Plasencia named NCLR Board Chair.

NCLR (National Council of La Raza) announced that Jorge A. Plasencia, chairman, CEO, and cofounder of Miami-based advertising, digital, and communications company República, has been elected Chair of the NCLR Board of Directors. Plasencia is the first Cuban American and first Floridian to serve as Chair of the NCLR board.

“With the historic election of this dynamic and committed entrepreneur and community leader, the NCLR Board has turned to a new and diverse generation of Hispanic leadership to help steer our organization into the future,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “During his tenure on the Board, Jorge has already helped NCLR immensely in strengthening our ties with the Cuban American community in Florida and nationwide. With his considerable expertise and rich experience in media, marketing, and communications, he has been a tremendous asset in helping to refine and promote the NCLR brand. We look forward to having someone of his background and caliber at the helm of our Board.”

Plasencia joined NCLR’s Board in 2006 and previously served as vice chair.

“I am beyond humbled to have been elected Chair by the NCLR Board,” said Jorge A. Plasencia. “We are living at a historic moment in the history of the U.S. Hispanic community, and I am looking forward to working with Janet, our Board, the staff, Affiliates, and partners as we continue to build bridges that improve opportunities for the more than 50 million Latinos that call our great country home,” added Plasencia.

Plasencia is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Young Presidents’ Organization. He is a founding board member and serves on the advisory council of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, is chair of the Cuban American National Council, and serves on the board of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies and the Miami Dade College Foundation, among others. In 1991, he cofounded Amigos For Kids, a Miami-based nonprofit organization for underprivileged children and families and an NCLR Affiliate, and his work there earned him the March of Dimes “Humanitarian of the Year” award. Just last week, he was named the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® in the Florida Emerging Business category.

In addition to Plasencia, the members of the Board of Directors’ Executive Committee are:

· Renata Soto, Vice Chair, Nashville, Tenn.

· Dr. Juan J. Sánchez, Secretary, Austin, Texas

· Beatriz Olvera-Stotzer, Treasurer, Los Angeles, Calif.

· Daniel R. Ortega, Jr., Immediate Past Chair, Phoenix, Ariz.

· Janet Murguía, President and CEO, District of Columbia

Members at Large

· Fred Fernandez, Johns Creek, Ga.

· James Padilla, Sarasota, Fla.

· Nilda Ruiz, Philadelphia, Pa.

· Cid Wilson, Leonia, N.J.

The NCLR Board also welcomed several new members including Giselle Fernandez, President, Skinny Hippo Productions, Los Angeles, Calif.; M. Lorena González, Attorney at Law, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, Seattle, Wash.; Maria S. Salinas, President and Founder, Salinas Consulting LLC, Los Angeles, Calif.; Gary B. Stone, CEO, Strategic Thinking One on One, Houston, Texas; and Dr. Christine Swanson Cannon, Arsht-Cannon Fund, Newark, Del.