En Contacto - Summer '17

S U M M ER 2017

HERITAGE MONTH pg.

8

HISPANIC

pg.

15

UNITED WAY

WORKING WOMEN: MULTICULTURAL THE ART OF A WOMAN LEADERSHIP SOCIETY

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pg.

11TH ANNUAL

HCC STL FOUNDATION GOLF CLASSIC

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO This summer at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we have had a lot of activities and some of our biggest events of the year as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. I am proud to share the success of our 11th Annual HCC STL Foundation Charity Golf Classic! We had over 200 golfers participate and we were able to raise more than $30,000 this year for the HCC STL Foundation. Because of these fundraising efforts, we are able to strengthen Hispanics’ participation in the St. Louis business community through leadership development. We are very grateful for all of the support we received from our sponsors and participants. We have a strong commitment to our city and the best way that we can give back is through developing diverse talent and leadership.

WE ARE GROWING BECAUSE OF YOU AND THE SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS. WE ARE IMPROVING EVERY DAY FOR YOU.

In August, we had our 3rd Hispanic Working Woman event where we highlighted women and the influence that they have on our society.

Three amazing women shared their stories of pursuing their passion, overcoming adversity and the art of connection. These brave women were an inspiration and participants walked away with relatable stories and new connections. Additionally, September has been a month full of many great events that remind us of our culture and that celebrate the beautiful complexities of Hispanic culture.

We are growing because of you and the support from our sponsors. We are improving every day for you. My goal is to continue offering excellent programs and events for our members. The HCC team is very committed to continuing to positively impact the community and we are very grateful for all your contributions.

Autumn will be outstanding as we start Class VII of our Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI), launch our first-ever entrepreneurial investment event, Mercado de Ideas, and much more. You can find all of the information on our upcoming events on our website at www.hccstl.com. I invite you to take advantage of your Hispanic Chamber membership and join us in all of the activities that we have prepared for you, hone your professional skills and connect with more business leaders in the community.

Thank you for your continued support,

Karlos Ramirez

By joining, the following individuals and companies have decided to make an investment in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and our community at large. We encourage you to find out more about them and, whenever possible, to use their services. If you would like more information about any of these individuals or organizations, please contact us at 314.664.4432.

7th Step Society Ainette Martinez AJG Business Solutions LLC Aquinas Institute of Theology Arch Engraving Arreola Consultants, LLC Beauty by Carisse Better Weekdays Bi-State Development BLASTCO, INC. Calcari Insurance Agency —Farmers Insurance Chévere Designs Chris Harris Insurance State Farm Clean-Tek Flooring Systems, Inc. Cueller-Gonzalez Roofing & Construction, LLC David Francis — Charter Communications Dos Primos Drive Social Media Economic Shop Enviro-Master Services Erik Alejandro Buschardt Ferguson Roofing Co. Inc. Generations Music, LLC Healing Touch Practitioner Hip Maids LLC

Hollywood Casino Imelda Cervantes Julio Mendez — Edward Jones KIPP St. Louis Lance Omar Thurman Photography LAUNCH Clothing & Accessories Laura Gobbo Luzco Technologies, LLC Manheim St. Louis Marcello Pesce — Northwestern Mutual Metro Theater Company Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Inc. Pana Romero, LLC Playhouse of the Holy Family Ripple Revenue Risk Consulting Partners Roofing STL, LLC Sherwin Williams Paint Company St. Louis Community Credit Union St. Louis Crisis Nursery SYNC POS Tacos & Ice Cream Joint Taquizas El Unico True Title Company, LLC Vector Communications Volpi Foods

President & CEO

Enterprise Bank & Trust pg. 4

Hispanic Working Women: The Art of a Woman pg. 8

Alpizar Singing, Dancing in Cedar Point’s ‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ pg. 12

7 Everyday Ways to Practice Smart Money Management pg. 6

What Does Your Business Need to Succeed? pg. 10

Kingdom House: Providing Services for St. Louis Families pg. 13

Hispanic Heritage Month Highlights pg. 16

Mortgages 101: Understanding the Basics pg. 7

Meet del Carmen Foods, LLC pg. 11

United Way of Greater St. Louis pg. 14

11th Annual HCC STL Foundation Golf Classic pg. 17

cover photo: ELENA SOLIS

S U MME R 2 0 17

contributing authors: CARLOS RESTREPO HAYAR TOMIOKA VANESSA GARCIA 3

Depending on the size and sophistication of your organization’s treasury function, you should start by looking for bottlenecks that may be slowing down collection efforts. For example, examine how receivables are being processed. Identify Day Sales Outstanding (DSO), and how this impacts the inflow of cash. Consider questions, such as: • Has your company taken steps to reduce the number of paper checks being processed, replacing them with faster electronic payment receipts?

