Tulsa Hispanic leaders honored

The keynote speaker was one of the honorees, and someone who is well known to our readers – Francisco Ibarra, who for many years has headed the Supermercados Morelos grocery chain in Oklahoma. Ibarra told the attendees that Morelos employs over 500 workers, 80% of whom are Hispanic and 68% of whom are women. Ibarra used the occasion to announce that he is stepping down from his executive position at Morelos due to health reasons.

Also honored last week was Edurne Pineda, who serves as the Mexican Consul at that government’s consulate in Oklahoma City. Pineda pointed out the importance of Mexican and Hispanic owned small businesses to the state and national economies, noting that even undocumented workers pay taxes.

In addition to Ibarra and Pineda, this year’s honorees were Jhoanna Astudillo, Jose Bamaca, Gabriella Barrientos, Tomas Barrientos, Carla Brown, Cynthia Jasso Burke, Eddie

Carreno, Patty Contreras, Rita Gallardo, Katilin Garrett, Jesse Guardiola, Elian Hurtado, Olivia Landrum, Onelia Macchia, Mimi Martinez-herrera, Father Leonardo Morales, Betsy Lewallen, Alejandro Munozcano, Jacob Parra, Ivan Patino, Tina Peña, Diana Pennington, Julissa Perez, Lizette Merchan Pinilla, Elise Urueta Pollock, Vic Regalado, Jessica Reyes, Lorena Rivas, Guillermo Rojas, Rodrigo Rojas, Gerardo Romero, Vicente Ruiz, Lorena Salas, Monica Tola, Esteban Torres, Florencia Trejo, Margarita Vega de

Treviño, Dr. Martha Zapata, and Blaca Zavala.

Fred Mendoza, Oklahoma Hispanic Institute Chairman and Founder, personally greeted each honoree.

Event sponsors included Romero’s Auto Center, Homesmart, Rivas & Associates, Equipped Marketing, TTCU, Morelos Supermercados, Telemundo, VR Electric, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Fox 25, Bank of Oklahoma, 918 Maples, University of Tulsa, and the Diocese of Tulsa. (La Semana)