Dolores Arredondo | What’s Next for a Woman of Influence

Dolores Arredondo | What’s Next for a Woman of Influence

Sep 23, 2026 | Women and Leadership

HL INSIGHTS

Dolores Arredondo | What’s Next for a Woman of Influence

As Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates achievement, culture and contribution, HL | Culture & Influence is also looking forward reconnecting with people we have recognized over the years and asking a simple question: What’s next?

Photos and article by
Richard Sandoval

or Dolores Arredondo, the answer is still taking shape. That may be exactly what makes this chapter so interesting.

Previously recognized by HL as a Latina of Influence, Arredondo has built an accomplished career spanning marketing, business strategy, customer engagement, partnerships, entertainment, sports and community leadership.

After more than two decades of building brands, advising organizations and serving communities, she isn’t approaching her next chapter as a reinvention. She is looking at everything she has learned, experienced and accomplished and considering where she can make the greatest difference next.

Leadership Beyond Business

Arredondo’s professional background reflects years spent working at the intersection of brands, consumers, partnerships and business strategy.

As a growth marketing executive and strategic advisor, she has helped organizations understand audiences, strengthen customer engagement, develop strategic partnerships and turn marketing investments into meaningful results.

But business achievement tells only part of her story.

Throughout her career, Arredondo has maintained a deep commitment to service, education, inclusion and creating opportunities for others  particularly women, girls and communities that have not always enjoyed equitable access to resources and opportunity.

She has served on the boards of the Adventist Health White Memorial Charitable Foundation and Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), where she also served as chair.

Arredondo was appointed a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, bringing her leadership and community perspective to issues affecting vulnerable populations.

Today, she continues that commitment as a member of the Wellesley College Board of Trustees and on the founding board of College Match Los Angeles, helping expand educational opportunities and pathways to success for first-generation students.

Those roles are impressive.

But in the many years I have known Dolores, what stands out most is something more personal. She is a woman of impact. She has consistently looked for ways to lift up others, create opportunities and connect people with resources, relationships and possibilities that can move them forward.

Service is not simply something Dolores has added to an already accomplished professional résumé. It is very much part of her DNA.

That perspective helps explain why her leadership has extended well beyond business. Whether through nonprofit organizations, education, healthcare or the advancement of women, she has repeatedly found ways to use her experience and relationships in service of others. 

A collection of moments with Dolores alongside family, friends and community leaders reflecting the relationships, service and sense of community that have been such an important part of her journey.

Finding Her “Next, Next”

After years of building, leading, advising and serving, Arredondo describes this point in her journey as searching for her “next, next.”

The phrase says a lot.

This isn’t simply about finding another job or adding another title. It is about determining where decades of experience, leadership, relationships and perspective can have the greatest impact. The possibilities cross several worlds she already knows well.

Healthcare is one.

Helping organizations better connect people with services and resources that can improve their lives is an area that naturally brings together her marketing experience and commitment to community.

There is also the continued opportunity to help brands better understand and connect with consumers, particularly within communities where trust, relevance and authentic engagement matter.

Sports and entertainment remain another area of interest, particularly where partnerships, marketing and the advancement of women intersect.

Whatever direction comes next, the common thread is purpose.

“I want to use my marketing prowess for good,” Arredondo says. “Whether it’s connecting people to the products and healthcare services they deserve or helping advance women in sports, I want to be a part of creating a better and more inclusive world.”

That statement may offer the clearest definition of what her “next, next” looks like. It is not simply about what she wants to do. It is about why she wants to do it.

Experience With Purpose

There comes a point in a successful career when advancement does not necessarily mean another rung on the professional ladder.

Sometimes it means having the freedom to ask a different question: Where can I contribute the most?

For Arredondo, marketing has provided an extraordinary professional foundation. Service has provided another. Over time, those two parts of her life have become increasingly connected.

She brings decades of strategic business experience, organizational leadership and an understanding of how brands, institutions and people connect. She also brings years of involvement with organizations focused on healthcare, education, opportunity and the advancement of women. Those aren’t separate chapters anymore. They are increasingly part of the same story and that may be one of the advantages of reaching this stage of a career.

Experience creates choices. Perspective helps determine which choices matter. Purpose helps determine what comes next.

Looking Forward During Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month naturally gives us an opportunity to look back. We celebrate accomplishments. We recognize contributions. We remember the people and experiences that helped create opportunities for the generations that followed.

But heritage isn’t only about where we have been.

It is also about what we do with those experiences moving forward. That is one of the reasons we wanted to reconnect with Dolores Arredondo.