CASH FLOW IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF YOUR BUSINESS. BY TAKING A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO MANAGING WORKING CAPITAL, TREASURERS CAN FREE CASH FLOW AND MAINTAIN A HEALTHY FINANCIAL STATE.

• Does treasury receive complaints from customers or business an objective perspective. Enterprise Bank has tremendous expertise in working capital management and can ask probing questions and partners, which might be indicative of faulty procedures?

• What receivable challenges exist as your business looks to challenge the status quo during the planning phase. This can guide you to critical process improvements. expand into new markets?

Enterprise Bank &Trust: PUTTING TOGETHER AN EFFECTIVE WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

Cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. By taking a strategic approach to managing working capital, treasurers can free cash flow and maintain a healthy financial state. However, the challenge many business owners, CFOs, controllers, and treasurers face is devising a working capital management plan that supports the organization’s growth objectives, and then putting that planned program into action.

To achieve optimal results, treasury professionals should follow a three-pronged approach – define, develop and execute – when creating a working capital management strategy. By dissecting an organization’s cash conversion cycle (the amount of time it takes in days for a business to convert purchases into cash receipts from buyers), and applying industry best practices, you can create a working capital management plan that will yield sustainable results.

DEFINE: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COLLECT A DOLLAR?

The most practical approach to the development of a successful working capital management strategy is to begin with a thorough review of your cash conversion cycle – the amount of time needed to sell inventory, the amount of time required to collect receivables and the length of time the company is afforded to pay its bills. This in-depth examination of how your business operates — from invoicing and inventory to its ability to integrate receivables and payables — produces insights into processes that would benefit from improvement.

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While examining the disbursement processes, use the Days Payable Having identified activities that are contributing to pain points and Outstanding (DPO) metric to determine what, if any, initiatives exist bottlenecks in your collection process, you can begin to formulate a working capital optimization strategy with clearly defined goals to meet critical targets. Questions to ask, include: designed to meet your business objectives. This plan should consider • What is your company doing to reduce the number of check the current work environment, as well as the capabilities of your staff payments issued and increase electronic payment frequency? to execute once completed.

• What measurements have you taken to manage payment fraud?

Making substantial changes to treasury processes can prove difficult • Do you have sufficient tools to evaluate payment terms to take and time-consuming, but you shouldn’t lose sight of the benefits full advantage of discount opportunities with suppliers? your organization will reap. The sports adage, “no pain, no gain,” is Measuring the Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO), can help to certainly true when it comes to developing an effective working capital determine if manufacturing processes are aligned properly with actual management plan that delivers substantive change. customer demand and forecasted demand. Examine the following: EXECUTE: DIVING IN HEAD FIRST TO DRIVE BUSINESS SUCCESS •D o you know your inventory carrying costs?

After you have identified gaps in the cash conversion cycle and • Is your inventory turning over at the same pace as your industry? created initiatives to overcome these deficiencies, you must now Enterprise Bank can help you benchmark DSO, DIO and DPO prioritize plan implementation. Plan execution can be done in phases, performance against your industry peers. This will help you pinpoint depending on the scope and scale of your process changes. Taking where working capital management improvements can be most useful. a phased approach also allows for course corrections when needed, Using information from your cash conversion cycle examination, you and presents a unique opportunity to assess the value being achieved can now establish your working capital management goals. Before from each change. you begin to develop a plan, you must first understand your intended goals. For instance, you may decide that your plan should focus on receivables improvements since your DSO is growing well beyond the industry averages.

To ensure your plan can deliver the desired results, it should be carefully measured against established goals. Due to the dynamic nature of business, you should periodically review your plans to make changes to the treasury function in keeping with your objectives.

Enterprise Bank & Trust does not provide tax, legal or accounting Once you have accurately documented the current state of all your advice. This material was prepared for informational purposes only. processes, it is important to examine each activity and determine if You should consult your tax, legal, and accounting advisers before it is required and/or adds value to your customer. Those processes engaging in any transaction. that fail to meet this litmus test should be eliminated or changed.

