21st National Hispanic Women's Conference - Eva Longoria

Phoenix, AZ, September 18, 2006 --(PR.com)-- The Hispanic Women’s Corporation (HWC) is hosting the 21st National Hispanic Women’s Conference on Oct. 12-13, at the Phoenix Convention Center. The two-day conference is the largest gathering of Latinas in the country and will provide leadership and professional development to more than 2,000 participants while raising funds for college scholarships to benefit Latinas. The conference kicks-off Oct. 12 with a Youth Leadership Conference targeting approximately 400 local area school students.

The event will feature a corporate luncheon on Friday, Oct. 13. The luncheon will honor three dynamic Latinas: Eva Longoria, Julie Stav and Maria Marin.

Qwest Communications is sponsoring a special appearance Friday, Oct.13 featuring the guest of honor and the Latina Visionary and Community Empowerment award recipient, actress Eva Longoria, star of the mega hit Desperate Housewives - “I am honored to be part of this important conference that educates and improves the lives of Latinas,” said Longoria. “We are committed to the Hispanic community and are very proud to bring successful Latina Eva Longoria,” said Hector Placencia, director of Hispanic marketing for Qwest.

This year, State Farm Insurance Co., will present the conference honorary luncheon chair and international financial expert Julie Stav (www.JulieStav.com). She is the founder and owner of Retirement Benefit Systems, a financial planning firm, and Julie Stav Inc., an educational communications company. She is also an author, host of a daily radio show and a featured guest on the ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, Univision and Telemundo networks.

Maria Marin (www.mariamarin.com) will receive this year’s Latina Excellence Award for her successful career and contributions to the Hispanic Women’s Corporation. She is considered one of the leading motivational trainers in the world on the subject of “Personal Empowerment” and “The Art of Negotiation.” Marín is a national newspaper columnist, who writes on personal growth topics for women. Her column “Mujer Sin Límite,” (Women Without Limits) is published weekly in the top markets throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

“Latina Power: The Billion Dollar Market” is this year’s conference theme. “It celebrates and recognizes our strong and important financial contributions to society,” said Alexis Parra, conference chairwoman. The conference will highlight influential Latinas who will share their stories of success. There also will be a series of workshops on financial planning, professional development, entrepreneurship, leadership and more.

“The National Hispanic Women’s Conference serves as a source of inspiration, empowerment, and wealth building, both personally and professionally,” said Linda Mazon-Gutierrez, president of the Hispanic Women's Corporation. This year more than 45 scholarships will be awarded to students locally and nationally ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. This year’s scholarship winners will be majoring in business, engineering, nursing, liberal arts, education, medicine and the sciences.

The conference also will host a two-day Latina Art and Cultural Exhibit, an Expo Center, and will present a unique and colorful Dillard’s and Latino Future Fashion Show and Reception on Oct. 13.

Key sponsors for the conference include: APS, Arvizu Advertising & Promotions, Arizona Department of Health Services Office of Tobacco Education and Prevention, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Canyon Ranch Resort, Cox Communications, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and UAW Delphi, La Voz, Maricopa County Community Colleges, Prensa Hispana, Qwest, State Farm Insurance Co., Univision, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Wells Fargo, The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com and 12 News.

The Hispanic Women’s Corporation was founded in 1981 and is a model organization, recognized as a 501 C (3) non-profit corporation known for being a proactive leader in the development of Hispanic women. HWC empowers women through its commitment to the culture by promoting higher education, community involvement, professional advancement and leadership development for the improvement of Latinas’ cultural quality of life. For more information on the HWC, registration or to purchase tickets to the fashion show, please visit www.hispanicwomen.org.

###