HL recognized her as a Latina of Influence because of the leadership, achievement and commitment to community she had already demonstrated.  Years later, those qualities remain. What has changed is the question. Today, we are less interested in asking what Dolores has accomplished. There is already plenty of evidence of that. We are interested in what all of those accomplishments have prepared her to do next.

Arredondo doesn’t appear interested in simply adding another title to an already distinguished résumé. She is looking for the place where experience meets purpose  where marketing, leadership, relationships and service can create something meaningful.

The next chapter has not been completely written. Perhaps that is the most exciting part.

Because for a woman who has spent so much of her career helping create opportunities for others, the question now becomes:

What opportunity will Dolores Arredondo create next?

EDITOR NOTES 

Dolores Arredondo was recognized by HL as a Latina of Influence during our 2018 Latina Conference. Over the many years we have known Dolores, we have watched her build an accomplished professional career while consistently creating opportunities for others and remaining committed to service.

As part of our Hispanic Heritage Month coverage, HL | Culture & Influence is reconnecting with people we have had the privilege of recognizing over the years  sharing where their journeys have taken them and asking one of our favorite questions: What’s next?

 

HL 2018 Latinas of Influence. Dolores is located on the back row, 3rd from the right. 

Daniela Mounger | Building a Better Way to Send Money Home

Daniela Mounger | Building a Better Way to Send Money Home

Sep 21, 2026 | Community

HL INSIGHTS

Daniela Mounger | Building a Better Way to Send Money Home

For Wells Fargo executive Daniela Mounger, the modernization of ExpressSend® is both a business initiative and something deeply personal.

Photos and article by
Richard Sandoval

or Daniela Mounger, sending money across borders is not simply part of her job.  It is part of her life.

Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Mounger moved to the United States 14 years ago. Her parents and much of her family remain in Mexico, and she understands firsthand what it means to stay connected across borders.

She sends money home for birthdays, Mother’s Day, everyday needs and moments when family needs support.

Today, she also leads the Wells Fargo business responsible for helping customers do the same.

Mounger is senior vice president and head of Global Remittance Services within Wells Fargo Consumer Banking and Lending, where she leads the strategy, transformation and growth of ExpressSend®, the company’s cross-border remittance product, along with its consumer foreign-currency solutions.

Hispanic Lifestyle spoke with Mounger during AVANCE Global in Las Vegas about the evolution of ExpressSend, the changing expectations of customers and why the work carries such personal meaning for her.

Listening to the customer

ExpressSend has been around for more than a decade, but the way customers use it has changed significantly.

For years, customers were often directed to Wells Fargo branches to manage aspects of the international money-transfer process.

Mounger said customers were asking for something easier.

“We listened to them,” she said. “They asked us to innovate. They asked us to have a convenient way to send money from their mobile apps.”

That feedback helped drive the modernization of ExpressSend and its nationwide launch within the Wells Fargo Mobile® app.

The mobile experience allows customers to add and manage recipients, track transfers and receive alerts directly through the app. Wells Fargo says ExpressSend currently supports transfers to 12 countries.

For Mounger, the convenience is important because it reflects the way people live now.

“All of us are attached to our mobile phones,  nuestros celulares,” she said.

The ability to send money from a phone can matter in ordinary moments as much as emergencies.

Someone may be thinking about a parent, an aunt or another family member back home. A birthday may be coming up. A relative may need help.

“You just pull out your phone,” Mounger said.

More than a product

What makes Mounger’s connection to ExpressSend different is that she is not only leading the product.

She uses it.

“I’m Mexican, born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, and my parents are still there. My family is still there,” she told HL Media Network.

She uses the service to send money to her parents and family members for occasions that are both important and routine.

“I use it to send money to my parents when they need it,” she said. “I use it for Mother’s Day, my mom’s birthday, my dad’s birthday and anything that is really needed for day-to-day lives.”

That personal experience gives Mounger a direct understanding of the customers the product is designed to serve.

“For me specifically, this was a very important product because not only do I lead it, I also use it,” she said.

She also understands the emotional side of sending money internationally.

For families separated by borders, the transaction can represent much more than the amount being transferred. It can be a way of caring for parents, helping relatives through difficult moments or remaining connected to the people and places left behind.

Mounger described the service as one way of creating a bridge between customers and their families.

Security and trust

Convenience is only part of the equation.

Mounger also emphasized the importance of trust and security when sending money internationally.

She acknowledged that sending money abroad can sometimes create anxiety, especially when customers are moving money they worked hard to earn.