DEVELOP: IF YOU PLAN IT, THE CASH FLOW WILL COME

There is a tendency at this stage to quickly work through the checklist of current state elements because of your familiarity with the process.

You might consider bringing in someone from outside the treasury operation, such as a banking partner like Enterprise, who can provide

CHRISTINA ANDERSON, AVP, Business Banking. Business leader with over 15 years of relationship management, sales strategy, marketing and recruiting experience. Christina finds that creating relationship value with her clients is what drives retention and engagement.

The results in managing external business relationships and developing cohesive strategies for product and service growth are clearly critical to supporting growing businesses.

SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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MORTGAGES 101:

Understanding the Basics

7 Everyday It’s no secret that reaching financial success can be difficult. But it becomes much easier and more feasible when you make money management a habit – something you practice consistently and repeatedly until it becomes part of your daily routine.

WAYS TO PRACTICE SMART MONEY MANAGEMENT • PLAN : Establish a financial plan for events you know you will have to

spend on; do not leave it at random or for last minute. (These events could be graduations, a wedding, college, etc.)

• PAY WITH TIME : Making your payment before the due date will help

you establish a healthy habit of prioritizing your payment. You may choose to have the payment taken out of your account automatically before the due date. This will also prevent late payment fees.

To get you started, we’ve listed seven healthy financial habits below • EDUCATE AND EMPOWER YOURSELF: Understanding how the financial that you can implement now to help you achieve your financial goals: system works will help you achieve your goal, whether it’s purchasing • BUDGET: Separate your money into categories, such as housing, your first home, getting out of debt, raising your credit or simply fun, education, miscellaneous, etc. learning how to save.

• SAVE : Although for some of us it is hard to save, every dollar counts. Remember, the best way to develop a habit is through perseverance Take a portion of your check and immediately place it in a savings and a belief that the habit will be beneficial to your life. account so you don’t spend it.

• GET OUT OF DEBT: Prioritize your obligations and try not to borrow.

Paying debts with the highest interest first is one way to reach your goal, or you can choose to pay your smallest balance first. That is up to you.

• INVEST: When you have saved up a nice sum, you may choose to

THE BEST WAY TO DEVELOP A HABIT IS THROUGH PERSEVERANCE AND A BELIEF THAT THE HABIT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR LIFE.

open a CD, invest in real estate or utilize another type of investment. To learn more about smart money management, contact Kathleen Spies, Mortgage Officer, Community & Economic Development at The key is to make your money grow.

Midwest BankCentre. NMLS #1398837. Call (314) 633-6745 or email kspies@midwestbankcentre.com. Midwest BankCentre.

Member FDIC. KATHLEEN SPIES is a Mortgage Officer with the Community & Economic Development team for Midwest BankCentre, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her work focuses on community outreach programs in the areas of lending, refinancing, financial education, and volunteerism throughout the St. Louis region. Her goal is to improve local neighborhoods through partnerships with community groups. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Law with an emphasis in International Law from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and is fully bilingual in Spanish and English.

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Picking out and planning for a future home should be an exciting task, but the thought of all the financial terminology that comes with it may seem intimidating.

Understanding how all of these components intersect makes understanding mortgages easier.

house. In order to secure the loan, you have to enter into an agreement with a lender or bank. The lender will give you the loan as cash up front, which you will then pay back over a set time span until the loan is paid in full.

[1]

No matter what kind of loan gets you into a home, make sure you do your homework and find the right lender. Stop by any of our Central Thinking about mortgages can be an overwhelming experience, Bank locations to chat about your options or visit the Mortgage Center especially if you don’t have much knowledge about them in the first on our website. place. You’re not alone, so let’s understand the mortgage process Contact Ernest Martinez (NMLS#640245), Community Development together.

Lending Officer at Central Bank of St. Louis (NMLS#409000) to learn more. Call 314.835.3711 or email ernest.martinez@centralbank.

WHAT IS A MORTGAGE ANYWAY? In simple terms, a mortgage is a loan that is used to finance your net. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

IS THERE MORE THAN ONE PART TO A MORTGAGE?

Yes! There are actually five parts to a mortgage: collateral, principal, interest, taxes, and insurance. Here’s a breakdown: • COLLATERAL: When you enter into the legal agreement with a lender,

Mortgage Basics, Realtor.com

THINKING ABOUT MORTGAGES CAN BE AN OVERWHELMING EXPERIENCE… YOU’RE NOT ALONE… UNDERSTANDING HOW ALL THE COMPONENTS INTERSECT MAKES UNDERSTANDING MORTGAGES EASIER.

your house is used as collateral for that agreement. If you fail to pay back the loan, the bank can actually take your house back through a process called foreclosure.

