A message from the 2010 Chair of the Board As Chair of the Board of Directors for 2010, I am honored to have the opportunity to advance the mission of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando. There is no doubt that the Hispanic Chamber has matured to new levels as a result of over 17 years of development. But our work does not stop here.  We are committed to continue raising the bar of leadership and community contribution.   My heritage can illustrate my passion for the labor of this Chamber.  I am one of seven children, the daughter of a tobacco and sugar cane farmer turned medical doctor from Bayamón, Puerto Rico and a dedicated mother from Salamanca, Spain.  My father is a U.S. army veteran who served in World War II and went on to study medicine in Spain. One of 14 children, dad was the only child who acquired a professional degree.  He built his practice out of strong commitment and passion for community service. After more than 50 yrs running his own business, he just retired at the age of 84, passing on his legacy to three of his children, who also became doctors.  All of us kids have gone to college and beyond.  My father would not have it any other way.  Having nothing but a dream, dad had the drive and passion to conquer and surpass that dream.  The inspiration for my passion comes from my father.  From him, I learned how to persist until you "get it done," even if -- and especially if -- others say, "it can't be done."  My story goes to the very heart the Hispanic Chamber's existence.  Our mission is not limited to fostering business relationships between our members.  As true leaders, we must help build our members beyond their normal limitations and conquer their business dreams. As the strongest Hispanic organization in Central Florida, our leadership responsibility extends beyond the call of duty, as we also have a strong sense of advocacy and community focus.  A major thrust of this organization is to build a powerful bridge between Hispanics and non-Hispanics.  Because we do this so effectively and efficiently, our members grow and our region prospers economically. I am excited about 2010, and I look forward to a successful array of events and activities.  Among what is in store for this year is a new Hispanic Business Conference and Hispanic Business and Consumer Expo taking place in April 15-18. The Conference will educate, motivate, and build business opportunities for entrepreneurs, leaders and business professionals, as well as enhance economic development and improve the quality of life in Central Florida.  The new Hispanic Business and Consumer Expo format will ensure that our business community has enough business-to-business opportunities, while at the same time we continue to promote consumer participation. These events will take place in a new venue: the new Hilton Orlando Hotel and Convention Resort, located next to the Orange County Convention Center.  I invite you to attend the event and even stay over at the Hilton for a night or two. This hotel is world-class, and we have blocked a number of rooms at a special rate so our members and exhibitors benefit of a memorable experience.

We continue developing our Chamber key existing strategic partnerships with the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund of Metro Orlando and the Disney Entrepreneur Center.  We are also proud to continue forging new relationships, such as the ones we have with the Association of Latino and Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) to provide state-of-the-art professional development to members of the Hispanic Chamber, the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission where our outgoing Chair contributes as a member of its Board of Directors, and our new relationship with Envision Seminole, which allows us to reach out to our members and leadership in Seminole County.  We also continue to enhance the Hispanic Chamber Leads group initiative with projected new Leads groups in Lake County, Seminole County and other regions needing Chamber services and support.  In addition, as 2010 is an election year, and we will once again invite our local leaders running for office to take part in our Political Hob Nob, or commonly known in the Hispanic community as "El Encuentro con los Candidatos".  This popular event will take place in late July and will feature candidates presenting their political platforms in a setting where chamber members can actively participate.  We will also conduct our traditional straw poll with the assistance of the supervisor of elections. Further, please find out about how you can nominate deserving individuals and businesses from our community to be honored this year at the Don Quijote Awards gala, on December 4. Whether it is a joint business after hours, the "Hablemos de Negocios" business radio show, Capitol Connections 2010, a trade mission, or any other important community initiative, you can rest assured that the Hispanic Chamber will be known for having a meaningful presence in our community. We will continue to provide leadership and support to enhance economic prosperity, not only promoting the thousands of Hispanic businesses doing business in our beautiful region of Central Florida, but also providing benefit to the entire region at large. I am proud of being a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Metro Orlando, and I look forward to contributing to its growth and the advancement of its members during 2010!  Yasmin Tirado-Chiodini, MSEB, JD 2010/2011 Chair