WASHINGTON, June 06, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC) celebrated its annual Gala: Honoring Hispanic Businesses in Construction on June 3rd at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC. This year the GWHCC recognized five individuals in the construction sector who have excelled in various categories and celebrated its 40th anniversary.
“What was originally named the Ibero-American Chamber of Commerce is now the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. After 40 years, we can say that the Chamber is an Institution,” said Alfredo Casta, GWHCC Board Chairman and President of Cascades Technologies. “It has been a successful few years for the Chamber and we will continue to build on this success by continuing to support our businesses in the DC metro region.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser provided opening remarks where she focused on the substantial amount of upcoming procurement opportunities in the construction sector that will help the city get to its 800,000 population in 20 years. The event’s keynote speaker was David Velazquez, President of Pepco Holdings. During his remarks, he announced a new $75,000 scholarship program to help college students in the region over the next three years and offer internships at the company to get them trained to hopefully get them a permanent position at Pepco.
The five individuals who were recognized were: The Hispanic Leader in Construction: Pedro Alfonso, Dynamic Concepts, Inc.; The Hispanic Leader in Architecture: Salo Levinas, Shinberg Levinas; The Rising Star: Rosa Mojica, MAR Construction LLC; The Innovator: Jose Ortiz, Allstate Floors; and Lifetime Achievement: Alberto Gomez, Prince Construction Company Inc.
The Gala Chairs were Edwin Villegas, President & CEO of Winmar Construction Inc. and Carlos Perdomo, President & CEO of Keystone Plus Construction Corporation.
“Congratulations to all of the honorees!” said Carlos Perdomo, Gala Chair and President of Keystone Plus Construction. “They are all exceptional role models and the Chamber is very proud that our Hispanic business community is so well represented in the construction sector. Our honorees have not only claimed their own place at the table of opportunity, but are helping to open the door for the next generation. Leadership by example will continue to elevate our community."
“As a fellow Hispanic business owner in Construction, it’s a true pleasure to celebrate this year’s honorees for their dedication and commitment to advancing the fine representation of Hispanic businesses in our industry,” said Edwin Villegas, Gala Chair and President of Winmar Construction. “It’s an honor to work alongside such inspiring business and community leaders and we truly thank the GWHCC for their hard work in keeping our purpose alive!”
According to the US Census Bureau, Hispanic-owned businesses in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area have doubled since 2007 to almost 66,000. One of the largest sectors among Hispanic-owned businesses is construction with almost 18,000 companies.
For more information about the 40th Annual Gala and to get your tickets visit: gwhcc.org/gala.
This Gala Sponsors for this year are: Platinum: Pepco Holdings; Gold: Events DC; Silver: Verizon, Winmar, Keystone Plus Construction Corp, DC Health Link, Bank of America, Cascades Technologies, Walmart, WAMU; Media: Telemundo; Sign: Gelberg Signs; Bronze: Giant, Accenture, PNC Bank, Dixon Hughes Goodman, CareFirst, M&T, Building Hope, United Airlines, SunTrust, Dynamic Concepts Inc, Toyota, Eagle Bank, CSA Group, BB&T, MicroTech, Children's National Medical Center, Bizlaunch, Roubin & Janeiro; Video: Wexler Consulting
About the GWHCC
GWHCC is a membership-driven organization that supports the economic development of the Washington metropolitan area by facilitating the success of Hispanic and other minority-owned businesses through networking, advocacy and education. The Chamber was founded in 1976 and is a 501(C) 6 organization. For additional information visit our website www.gwhcc.org.