The information provided in this article is intended for informational • PRINCIPAL: The amount of money that the bank lets you borrow is purposes only. It is not to be construed as the opinion of Central known as the principal. To lower your loan’s initial principal amount, Bancompany, Inc., and/or its affiliates and does not imply endorsement you can apply more of your funds to the purchase price of the home, or support of any of the mentioned information, products, services, or providers. All information presented is without any representation, referred to as a down payment.

• INTEREST: The lender charges you for borrowing money from them. guaranty, or warranty regarding the accuracy, relevance, or This is called the interest. It is typically expressed as a percentage, completeness of the information. which is known as the interest rate. Principal and interest will make up most of your monthly payments, which will reduce your debt over a fixed period of time.

ERNEST MARTINEZ has over 10 years of experience in the mortgage lending industry and is a Community based on a percentage of the home’s value.

Development Lending Officer with Central Bank of • INSURANCE : Just like you have health insurance to cover you when St. Louis. As a bilingual professional, Ernest enjoys you are sick, lenders will require you to buy home insurance. This working with the local community and guiding first time homebuyers through the home buying process. insurance typically covers natural disasters, fire, theft, etc. [1] • TAXES : When you buy a home, the local community collects taxes

SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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THE EVENT OFFERS GREAT NETWORKING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN WHO ARE IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF THEIR LIVES AND IN ANY INDUSTRY.

“What motivated me to share my story was the fact that I have hidden in the background too long. Always observing and listening to others’ stories, doubting that what I have to say could also possibly change or inspire someone’s life…If my voice could inspire one person to step out of their comfort zone and try something new for their personal or business growth, then I am happy! ” shares Carol Lara, HWW Speaker.

Additionally, this event not only helped provide inspiration for the audience, but accountability and confidence for the speakers. “There is always a feeling of “I’m not good enough” or “Does this Matter”. I think speaking about it helped me to restart my focus on my journey and helped me get the confidence to start the next step in my journey,” says Elizabeth Marengo, HWW Speaker.

After the individual stories, guests were encouraged to network with the more than 160 guests in attendance. “The event offers great networking and learning opportunities for women who are in different stages of their lives and in any industry. On a personal level, I feel invigorated when I listen to the stories of courage and determination; testimonies that redefine success and can help me gain a new perspective on life,” states Marcherie Vazquez, HCC Board Member.

Through the networking, business owners were also able to connect and collaborate for future initiatives. “The event was great for me because I met Fabiola, a woman who is starting her brand in St. Louis and with her and Hayar, we started an idea for an event at my business. There are so many networking events happening all the time, but with the Hispanic Chamber, I feel they go above and beyond to facilitate introductions that are good for everyone involved,” says Lia Glynias, owner of Launch Clothing & Accessories and new member of the HCC. Through this event, the Hispanic Chamber is able to highlight impressive women and provide a platform for more women to connect with one another. Bringing women together from various backgrounds and walks of life make it a more meaningful experience that we are proud to offer our members.

HISPANIC WORKING WOMEN EVENT

FEET, WHAT DO I NEED YOU FOR WHEN I HAVE WINGS TO FLY?

The Art of a Woman

In August, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce celebrated the power of women at the International Photography Hall of Fame Museum for our third Hispanic Working Women event, sponsored by Midwest BankCentre.

Inspired by Frida Kahlo, we had the opportunity to hear personal stories from three amazing women: Elizabeth Marengo, Lourdes Bailon and Carol Lara. They shared their experiences with the audience and encouraged the audience to fight for their dreams, believe in themselves and never give up.

This year’s theme was The Art of a Woman. This event was designed to capture the complexities of being a woman through stories of pursuing your passion, overcoming adversity and the power of connection to connect more women together who share in similar experiences.

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SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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MEET

THE KEY TO FINDING THE RIGHT CPA FOR YOUR BUSINESS MEANS FINDING THE RIGHT BUSINESS PARTNER THAT UNDERSTANDS YOUR PASSION FOR WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. WHAT DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED TO Running a privately owned business can be challenging and rewarding. The business owner wears many hats and can use help in various financial areas. Although there are numerous financial areas involved, I will review two of them, finding the right accountant for your business and securing alternative funding opportunities.

