Awards & Recognition

Recognizing community volunteers, leaders, and organizations advancing inclusive Latino leadership, representation, and culture in associations, workplaces, and communities.

Association Latinos Awards Program

Association Latinos is committed to elevating Latino association professionals through its awards program. This program is designed to recognize and celebrate exceptional individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to their respective associations, the broader association profession, and the community.

Review the award eligibility, schedule, nomination process, application process, resources, and FAQs.

View the Sala de Honor of past recipients.


Inspira Award

The Inspira Award provides recognition to an early-career association professional who – in the context of the Association Latinos mission – has demonstrated high potential for continued success thanks to their strong passion for and commitment to their association and the association profession overall.

Estrella Award

The Estrella Award is presented to an association executive that has had a profound impact on the development and progression of their association and the association profession overall, in the context of the Association Latinos mission.

Alianza Award

The Alianza Award is presented to an organization (association, association management company, non-profit, vendor*) that has contributed toward more inclusive Latino leadership, representation, and culture in the workplace, community, and/or organization.

NEW! Impacto Award

The Impacto Award is a new recognition presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing Latino leadership, representation, and cultural visibility within their workplace, community, or professional organization.

This award honors an individual who has played a pivotal role in elevating the presence, voice, and influence of the Latino community, particularly within associations, association management companies, non-profits, or vendors. Whether through mentorship, advocacy, programming, or community outreach, their work has helped shine a light on Latino contributions and experiences.

Awards Eligibility

All Awards

  • Members of the Association Latinos (AL) Board, the AL Awards & Recognition Committee, awards judges, and past recipients of this award are not eligible to be nominated.

  • Members of the AL Board, the AL Awards & Recognition Committee and awards judges are not eligible to nominate or endorse others.

  • Self-nominations are accepted for these awards.

Inspira Award

  • Sustained and continuous positive contributions of 3-5 years.

  • Experience must be current and within an association, a non-profit organization, or an association management company.

  • 3-5 years of experience need not all be with the same association, non-profit organization, or association management company.

Estrella Award

  • Sustained and continuous positive leadership of more than 5 years.

  • Leadership experience must be current and within an association, a non-profit organization, or an association management company.

  • 5 years of leadership experience need not all be with the same association, non-profit organization, or association management company.

Alianza Award

  • Sustained and continuous impact in the Latino community.

  • Must be an association, association management company, non-profit or vendor*.  *Vendors must work and support associations and non-profits.

  • Nominees can be in business for any number of years and have any number of employees.  

  • Anyone can be a nominator. 

  • The Executive Director/CEO of the nominee must provide proof of support for the nomination.

NEW! Impacto Award

  • Sustained and continuous impact in the Latino community.

  • Nominees must be individuals working for an association, association management company, non-profit or vendor*.  *Vendors must work and support associations and non-profits.

  • Nominees do not need to identify as Latino but must demonstrate a clear and consistent commitment to advancing Latino leadership, culture, and representation.

  • Members of the Association Latinos (AL) Board, the AL Awards & Recognition Committee and awards judges of this award are not eligible to be nominated.

  • Members of the AL Board, the AL Awards & Recognition Committee and awards judges are not eligible to nominate or endorse others.

  • Self-nominations are accepted for this award.

Award Schedule

  • Nomination Period: June 2- June 30*

  • Application Period: July 1 – July 31*

  • Review Period: August 1 – August 31

  • Notification: September 

  • Awards Ceremony: October 10, 2025 ( Chicago, IL )

    *Late submissions will not be considered.

Nomination Process

Association Latinos accepts peer nominations and self-nominations for four honors, Inspira Award, Estrella Award, Impacto, and Alianza Award. By nominating a peer (or organization), you recognize that the contributions of this individual (or organization) are advancing the mission of Association Latinos, the association profession and community at large. We encourage association professionals to nominate their outstanding colleagues or organization. Review the requirements above to see if your colleague or organization is deserving of an Association Latinos Award.

The process for nominating a candidate is simple. The nominator will submit a nomination form that includes the nominee’s name, organization, email address, and recommended award. No other information is needed at this stage. The nominee will then be informed of their nomination by Association Latinos and are encouraged to apply for the award for which they were nominated. The nominee must complete an application themselves to be considered for an award.

SUBMIT A NOMINATION

Application Process

Only those who have been identified through the nomination process will advance to the application stage. Nominees will be notified to complete the application for which they were nominated. The application process includes addressing the award criteria, submitting two endorsements and uploading other relevant documents. 

For questions about the application or the application process, please contact awards@associationlatinos.org.

Resources

Webinar: Behind the Curtain of Association Latino’s Awards Program | Webinar Recording | Webinar Slides

Awards Program FAQs

Below are the Association Latinos Awards program's most frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions or require further assistance, please contact awards@associationlatinos.org.

  • Please review the awards eligibility for more details.

  • The evaluation criteria for each award are included in the award application. A panel of judges will evaluate submissions and each criterion is scored on a five-point scale.

  • • Review each criterion.

    • Provide evidence and examples demonstrating how you have met each of the award criteria.

    • Tell a story within the noted word limits.

    • Ensure your endorsers can speak to one or more of the criteria for the award. Strong endorsements will address multiple criteria.

  • The content of your application should be your own original work and accurately represents your experience(s). The use of AI text generators (e.g., ChatGPT) or resources to generate content are prohibited.

  • Association Latinos notifies all recipients and non-recipients via email following the judging and selection process. Once recipients are notified, they will be announced via a press release in late September. Recipients will be honored at the Association Latinos Awards Ceremony event.

2025 RECIPIENTS

Estrella Award
Silvia Quevedo, CAE

Linkedin

“Silvia exemplifies the qualities of a servant leader. She elevates others, gives credit freely, and fosters a collaborative spirit that allows people to do their best work. Her contributions are not just recognized—they are deeply appreciated. Her peers consistently turn to her for guidance, support, and partnership, a testament to the trust she has earned over time.”

Tony Vellucci, CNE, CDE, Associate Executive Director, American College of Emergency Physicians

Inspira Award
Anastacia Barbosa-McBride

Linkedin

“Ana has made sustained, positive contributions for over three years in association management and nonprofit spaces. Her experience is current, impactful, and deeply aligned with the purpose of this award. Her work not only reflects the values of the Inspira Award but truly exemplifies them.”

Jeanne Sheehy, Chief Marketing Officer, Bostrom

Impacto Award
Brianna Dimas

LinkedIn

“Brianna is a community-oriented leader who launches powerful public-private partnerships and collaborations that have a national impact. She is a servant leader in her local and national communities. She is passionate about equitable representation, STEM education, public educational equity, entrepreneurship, professional development, and civic engagement.”

Ron Nirenberg, Former Mayor of San Antonio, TX

Alianza Award
Bridging Independent Living Together (BILT)

LinkedIn

“BILT exemplifies the qualities celebrated by the Alianza Award: impactful, measurable, and sustained action in support of the Latino community. Through its commitment to cultural responsiveness, partnership, and leadership development, BILT has transformed not only the lives of the families it serves but also the institutions and systems they engage with.”

 Cynthia Paris, Assistant Director of Multilingual Services, Foxborough Regional Charter School

Awards and Recognition Committee