LATINO LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY 100 Jersey Ave. | B104 - Box 15 | New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 Telephone: 732.249.0400 - Fax: 732.249.0206 www.llanj.org

ADVOCACY | LEADERSHIP | EMPOWERMENT

LLANJ Mission & Vision

Ten years ago four hundred Latino leaders from diverse organizations across the State of

New Jersey convened a conference that concluded in the creation of the Latino Leadership

Alliance of New Jersey (LLANJ). The mission of LLANJ is:

To mobilize and empower Latino communities to obtain political, economic, and

social equity and;

To unify organizations and individuals in advocating for the rights of Latinos

throughout the state of New Jersey.

To carry out the mission, a Board of Delegates was elected and various working committees

were formed. Our vision statement is a product of the work of the committees and the

deliberations of the Board of Delegates. “The Vision” describes New Jersey as it ought to

be. LLANJ presents it as a challenge to public and private leaders to have a State that can

lead the nation in carrying out an inclusive strategy that empowers all residents to attain a

superior quality of life.

The LLANJ Vision Embraces a Latino Horizon which enriches all of New Jersey’s citizens

through the following principles:

OPPORTUNITIES OPEN TO ALL

WE EDUCATE EVERY CHILD

IMMIGRANTS ARE A CORNERSTONE

HEALTH DISPARITIES ARE ELIMINATED

DISCRIMINATION IS ROOTED OUT

The Vision is a challenge to New Jersey’s leaders in both the private and public sectors.

Those who aspire to leadership in our state must unite all peoples if this Vision is to become

reality.

LLANJ wants to work with all those possessing the will to accomplish the immense task at

hand. We look forward to dialogue and analysis with others to perfect this vision, and to put

into motion the forces that will bring it about.

LATINO LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY 100 Jersey Ave. | B104 - Box 15 | New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 Telephone: 732.249.0400 - Fax: 732.249.0206 www.llanj.org

ADVOCACY | LEADERSHIP | EMPOWERMENT

LLANJ Accomplishment Highlights

Since its creation LLANJ has stayed in the forefront of advocacy for the Latino community on

issues such as voting rights, education, immigration, health, and economic development. LLANJ

has been so effective in its advocacy role that it is recognized as a significant and important

advocate for Latino issues in New Jersey. The following accomplishments among others highlight

LLANJ’s work over the past ten years:

Established the Latino Leadership Alliance Foundation (LLAF) and a Political Action

Committee (LLA PAC) to extend our effectiveness.

Created an alliance consisting of most of the major Latino New Jersey Associations and

service providers and mobilized Latino leadership to develop an advocacy network working on

behalf of undocumented workers.

Established working relationships with government officials and private sector leaders.

Organized a Statewide Latino Parent Conference attended by over 220 Latino Parents that

provided advocacy and leadership training to Latino Parents.

Supported and assisted qualified Latino individuals to win elected office and get appointed to

major boards and commissions.

Established nine county chapters to develop and implement local community empowerment

agenda.

Hosted three biannual LLANJ Delegate Assemblies to elect the LLANJ Board of Delegates

and establish organizational priorities.

Formed a public/private partnership with the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey, and the New

Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to host a Latino Diabetes Summit on March

19, 2008 that was attended by over 400 Healthcare professionals, public officials and Latino

community leaders.

Established a fully equipped statewide headquarters office and community hub at 100

Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ.

Created technology advances to network with partners and community including a website at

www.llanj.org and www.latinoleadershipalliance.com

LATINO LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY 100 Jersey Ave. | B104 - Box 15 | New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 Telephone: 732.249.0400 - Fax: 732.249.0206 www.llanj.org

ADVOCACY | LEADERSHIP | EMPOWERMENT

Brief History of LLANJ

On October 16th and 17th of 1999 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, 400

dedicated Latino leaders from throughout New Jersey gathered together to create a

new organization designed to guide our Latino communities to develop stat ewide

initiatives for the benefit of all. This was, and continues to be a dynamic group of

mature Latino professionals and emerging leaders, who work together to bind mutual

strengths while setting aside individual differences to obtain the goal of creatin g an

organization which reflects our true nature, an Alliance of Latino leaders .

We committed ourselves to the difficult and complex task of bringing together

representatives from disparate national origin groups (Puerto Ricans, Cubans,

Mexicans, Dominicans, Central and South Americans and others). We also sought out

organizations serving the Latino community and dedicated to various issues such as

social services, commerce, immigration, labor, health, arts, education, law and

politics. This alliance for the greater good of the community necessitated a non-

partisan approach and fair geographic representation to ensure that no specific

community was disenfranchised. We decided to directly confront the barriers and

concerns that have long existed in the Latino community, uncertainties that isolate us

from each other and may foster weakness, despair and inertia in our community. We

knew that the only way to eliminate those barriers was to mobilize the aggregate

talents of as many individuals as possible through a democratic process of

representation. The goal was to create a “single voice” for the Latino community that,

in the past, was not able to speak with one voice.