FINDING THE RIGHT ACCOUNTANT: Let’s face it, there are numerous

CPA firms in the St. Louis area. However, the key to finding the right CPA for your business means finding the right business partner that understands your passion for what you do every day. The success of your business is what you think about in the morning and what you think about when you retire for the day. Your CPA advisor should not only deliver timely on your annual reporting requirements, but also think outside the box for what will grow your business and bring value.

They should be technically sound, very responsive and competitively priced for the marketplace.

SECURING ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES : With dynamics of the

economy changing daily, it is important to always keep options open on alternative funding sources for your business’ financial needs. While traditional banking options are available, they are sometimes costly

succeed? and in high demand for low interest rates. Sometimes organizations do not have the leverage capability due to low limited cash flow.

Alternative funding sources are available that take little time and effort to secure: • Grant writing for short or long-term cash flow; • Federal or state subsidized interest and debt loans; • Funding through state tax credits via 3rd party contributions.

PURK & ASSOCIATES, P.C . has hand-picked a team with auditing,

accounting, tax, business and management advisory expertise in a multitude of fields, and is committed to providing close, personal attention to our clients. We view every client relationship as a partnership, and truly believe that our success is a result of your success.

In addition to our reputation for client service, we are proud that our associates value PURK & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Our firm was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a “Best Place To Work” in 2016 and 2010, and was a finalist in 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012, too. Our firm was also nationally recognized in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 by Accounting Today (a national publication) as one of the “Best Accounting Firms to Work For”. We were also voted one of the best St. Louis companies in 2016 as “Best in Customer Service” by Small Business Monthly.

TJ HOEFERLIN, Director of Assurance Services, oversees the audit and attestation practice of the firm. Prior to joining PURK & ASSOCIATES, P.C. in September 2016, TJ worked for ten years with Emerson Electric Co. in their internal audit department, and an additional eleven years in public accounting before that with a national St. Louis accounting firm. His experience includes business consulting, and regulatory and financial reporting services for not-for-profits, employee benefit plans, and privately held business. He can be contacted at tjhoeferlin@purkpc.com.

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del Carmen It’s April 17, 1961, and nine-year-old Estrella Cruz is listening to the news from her home in Havana, Cuba.

Her father has been away for months, and her mother has not dared speak a word of his whereabouts – he was a counter-revolutionary activist, and she feared that the Castro regime may come after her for answers.

Cuba to expect that she would someday marry a farm boy from Iowa.

Mike and Estie have two children, Cathryn and Claire.

It was in this middle-of-the-Midwest town that the first signs of an emerging business sprouted. Adjusting to a new stay-at-home motherhood and without easy access to decent Cuban food, Estie sought solace in attempts to recreate the recipes from her childhood.

When her experiments turned into main courses at dinner parties, and dinner parties turned into barters for tubs of leftovers, Estie had Through the radio, Estrella and her sisters heard that there has been an idea for putting her (to date, largely ignored) MBA degree back to a military invasion of Cuba. It was not long before the realization hits work – take the product to market. them: their father was involved. They switched on the news, watched Fast forward six years and Estie and her family have relocated to captured soldiers being paraded around on national television and St. Louis, where she now owns del Carmen Foods, LLC. Saturdays feared that their father would be one of them. are now reserved for pushing black beans at local farmers markets After days of fearful uncertainty, Estrella learned her father was alive and sampling inside Whole Foods stores and other local grocers. and in the United States – his ship to Cuba had never disembarked. del Carmen expanded their product line beyond the original CubanShe also learned – and quickly – that this event had changed her style black beans to now include creamy black bean soups (both life forever. available gluten-free), black bean hummus, and a black bean dip with This historic failed coup was the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a counter- mojo, a citrus and garlic-flavored sauce. revolutionary attack on Fidel Castro’s communist regime that ended All products are vegan-friendly, transparent with clean labels, and in disaster for the CIA-trained Cuban exiles – men who believed the sold frozen-fresh.

United States would help them fight for their freedom.

Fifty-six years in the making, del Carmen Foods exists to bring

Following the invasion, came a series of apologies and make- authentic, Cuban-style cuisine to the premium Hispanic market in an goods to the Cuban exiles who had been promised U.S. military accessible, frozen-fresh package. support. Estrella’s family was granted a visa to enter the country with permanent U.S. residence.