Wells Fargo says ExpressSend uses encrypted sessions and security features already built into the Wells Fargo Mobile app to help protect customer account information.

Mounger also offered several reminders for consumers.

Know who you are sending money to. Carefully review recipient names, account information and other details before completing a transfer. Never share banking usernames or passwords with another person.

Once money is sent, she noted, correcting an error can be difficult.

Her point was straightforward: technology can make sending money easier, but customers still have an important role in protecting themselves.

A career connected to immigrant communities

Mounger’s path to leading Wells Fargo’s remittance business reflects years of experience in payments and financial services.

She has more than 15 years of experience in payments and product management, including work leading complex business transformations and customer-focused product development.

Before joining Wells Fargo, Mounger worked at Welcome Tech, where she focused on payments and financial services for immigrant communities.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

When asked about the experiences that helped shape her career, Mounger pointed to two things: hard work and networking.

“Those are the most important things,” she said.

She also spoke about perseverance and the importance of continuing to work toward opportunities.

That journey eventually brought her to a role where her professional responsibilities intersect closely with her own experience.

“I have the blessing of ending up here with this product that is so close to my heart,” she said.

For Mounger, that connection comes from understanding people who, like her, built lives in the United States while maintaining close ties to family elsewhere.

“My entire family is in Mexico,” she said. “How do we help them? How do we provide solutions for all of us to help our parents, our families that are out there?”

Innovation with a purpose

Wells Fargo launched ExpressSend Mobile nationwide in 2026, bringing the service directly into its mobile banking platform.

The company says customers can send money to bank accounts or eligible cash pickup locations, track transfers, manage recipients and receive alerts through the app.

For Mounger, however, the technology itself is only one part of the story.

The larger goal is giving customers a secure and convenient way to support people they care about.

For someone who has lived that experience personally, the work carries a different kind of meaning.

She is not simply helping modernize a financial product.

She is helping make it easier for people to send something home.

EDITOR NOTES 

We  spoke with Daniela Mounger during AVANCE Global in Las Vegas, where HL Media Network was conducting a series of conversations with business, financial services and real estate leaders.

Mounger discussed the nationwide mobile launch of Wells Fargo ExpressSend®, the evolution of the service and her personal connection to helping families send money across borders.

Product details referenced in this article were supplemented by information provided by Wells Fargo regarding the 2026 nationwide launch of ExpressSend Mobile.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

 

Michelle Juarez- Perry | Leadership, Homeownership and Building a Legacy

Michelle Juarez- Perry | Leadership, Homeownership and Building a Legacy

Sep 17, 2026 | Business, Women and Leadership

HL INSIGHTS

Michelle Juarez- Perry | Leadership, Homeownership and Building a Legacy

A Hispanic Heritage Month Story

Photos and article by
Richard Sandoval

or NHORA National President Michelle Perry, leadership, homeownership and community are personal. As a first-generation homeowner and longtime real estate professional, she understands how owning a home can change the trajectory of a family.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, we often celebrate the accomplishments of individuals who are making an impact in their professions and communities. Sometimes, the more interesting story is understanding what motivates them to lead. For Michelle Perry, that story begins with home.

Perry is the 2026 National President of the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Associates (NHORA) and a full-time Realtor who has worked in Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County and San Benito County for more than 26 years.

Long before becoming a leader of a national real estate organization, however, Perry experienced something that continues to influence how she views her profession and community service.

She became a first-generation homeowner.

“I know what that trajectory is in life, and I know how it’s changed my family,” Perry told HL Media Network during NHORA’s 2026 National Conference in San Jose.

She became a homeowner before entering the real estate profession.

“So it’s something big for me,” she said. “I know what it means.”

Watch our conversation with NHORA National President Michelle Perry 

Discovering NHORA

Our introduction to NHORA went beyond attending its national conference.

The day before the conference, HL Media Network was invited to join NHORA leaders for a chapter retreat at Hayes Mansion in San Jose.

It provided an opportunity to observe the organization from the inside — chapter leaders gathering to discuss leadership, communication, professional development and the direction of the organization.

One word came up repeatedly: family.

The following day, as real estate professionals, lenders, affiliates and industry leaders arrived for the national conference, it became easier to understand what they meant.

There was an obvious professional purpose to the gathering. But there was also familiarity among the members and a sense that relationships between chapters mattered.

For those unfamiliar with NHORA, as we were before spending time with the organization, its work extends beyond professional networking.