Dr. Hilda Hidalgo, the keynote speaker of the founding conference, summarized the

challenge for us with the following words:

“You are here to give birth to an entity that will mobilize our

communities as one powerful voice, a masterpiece capable of

growing, enduring and meeting the needs of all the members of our

diverse Latino communities.”

Today, we are proud to report that the “masterpiece entity”, as Dr. Hidalgo called it,

born in 1999, is alive and thriving in 2009. It has grown and flourished and is the

powerful voice for Latinos today. While we still have much to do in developing

greater strength and capacity, LLANJ stands as the strongest Latino organization in

our great State.

LATINO LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY 100 Jersey Ave. | B104 - Box 15 | New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 Telephone: 732.249.0400 - Fax: 732.249.0206 www.llanj.org

ADVOCACY | LEADERSHIP | EMPOWERMENT

LLANJ Board of Delegates

Martín Pérez, Esq. José Pérez Alberto Antón Ana ‘Cuqui’ Rivera Frank Argote-Freyre, PhD

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Press Director

Angel Cordero

Director - Camden County Chapter

Aritmedes Restituyo, M.D.

Asociación Comunitaria Dominico-Americana

de Perth Amboy

Arquelio Fratacelli

Cid Wilson

Daniel Jara

Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of NJ

Daniel Santo Pietro

Hispanic Directors Association of NJ

Elisa Charters

Emiliano Lemos

Director - Morris County Chapter

Félix Flores

Chair – LLANJ Labor Committee

Francisco Marin

Director - Bergen County Chapter

Hansel Aguilar

Rutgers Latino Student Council

Héctor Ramón Villafañe

Hector Ramos

National Latino Peace Officers Association-NJ Chapter

Isabel Nazario

Chair – LLANJ Cultural Committee

Javier Robles

José Laureano

José Martínez

Juan García

Port Authority Hispanic Police Association

Luis Díaz, Esq.

United States Hispanic Advocacy Association (USHAA)

Luis Vargas

Co-Chair – LLANJ Education Committee

Margarita Cancel Director - Salem County Chapter

María ‘Charo’ Juega

Co-Chair – LLANJ Immigration Committee

María Teresa Feliciano

Nelson Carrasquillo

The Farmworkers Support Committee (CATA)

Noel Christmas

Utility Workers Union of America - Local # 601

Norberto Curitomai

Peruvian American Political Action Committee

Patricia Bombelyn, Esq.

Co-Chair – LLANJ Education Committee

Rev. Johnny Escobar Carrasquillo

Director - Essex County Chapter

Rev. Miguel Rivera

CONLAMIC

Rey Pierantoni

ACLU-NJ

Reyes Ortega

Perth Amboy Merchants Association

Roberto Rodriguez

Romi Herrera

Sammy Arroyo

Professional Latino Fire Fighters of Central NJ

Víctor Coronado

Director - Middlesex County Chapter

William Ayala

Latino Leadership Alliance Organizations

Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey

501 (C) 4 Organization

Latino Leadership Alliance

Foundation

501 (c) 3 Organization

Latino Leadership Alliance

Political Action Committee

1

A Statewide Conference for Latino Parents and

Community Leaders to Discuss the Education Crisis

Facing Latino Children in New Jersey

For further information, please contact Jose Perez at (732) 249-0400 or visit www. latinoleadershipalliance.com

Sponsored by the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey

Diabetes Care:Prevention and Treatment in New Jersey’s Latino Community

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 | Start Time: 8:30 a.m. Rutgers University Busch Campus Center | Piscataway, New Jersey

• This summit will take a critical look at the diabetes issues affecting New Jersey’s Latino Community

• Continuing education credits will be offered for the medical professional community

• Nationally renowned speakers include: — Dr. Richard Carmona, Surgeon General of the United States – 2002 to 2006 — Dr. Enrique Caballero, Director of the Latino Diabetes Initiative, Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School

• Registration details to follow

SAVE THE DATE!

For further information, visit www.hinj.org

FAMILIES UNITED Community Gathering on Immigration

Special Guests

Senator Robert (Bob) Menendez Congressman Albio Sires

Congressman Luis Gutierrez

If you are a United States Citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident who fears that a family member, friend or loved one may be at risk of deportation,

LLANJ and CONLAMIC invites YOU to attend a community gathering to share your story on how the deportation of a loved one could tear your family apart.

For more information: LLANJ at (732) 249 0400 or CONLAMIC at (201) 637-9913 via email at events@llanj.org

Co-sponsored by :

Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 10:00 A.M.

Iglesia Jesucristo Es El Señor 201-223 Spring Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202

NJIPN NJ Immigration Policy Network

IRDC NJ Immigrant Rights Defense Committee of NJ

INVITE YOU TO

C.A.T.A. The Farmworkers Support Committee

The purpose of this gathering is to raise awareness and advocate for new legislation towards comprenhensive immigration reform

The Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey and

The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders

LALDEF Latin American Legal Defense Fund, Inc

Helping Immigrant Community, Inc

NJ State Latin American Association

The Communitarian Media Network Wind of the Spirit New Labor

Peruvian American Political Action Committee of New Jersey US-Peru Chamber of Commerce Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros

HDANJ Hispanic Directors Association of NJ