The family fled while they had the opportunity, leaving family and belongings behind. Estrella was ten years old.

In the States, Estrella became known as Estie and she assimilated to the American culture. She went to high school in Miami, college at Barat College near Chicago, then remained and worked in the city while later attending the Executive Management Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

DEL CARMEN FOODS EXISTS TO BRING AUTHENTIC, CUBAN-STYLE CUISINE TO THE PREMIUM HISPANIC MARKET IN AN ACCESSIBLE, FROZEN-FRESH PACKAGE.

Estie moved to Overland Park, Kansas in 1989, following her husband Mike Curoe. Not once had the little girl from Santiago de Cuba, DEL CARMEN FOODS, LLC, is a business in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in frozen-fresh authentic Cuban-style black bean products and operating out of the St. Patrick’s Center in downtown St. Louis. del Carmen was recently accepted into the Accelerator Program of AUA Equity, AUAccelerate. AUA Equity is a New York based private equity firm with a particular focus on the U.S. Hispanic marketplace and consumer businesses. AUA Equity is mentoring del Carmen’s efforts. You can buy all products both online and in the frozen food section at local Whole Foods, Lucky’s Markets (and also their Columbia, MO store), Dierbergs in Chesterfield, Ladue Market, Local Harvest Grocery, Freddie’s, Market and at the Tower Grove Market every Saturday morning. Local CSA Fair Shares has been an early and avid supporter.

Welcome to an Enlightened State of Bean™

SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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Alpizar Singing, DANCING IN CEDAR POINT’S ‘LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!’

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO., May 31, 2017 – Southeast Missouri State University senior Jose Alpizar has landed in the roller coaster capital of the world this summer, where the twists and turns of multiple daily performances have been an ultimate thrill ride.

The musical theatre major is singing and dancing the summer away in “Lights, Camera, Action!” at Cedar Point, a show at an amusement park on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio. The show is a 30-minute musical revue of different classic movie musicals, where is he is singing and dancing in songs from “Hairspray,” “West Side Story,” “Newsies,” “Grease,” “Fame” and others.

While the 150-year-old amusement park is known for its roller coasters, “their live entertainment is pretty high quality as well,” he said. “The show in itself is very active, so having to perform it 32 times a week is going to take a lot of stamina since we’re singing and dancing the entire time,” he said. “That’s what I’m most excited to take away from this experience -- keeping up with my body and creating that stamina (both physical and vocal) and maintaining it even after I graduate and go into the real world because I know things are just as intense there as they are here.”

Sandusky, which he describes as “very much like Cape Girardeau in that they’re both small towns with history. It’s really nice to go explore their downtown the way we have our downtown,” he said.

He says he also has enjoyed spending time at the beach on Lake Erie with his fellow cast members, and “Cleveland is only about 45 minutes away, so I see many road trips in my future!”

Alpizar, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in musical theatre, was born in San Jose, Costa Rica and emigrated to the United States with his parents when he was just a year and a half old. He was raised in the Memphis, Tennessee area and learned about Southeast when he was a high school senior. A friend pursuing a dance major at Southeast suggested he tour the main campus and River Campus.

“I was in love with the River Campus after touring it, but I was sold on the school after seeing a production of ‘Legally Blonde’ that night,” he said. “I was convinced I wanted to come here and I knew that this University was special.”

Looking back on his time at Southeast, Alpizar says, “I simply cannot imagine myself going anywhere else for college.”

As a Southeast student, he has had the opportunity to serve as a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions and perform in casts of “The Addams Family,” “On The Town, and “A Chorus Line” Alpizar landed the internship opportunity after attending the 2017 at the River Campus.

SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference) where he auditioned for “In my time here at Southeast, I have grown immensely as a performer, all thanks to the unstoppable faculty that want nothing more than for more than 50 theaters – with Cedar Point being one of them.

“They gave me a callback to come meet the producer and casting you to succeed in show business, as well as the opportunities we director personally and sing for them again,” he said. “I got a call from get,” he said.

Last December, Alpizar joined five other Southeast students who Before beginning his summer role, he participated in two weeks traveled to New York City to perform an off-off Broadway staged of rehearsals learning vocals and choreography. Once the show reading of an original musical that Dr. Kenn Stilson, chair of The opened, he has performed five times a day Sundays-Wednesdays Conservatory of Theatre and Dance, and Southeast student Cody Cole wrote. and six times a day on Fridays and Saturdays. them offering me a job a few days later!”

