OKC’s Hispanic leadership depth seen in Top 40 awards

Last Updated on September 29, 2023, 10:47 AM | Published: September 25, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — A new organization — The Oklahoma Hispanic Institute — joined Okla City Community College to name Oklahoma’s Top 40 Hispanic leaders in the inaugural year of the awards.

Each of those named were given engraved award trophies in a ceremony on the campus of OCCC with music by the renowned Mariachi Orgullo de América.

Catholic Archbishop Paul S. Cokely over the Oklahoma City Archdiocese was in attendance and gave the blessing over the event.

Governor Kevin Stitt came and spoke to the group about how important they were to the economy and also the life of the state as a whole.

But, for anyone who has paid even casual attention to Hispanic leadership in the metro, the list of honorees would be quickly recognized as a who’s-who of long-term and new Latino leaders mostly in Oklahoma City.

Hispanic leadership in South OKC

One of those leaders was Daniel Garcia, who has been working in the financial industry for 25 years, 20 of whom were for True Sky Federal Credit Union, one of our sponsors, and its predecessor, FAA Credit Union.

Garcia spent much of those 20 years at the Capitol Hill Branch helping locals to leverage their financial strength and ingenuity toward further success.

As a community financial leader, Garcia has been involved in the long-term project of gathering federal grants through the City of Oklahoma City to finally build a plaza near the historic Calle dos Cinco which is still a hub of Hispanic culture in the metro.

Dream of a plaza in OKC Calle Dos Cinco district becoming reality

Free Press briefly spoke to Garcia before the ceremony started about the growing Hispanic presence and prominence in Oklahoma City.

“So the Capitol Hill District certainly has a long, rich history in our state,” said Garcia. “And, you know, the population has changed and become very diverse over the over the decades. The Hispanic population today is nearly 500,000, in the state of Oklahoma. The Hispanic community is definitely one of the fastest growing and one of the greatest contributors to our, to our community.”

Garcia takes pride in the longevity of True Sky as an institution among Latinos and now many other cultures in the OKC metro.

“in 2003, true Skye was the first credit union to intentionally move into a neighborhood to serve an underserved population in South Oklahoma City,” establishing their Capitol Hill branch at 38th and S. Western, said Garcia.

After many years as the manager at that branch, True Sky has named Garcia as its Senior Director of Multicultural Strategy. “What that means, essentially, is that the work that we’ve done in the Hispanic community, we want to broaden that scope and do that throughout our very diverse Metro,” Garcia said.

2023 Top 40 Hispanic Leaders

The following list of those receiving the awards was provided to Free Press by the organizers of the event:

1. Estela Hernandez: Field Rep. for U.S. Senator James Lankford; Former Member State Board of Education
2. Miguel Garcia: Attorney, Garcia Law Firm; Board of Trustees Mt. St. Mary’s High School
3. Ana Garcia: Nurse Practitioner; Member OCCC Board of Regents
4. Lucy Torres Fusselman: Make A Wish Foundation; Board Member OK Arts Council
5. Chris Fusselman: Vice President Marketing, Tyler Media; Board Member Latino Community Development Agency
6. Deanna Cardenas: Realtor, Board Member Oklahoma Arts Council
7. Joe Cardenas, P.E.: Engineer SRB; Member Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers; Board Chairman, Cristo Rey Charter School
8. Robert Ruiz: Exec. Dir. Of External Affairs/ Chief Technology and Information Officer at Oklahoma City Community College
9. David Castillo: President/CEO, Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
10. Judge Heather Mendoza Coyle: Firsts Hispanic elected as Oklahoma County District Judge
11. Senator Michael Brooks: Oklahoma Senate, District 44
12. Senator Jessica Garvin: Oklahoma Senate, District 43
13. Rep. Annie Menz: Member, Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 45
14. Rep. Arturo Alonso Sandoval: Member, Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 89
15. Randy Quiroga King: Publisher and President, El Nacional Spanish Media Group
16. Norma Condreay: Publisher, El Latino American Newspaper
17. Joshua Shultz: Executive Director, Del City Chamber of Commerce
18. Edurne Pineda: Consul, Oklahoma City Mexican Consulate
19. Patricia Fennell: First Hispanic inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame
20. Cecelia Hernandez-Cromwell: News Director/Anchor Tyler Media, Telemundo
21. Cinthya Allen: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Arvest Bank
22. Anthony Garcia: AAMS Financial Advisor at Raymond James OKC; Francis Tuttle Technology Centers, Board of Education
23. Miguel Mireles: Executive Director, Blessed Stanley Rother National Shrine
24. Salvador Ontiveros: President and CEO Latino Community Development Agency
25. Ronald Grant: Senior Director of Business and Finance, Metro Technology Centers
26. Dr. Juanita Ortiz: Vice President for Academic Affairs, Oklahoma City Community College
27. Lemuel Bardeguez: Director, Cultural Programs, Oklahoma City Community College; General Manager, OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center
28. Gloria Torres: Executive Director, Calle Dos Cinco in Historic Capitol Hill
29. Pilar Cipollone: Field Representative for Congressman Frank Lucas
30. Ramon Renteria: Director, Oklahoma State Parks Partnerships and Sales
31. Nancy Galvan: Established Oklahoma City’s first Hispanic Radio Station KZUE “La Tremenda” in 1989
32. Daniel Garcia: Director, Multicultural Strategies for True Sky Credit Union
33. Saidy Orellana: Multicultural Officer, Oklahoma Historical Society
34. Jorge Hernandez: CEO, Tango PR, Public Relations Firm
35. Brenda Hernandez: Co-Founder Tango PR Public Relations Firm; Former Board of Regents at Southern Nazarene University; Chrm. Latino Community Development Corporation.
36. Miriam Campos: Vice President, Community Manager, JP Morgan Chase; Metro Tech Board of Directors
37. Isai Molina: Partner, McAfee Taft Law Firm, Oklahoma’s largest Law Firm
38. Jessica Martinez Brooks: Sr. Director of Strategic Communications MetroTec Centers; City of OKC MAPS Board;
39. Francisco Ibarra: CEO, Supermercados Morelos with 10 stores in OKC, 10 in Tulsa
40. Christianne Haas: Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Kevin Stitt

***********Keynote Speaker: Francisco Ibarra, CEO Supermercados Morelos

List with photos and biographies

Here is the complete list with photos and biographies of all 40 of the award recipients:

OHI-Nominee-8x10s_No-crops

---