The organization promotes sustainable homeownership while developing leadership within the real estate industry and encouraging its members to serve as trusted advisors within Hispanic communities. Its work also includes financial literacy, consumer education and community involvement.

Perry became involved with NHORA approximately six years ago.

“I knew what they were doing in the community,” she said.

That connection between profession and community appealed to her.

“This organization gives back to the community,” Perry explained. “In every aspect, not just in real estate, not just in education, but actually giving to people that are in need.”

Leadership Starts With Communication

When Perry became National President earlier this year, one of her priorities was strengthening NHORA from within.

Her focus has been on the chapters and, particularly, developing the professionalism and leadership skills of the people running them.

“They’re the ones that are really serving the community,” she said.

For Perry, effective leadership starts with something basic.

Communication.

“The number one thing for me, when you talk about leadership, is communication,” she said. “It’s really important that we establish what our priorities are, and how we communicate them.”

That meant investing in leadership training and making sure chapter leaders understood not only the organization’s priorities, but where NHORA wanted to go next.

The result, Perry believes, has brought the organization closer together.

“We know what our purpose is. We know what the vision is, and we know what the next step is, because we are being strategic about how we move forward.”

More Than a Real Estate Transaction

Perry’s perspective on homeownership is particularly relevant to the work NHORA is doing.

Real estate professionals spend their careers around transactions.

Buyers. Sellers. Financing. Properties. Contracts.

But Perry remembers the experience from the other side of the table.

She remembers becoming a homeowner before she became a Realtor.

That distinction matters.

For a first-generation homeowner, purchasing a house can represent something much larger than acquiring property. It can change how a family thinks about stability, opportunity and its financial future.

Perry lived that experience herself.

Today, she wants NHORA professionals to help others understand the homebuying process and the possibilities that can come with it.

She also sees the organization’s responsibility extending beyond homeownership education.

Perry talks about building wealth and leaving a legacy.

That means creating relationships with people and organizations capable of providing knowledge and resources within the communities NHORA serves.

It also means showing up in other ways.

Perry points to activities such as backpack drives, scholarships, nonprofit support and educational programs as examples of how local chapters can become part of their communities.

The objective is for NHORA members to become people their communities know and trust whether someone is trying to understand the homebuying process or simply looking for information and resources.

Building a Legacy

That brings Perry to what comes next.

She envisions NHORA continuing to expand into additional communities and states while maintaining the local relationships that have helped define the organization.

“We want it to expand into communities where they know that we are the trusted advisor,” she said.

Partnerships will be an important part of that expansion.

This year, NHORA introduced what Perry describes as its Legacy Partnership, creating deeper relationships with organizations supporting its mission. NHORA’s current national partnership structure includes Legacy, Impact, Community and Supporting Partner levels, with its Legacy Partners positioned for long-term participation in the organization.

But when Perry discusses those relationships, she doesn’t speak about them simply as sponsors.

“They’re part of our family now,” she said.

It reflects the same theme we heard during the leadership retreat the previous day.

For Perry, growth is ultimately about collaboration.

“That’s how we move forward,” she said. “It’s with collaboration, partnerships, and building futures for more than just ourselves, for giving back to our communities.”

A Story Worth Continuing

Our conversation with Michelle Perry was one of several we captured during our time with NHORA in San Jose.

We arrived wanting to learn more about an organization that was relatively new to us. We left with a better understanding of its leadership, its chapters and the people working within real estate and financial services to address homeownership and economic opportunity in their communities.

There are more of those stories to share.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, however, Michelle Perry provides a fitting place to begin.

She is a real estate professional who remembers what it felt like to become a first-generation homeowner.

A national president who believes leadership begins with communication.

And a Latina leader whose definition of success extends beyond what she can build for herself to what she and others can help build for the people who come next.

That is where leadership becomes legacy.

Learn more about the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Associates at NHORA.org.

EDITOR NOTES 

HL Media Network was invited to attend the 2026 NHORA National Conference in San Jose, California, including a leadership retreat held the day before the conference. It was our first opportunity to spend meaningful time with the organization, its national leadership and representatives from several of its chapters.

What began as an introduction quickly became an opportunity to listen, learn and document. During our time in San Jose, we conducted several interviews exploring leadership, homeownership, financial education, community service and the work being done by professionals serving their communities.

Our conversation with NHORA National President Michelle Perry is the first of several stories we look forward to sharing from that experience.

