspective of her specific actions and benefit to Hispanics I can tell you
about her belief and support for our community. SER-Jobs for Progress National,
Inc., the 35 year-old employment and training program founded by the
country’s first Latino organizations, LULAC and the American GI Forum
currently serves over 600,000 Hispanics. This year in addition to a $1.5
million award for training and technical assistance, DOL awarded SER an
additional $26.5 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program to
serve 3,700 seniors nationally. Presenting the award is tonight’s event
sponsor and co-host, Leven Weiss, Senior Manager, Civic and Community Relations
from the DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao’s
Remarks
Thank you Alma [Alma Morales Riojas, President & CEO of
MANA].
Congratulations to all of tonight’s award winners including Rep.
Hinojosa and Ms. Maria de Lourdes Sobrino, Founder and CEO of Lulu’s
Desserts. It’s also good to see Robert Bard, CEO and President of
Latina Style in the audience tonight.
It’s great to see so many outstanding Latinas! Your energy and
enthusiasm are contagious and I am so pleased to be part of this event noting
your many achievements.
I want to especially thank the MANA organization, not only for
conferring this award upon me, but also for the great work you have done to
encourage Hispanic women to pursue their dreams.
You work has helped to empower thousands of Latinas and raise the
profile of working Latinas throughout this nation.
Today I spoke at a, “Opportunities Conference” hosted by the
Department of Labor that brought together more than 1,600 Hispanic and Asian
American entrepreneurs from across this country to gain new information and to
network new opportunities. MANA was one of the private sector sponsors of this
event. This is just one example of MANA’s dedication and commitment to
entrepreneurship, which is inspiring Latinas to pursue business careers in
record numbers.
In fact, Latina business owners are the fastest growing segment of small
business owners in this country. There are over half a million Latina owned
businesses in America today.
MANA has also helped break the glass ceiling for Latinas seeking
advancement in the corporate world. It is a testament to your efforts, that
many Fortune 500 companies—including EDS, Ford and General Motors—are
part of this event and are recognizing the achievements of their Latina
employees.
President George W. Bush and this Administration are committed to
ensuring that the doors of opportunity remain wide open for Latinas.
The Department of Labor’s programs and protections, for example,
are becoming increasingly accessible to those with limited English
proficiency.
The Department has instituted a toll-free number for Spanish speakers
and launched a Web site that is available in multiple languages, including
Spanish.
The Department’s enforcement agencies have increased the number of
Spanish speaking investigators—many of them Latinas—to ensure that
all workers, especially vulnerable immigrants, are safe and are paid a full
day’s wages for a full day’s work. And the Department is translating
its health and safety materials into Spanish and distributing them throughout
the workplace.
And I’m pleased to note that each year more Latinas are assuming
new leadership responsibilities at the Department. As they should, since over
fifty-two percent of all Hispanic employees at the Labor Department are now
women—we know where to look for talent!
In fact, Hispanic Magazine recently voted the Department’s head of
Human Resources, Daliza Salas, as one of America’s 100 most influential
Hispanics.
Your achievements are a tribute to the talent, drive and excellence that
Latinas bring to both the private and public sector.
Thank you for everything you are doing to ensure that the gates of
opportunity remain wide open and accessible to all.
Thank you for recognizing me as one of your awardees.
Have a great celebration!
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