AHAA 2002 – 2003 Board.

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) announced its new board of directors at AHAA’s recent conference in Washington, DC. Ingrid Otero-Smart, president/COO of Mendoza-Dillon & Associados, will lead the fast-growing organization as president and Aida Levitan, chair Publicis Sánchez & Levitan, will serve as president-elect for this year and president for 2003-2004.

Elected to the executive committee of the Board are:

President – Ingrid Otero Smart, president & COO, Mendoza-Dillon & Asociados (Newport Beach, Calif)

President-elect – Aida Levitan, chair Publicis Sánchez & Levitan (Miami)

Immediate Past-President and Parliamentarian – Horacio Gomes, president & CEO, HeadQuarters Advertising (San Francisco)

Treasurer – Alex López Negrete, president and CEO, López Negrete Communications, Inc. (Houston)

Secretary – Ray Arvizu, president and CEO, Arvizu Advertising & Promotions (Phoenix)

In her inaugural speech as president of AHAA, Otero-Smart said, “We need to help corporate America understand the vast rewards that come when reaching the Hispanic market. Our members must help corporations understand the market so they can build their profits and grow their future to epidemic proportions.”

Elected to the Board for the first time:

Manuel Machado, president & COO, BVK/Meka (Miami)

Alex López Negrete, president & CEO, López Negrete Communications, Inc. (Houston)

Re-elected to the board are:

Ray Arvizu, president & CEO, Arvizu Advertising & Promotions, Inc. (Phoenix)

Tony Dieste, president, Dieste Harmel & Partners (Dallas)

Dolores A. Kunda, vice president, Lápiz – Integrated Hispanic Marketing, a division of Leo Burnett (Chicago)

Rochelle Newman-Carrasco, principal & CEO, Enlace Communications, Inc. (Los Angeles)

Joe Zubizarreta, executive vice president, Zubi Advertising (Miami)

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (www.ahaa.org) is the national organization of firms that specialize in marketing to the nation’s 40 million Hispanic consumers, the most rapidly growing segment of the American population. AHAA promotes the strength of the Hispanic marketing and advertising industry to the private and public sectors.

AHAA agencies offer a unique blend of cultural understanding, market intelligence, proven experience and professionalism that deliver Hispanic market success for clients. AHAA helps organizations gain market share, increase revenue and grow profits by building the bridges and delivering the messages to reach America’s Hispanic consumers, who together have an estimated buying power of $630 billion.