 

Valeria Esparza-Chavez | Remembering the Sacrifices That Created Opportunity

Valeria Esparza-Chavez | Remembering the Sacrifices That Created Opportunity

Sep 16, 2026 | Culture and Influence, Women and Leadership

HL INSIGHTS

Valeria Esparza-Chavez | Remembering the Sacrifices That Created Opportunity

A Hispanic Heritage Month Story

Photos and article by
Richard Sandoval

or Valeria Esparza-Chavez, Hispanic Heritage Month is personal.

As Vice President and Customer Growth Segments Lead at Wells Fargo, Esparza-Chavez spends much of her professional life focused on expanding economic opportunities for Latino families through homeownership, entrepreneurship, investing and financial education.

But when HL Media Network asked her to share her thoughts about Hispanic Heritage Month, her answer began somewhere much closer to home.

“This month is very personal for me,” Esparza-Chavez said. “As a daughter of immigrants, a first-generation American, first in my family to ever go to college, this is a month about remembering all of the sacrifices that our parents, that our grandparents did for us.”

Watch our conversation with Valeria Esparza-Chavez as she shares what Hispanic Heritage Month means to her. 

Remembering the Sacrifices

For Esparza-Chavez, those sacrifices can be measured in opportunities.

She remembers becoming the first person in her family to work in a corporate environment and the first to have access to benefits that can easily be taken for granted once they become part of everyday life.

“I am filled with gratitude for the opportunities that my parents gave me,” she said.

Today, she sees another generation moving forward.

Esparza-Chavez spoke about watching her own children, nieces and nephews pursue their education and consider opportunities including college and medical school that reflect how much has changed within one family.

It is a perspective that transforms Hispanic Heritage Month from simply looking back at where we came from into considering what comes next.

Creating Opportunity for the Next Generation

That idea also carries into Esparza-Chavez’s professional work.

During our conversation at NAHREP at AVANCE Global in Las Vegas, she spoke about the growing economic influence of the U.S. Latino community and the importance of creating greater access to homeownership, entrepreneurship, financial education and investing.

“We know that Latinos are driving the American economy,” she said.

For Esparza-Chavez, however, the larger economic conversation ultimately comes back to people, families and opportunity.

“As we reflect on our family members, on our parents and grandparents during this Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s think about what we can do for future generations,” she said.

Her message is rooted in gratitude, but it also carries a sense of responsibility.

Previous generations made sacrifices to create opportunities they might never have experienced themselves. The opportunity now is to build upon what they started and consider what we can make possible for those who follow.

Hispanic Wealth Project

Valeria was featured on the platform HispanicWealthProject.org read her story Valeria’s Journey: From El Paso to the C-SuiteFrom First-Gen Dreamer to Seven-Figure Investor: How Valeria Esparza-Chavez Turns Homeownership into Legacy @  https://hispanicwealthproject.org/hispanic-wealth-profiles/valeria-esparza-chavez-homeownership

This conversation was recorded by HL Media Network during NAHREP at AVANCE Global, held September 14–16, 2026, in Las Vegas

EDITOR NOTES 

During NAHREP at AVANCE Global in Las Vegas, HL Media Network had the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and meet new voices along the way. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked several of them to share what this time means to them personally. Valeria Esparza-Chavez begins a series of conversations reflecting on family, sacrifice, opportunity and the experiences that continue to shape our community.

 

Milestone | Patricia Pérez: Setting the Standard

Milestone | Patricia Pérez: Setting the Standard

Aug 14, 2026 | Culture and Influence

HL | Culture and Influence

Milestone | Patricia Pérez: Setting the Standard

HL Media Network congratulates longtime communications executive, community advocate and 2017 Hispanic Lifestyle Latina of Influence Patricia Pérez as she begins a new chapter following nearly four decades with VPE Communications.

Photos and article by
Richard Sandoval

ome moments deserve to be recognized as milestones. Patricia Pérez’s retirement from VPE Communications is one of them.

For nearly four decades, Patricia built a career in public relations and communications connecting major corporations, public agencies and organizations with the U.S. Hispanic market. Just as importantly, she remained actively engaged with the community-based organizations and causes serving many of those same communities.

As Patricia begins her next chapter, we want to say something very simple:
Congratulations on a job well done. You have built a career to be proud of and thank you for your many years of service to our community.

A Career Built on Relationships

My memories of Patricia go back many years.

I remember crossing paths with her at numerous community events over the years. Her name would often appear on the boards of organizations and community-based initiatives, and there would be many more events, meetings and opportunities to watch Patricia and VPE at work.

