New America Alliance honors Hector and Norma Orcí.

Hector and Norma Orcí, Co-founders of La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados, have been selected by the New America Alliance (NAA) to receive The H. Frank Dominguez Philanthropists of the Year Award. The couple is being honored for their extensive work towards the advancement of the American Latino community, which includes their work with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Camino Nuevo Charter Schools and the New Roads Charter School.

Hector and Norma Orcí have helped pioneer the growth and recognition of the U.S. Hispanic marketing industry while helping increase sales and profits for several Fortune 500 companies. In the past Hector and Norma have been recipients of The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award, the American Advertising Federation Diversity Achievement Award and have both been inducted into the Se Habla Español Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors awarded by the U.S. Hispanic advertising industry.

“We’ve always drawn inspiration for our commercial work from the community we serve. Hector and Norma lead with a Share of Heart philosophy that brings front and center an emotional connection with Latino consumers,” says La Agencia de Orcí, CEO & President, Dilys Tosteson Garcia. “That connection finds its best expression in the community work that Hector and Norma have long advocated and that NAA is celebrating with this prestigious award.”

In 2001, Norma and Hector’s company created the Share-of-Heart Partnership. La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados partnered with the USC Mexican-American Alumni Association (MAAA) Scholarship Committee, to award 15 outstanding students with $1,500 scholarships towards their studies. The scholarship recipients were chosen for their contributions to the community and their academic achievement.

For the past 17 years, Hector, Norma and their colleagues at La Agencia have taught “Marketing and Advertising Effectively to the Latino Consumer” for the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Extension Program.

As Chairman and Co-founder of La Agencia de Orcí & Asociados, Hector Orcí is one of the nation’s most recognized authorities on Hispanic marketing today. In 1997, Mr. Orcí was instrumental in forming the Hispanic marketing industry’s first and most influential trade organization, the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, and was elected its founding president. He now serves as a lifetime board member. Committed to serving both Hispanic community and marketing industry organizations, Mr. Orcí serves on the boards of the American Advertising Federation, the Advertising Educational Foundation, the Business Practices Review Committee, Hispanic Radio Network, Camino Nuevo Charter Schools, Children’s Bureau of Southern California, New Roads School, and the New American Alliance.

Most recently, Norma accepted a seat on the board of directors of Promerica Bank. Promerica Bank was formed to serve the Los Angeles small business community and ultimately to become the leading financial services provider for Latino entrepreneurs.

Before retirement in 2005, Norma Orcí led La Agencia de Orcí as its Chief Creative Officer. Norma currently serves on numerous boards including the Latino Scholarship Achievement Corporation (LSAC), New America Alliance, and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). She is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities around the country including The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); AHAA (Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies) National Conferences; Latin Business Association (LBA); National Hispanic Corporate Council Institute; University of New Mexico; Children’s Bureau of Southern California; United Way of Greater Los Angeles; and the Los Angeles Unified School District board meetings.

The H. Frank Dominguez Philanthropists Of the Year Award is named after H. Frank Dominguez, founder of the Vanir Group of Companies, Inc., who was a founding member of the NAA and who advocated philanthropy and American Latino power.

NAA programs focus on increasing the access to capital markets and financing for Latino businesses, and on promoting the participation of and influence of American Latinos on this nation’s corporate boards, as well as expanding the participation and influence of American Latinos in federal and state financial institutions and investing in the higher education of American Latinos in the fields of business and finance.