Her professional career put her in the company of major brands and organizations. VPE’s client history has included organizations such as Disneyland, McDonald’s, AT&T and Farmers Insurance, along with numerous government agencies and community organizations.

That professional record speaks for itself.

But when I think about Patricia, some of the things I remember most didn’t happen from a stage or in front of a camera.

I remember the conversations.

Patricia was one of those people with whom you could have a quiet conversation and walk away with a new perspective.

She might share an insight, make a suggestion or point out something you hadn’t considered. These were valuable pieces of information coming from someone with years of experience who was willing to share some of what she had learned along the way.

There was never much fanfare surrounding those moments.

It was simply good advice.

And I appreciated it.

Serving the Market and the Community

Patricia’s career also represents an important chapter in the evolution of communications with the U.S. Hispanic market.

Through VPE, she helped bring stories, information and campaigns to the attention of audiences that historically had often been underserved or overlooked.

That work required more than delivering a message. It required understanding the communities those messages were intended to reach.

Patricia understood that distinction.

She wasn’t simply communicating to the community. She was active in the community.

Throughout her career, she contributed her time, experience and leadership to community-based organizations, civic efforts and causes. That involvement provided a perspective that couldn’t simply be learned by studying demographics or reading a marketing report.

She knew the people. She knew the organizations. She understood the marketplace and she understood the value of relationships.

Pictured among Hispanic Lifestyle’s 2017 Latinas of Influence is
Patricia Perez (is standing in the back row).

Documenting the Journey

For more than three decades, our cameras, microphones and pages have documented the people and organizations influencing our communities.

Patricia and VPE are part of that history.

VPE Communications was recognized through Hispanic Lifestyle’s Business: Surviving to Thriving series, which celebrated businesses demonstrating longevity, adaptability and the ability to grow through changing economic conditions and marketplaces.

In 2017, Hispanic Lifestyle recognized Patricia Pérez as a Latina of Influence, acknowledging her professional accomplishments, leadership and commitment to community.

That year, we also sat down with Patricia for an interview, giving her an opportunity to share some of her experiences and perspective in her own words.

Setting the Standard

There is another part of Patricia’s career worth recognizing.

She demonstrated that it was possible to operate at the highest levels of the communications industry, work with major corporate and institutional clients, and remain genuinely connected to the community.

That matters.

Influence isn’t simply about having access to important rooms. It’s also about what you bring into those rooms, the perspectives you represent and what you do with the opportunities you’ve earned.

Patricia helped set that standard.

Her retirement also represents another measure of professional success:

What she helped build continues.

VPE Communications now enters its next chapter under the leadership of longtime VPE professionals Maricela Cueva and Lorena Alamillo. Their opportunity is to build upon a foundation developed over nearly four decades while defining what comes next for the organization.

We look forward to documenting that journey.

A Milestone Worth Recognizing

We often talk about standing on the shoulders of the people who came before us.

People like Patricia helped create a foundation upon which others can continue to build.

They opened doors. They developed relationships. They demonstrated the importance and economic influence of the U.S. Hispanic market. They gave their time and experience to organizations and communities.

And sometimes, away from the cameras and microphones, they quietly shared what they had learned with someone else who could benefit from their experience.

The responsibility for those who follow isn’t simply to admire what was built.

It is to build upon it.

That’s how influence continues.

That’s how a legacy grows.

And that’s why Patricia Pérez’s retirement deserves to be recognized as a milestone.

Patricia, from all of us at HL Media Network, congratulations on a job well done.

Thank you for your service to our community, for the conversations and insights shared along the way, and for helping create a foundation upon which others can continue to build.

You have set a standard and built a career to be proud of.

We wish you much happiness and success in whatever comes next.

EDITOR NOTES 

Culture & Influence is about more than documenting what is happening today. It is about preserving the stories of the people who helped create the opportunities we experience today and documenting those who will build upon them tomorrow.

Our history with Patricia Pérez and VPE Communications spans many years. We recognized their accomplishments, recorded their perspectives and watched their influence within the community.

Today, HL Media Network has the privilege of returning to that archive to recognize another milestone.

That is why we document.

Because today’s interview, photograph or conversation eventually becomes part of the record of who we were, who helped shape our communities and how the next generation moved the story forward.

What’s Next for VPE

As VPE Communications begins its next chapter under the leadership of Maricela Cueva and Lorena Alamillo, HL Media Network looks forward to continuing the conversation. In an upcoming Culture & Influence feature, we’ll introduce VPE’s new leadership and explore their vision for building upon the organization’s legacy and what’s next.

Video interview with VPE posted in 2014