“It’s very much ensemble-orientated, with solo sections thrown in,” “This was an awesome opportunity that gave me the chance to work alongside business professionals,” he said. “Not many, if any other he said. schools can give their students this opportunity.”

Alpizar says the networking opportunities are tremendous because Cedar Point draws performers from all over the country. Cruise lines Ultimately, he says his long-term goal after graduating from Southeast also come to audition Cedar Point performers, which could open the is to end up on Broadway in New York City.

“That’s been my goal for so many years, and I feel like the work I’m Outside of his strenuous performing schedule, he says he is enjoying putting in at Cedar Point is really pushing me towards that as a singer, dancer and overall performer, which makes me very happy,” he said. door to other opportunities down the road, he said.

ANN HAYES has been the director of the News Bureau at Southeast Missouri State University for 26 years, managing both internal and external communication at the University. She previously served as an assistant account executive with FleishmanHillard in St. Louis.

She holds a Master of Science in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts with majors in mass communication and government from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. She is a member of the Southeast Missouri Press Association, SEMO Information Officers Association, Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals and the St. Vincent de Paul Parish Council in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

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Kingdom House

PROVIDING SERVICES FOR ST. LOUIS FAMILIES TO ACHIEVE BETTER LIVES

Kingdom House was founded in 1902 in order to help alleviate poverty by providing services such as daycare, education, and healthcare to families in the surrounding neighborhood, many of whom were recent immigrants to the United States.

INDIVIDUAL, ONGOING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES : There are many

Kingdom House serves the individuals and families who come to our organization at each stage of life. Our organization’s Early Childhood Center provides a safe, affordable, and nurturing environment for children that prepares them for Kindergarten. Kingdom House’s Youth Development Department provides enrichment and academic resources to youth in grade, middle, and high school as well as additional support for students transitioning to post-secondary education or employment following high school graduation. The Family Development Department provides a variety of services geared towards adults in the areas of maternal mental health (Apoyo y Cariño), health and wellness, financial stability, and social capital building (Enlace) as well as additional resources such as a bodega that offers clothing/household items and a market that provides access to healthy food. Last but not least, Kingdom House’s Senior Companion Program provides in-home visits to home-bound senior citizens in order that they maintain the highest level of independent living possible.

Whether your group comes to Kingdom House to volunteer, coordinates a service-to-go project at your location, or helps with one of our annual Back to School or Affordable Christmas events for clients, there’s something for everyone!

ways to be involved as a volunteer with Kingdom House! With the wide range of services that we offer to the community, we have an equally wide range of volunteer opportunities. Whatever your skills, interests, or schedule, you can make a valuable contribution to the mission of Kingdom House, as we are always looking for volunteers to help in all of the above-listed programs as well as with our communication, Throughout the organization’s 115-year history, we have responded development, and maintenance departments. to urgent and unmet needs in our community through a variety of EPISODIC, GROUP VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Kingdom House offers programming. Kingdom House currently provides an array of holistic many fun and impactful ways in which groups can volunteer. Whether programs serving infants, youth, adults, families, and senior citizens your group is part of a mission trip, corporate team, philanthropic in order to build pathways to economic self-sufficiency and family organization, youth group, or social club, we have projects that will stability. fit your members’ abilities and make a difference in our community.

While Kingdom House has an excellent staff that delivers programing, we could not fulfill our mission without the help of volunteers. Kingdom House’s Volunteer Engagement and Service Learning Department provides those interested with multiple ways to assist each of the above departments in their efforts.

URBAN FORUM : This immersive service-learning program provides

groups from churches, schools, corporations, and other organizations with the opportunity to pair service projects with curriculum designed to help participants gain a better understanding of issues such as poverty, food insecurity, racism, and educational disparities, to name a few. We do so by offering two programs: one onsite at Kingdom House and –new in 2017– one in which programming is provided at the group’s location. Programs range from a few hours to as long as one week and, ultimately, assist Kingdom House in fulfilling its mission to help people achieve better lives and provide volunteers with a unique opportunity to strengthen the St. Louis community.

KINGDOM HOUSE SERVES THE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO COME TO OUR ORGANIZATION AT EACH STAGE OF LIFE.

SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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Multicultural United Way of Greater St. Louis

ANNOUNCES $75.5 MILLION CAMPAIGN GOAL

ST. LOUIS (September 6, 2017) — United Way of Greater St. Louis today announced its 2017 community campaign goal of $75.5 million. Campaign co-chairs Michael Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO of Centene Corporation, and Mark Burkhart, managing principal of Burkhill Real Estate, LLC, made the announcement.

“What makes our region special is the generosity of thousands of people who come together, year after year, to help our neighbors,” said Neidorff. “When our community works together, incredible things can happen. As co-chairs of this year’s campaign, Mark and I are motivated by the impact of United Way, its member agencies and the people of our region to transform the lives of others.”

“Over the last few months, Michael and I have had an opportunity to see the work of United Way and its member agencies in the community, from summer programming and job training for young people to disaster relief for families in crisis,” said Burkhart. “We recognize the vast and significant needs in the St. Louis region and are focused on the efforts of local companies and individuals to raise money for our community.”

United Way of Greater St. Louis invests more than $1 million each week in the St. Louis region to create a solid foundation for a good quality of life through education, financial stability, health, basic 14

needs and strong communities. The annual fall fundraising campaign officially kicks off this Sunday at the United Way Day at the Ballpark and runs through early November.

“United Way not only invests in a network of quality agencies that are changing lives, but we also collaborate with partners to create real and sustainable solutions to the systemic issues that hinder the future of our region’s growth,” said Orvin Kimbrough, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis. “It is because of the tremendous support from this region that we’ve been able to help local people for 95 years.”

Last year, more than 100,000 individuals and businesses donated to United Way to collectively raise a record $75 million for people in a 16-county region throughout Missouri and Illinois. Individuals interested in donating may pledge online at HelpingPeople.org.

WE RECOGNIZE THE VAST AND SIGNIFICANT NEEDS IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION AND ARE FOCUSED ON THE EFFORTS OF LOCAL COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO RAISE MONEY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

LEADERSHIP SOCIETY

On Thursday, July 13, nearly 100 business and community leaders gathered at the Peabody Opera House to celebrate the United Way of Greater St. Louis’s Multicultural Leadership Society with its 2017 campaign kickoff. Guests enjoyed a performance by Dances of India and Chinese calligraphy demonstrations by Chunguang Lee. Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of United Way member agency International Institute of St. Louis, spoke to the audience about the Institute’s work in providing essential community integration services to immigrants in the St. Louis region.

Spouses Sisi and Santiago Beltrán, with Build-A-Bear Workshop, are serving as this year’s Multicultural Leadership Society campaign chairs.

UNITED WAY RECENTLY HELD ITS ANNUAL MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP SOCIETY KICKOFF. SPOUSES SISI AND SANTIAGO BELTRAN, ARE SERVING AS THIS YEAR’S MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP SOCIETY CAMPAIGN CHAIRS.

SiSi Beltrán began her career with Build-A-Bear Workshop focused on international business and brand development before transitioning to Director of Integrated Marketing. Since 2007, she has served as Build-A-Bear’s Employee Campaign Coordinator for its United Way workplace campaign. SiSi is a member of Washington University’s Olin Alumni Board of Directors and is a board member for Casa de Salud and Forest Park Forever.

Santiago Beltrán also began his career with Build-A-Bear and now serves as the Logistics Manager for the company. He is actively involved with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Regional Business Council. In addition, he serves as the President of the Board for the Hispanic Educational Cultural and Scholarship Fund and is treasurer of the St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America.

UNITED WAY OF GREATER ST. LOUIS mobilizes the community with one goal in mind —helping people live their best possible lives. Located throughout 16 counties in Missouri and Illinois, United Way helps one in three people in the region build a foundation for a good quality of life through basic needs, financial stability, education, health and strong communities. For more information, contact 314-421-0700 or visit www.HelpingPeople.org.

SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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BY THE NUMBERS

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St. Louis

CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) in St. Louis has been in full swing with events throughout the entire region celebrating the cultural and economic contributions of Hispanics in the U.S. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

Every year, Hispanics in St. Louis have been growing their presence in the area, making the events marking the celebration of this special month bigger, more significant, and more often. From sporting events, networking sessions, independence celebrations and festivals full of pride and dancing, here are some highlights of what has happened around the city in celebration of our Hispanidad.

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1. CALLE CHEROKEE: Traditional Mexican dancers Perform on Cherokee Street During Mexican Independence Day on Saturday, Sept. 16. This day was also special as the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed a resolution rebranding Cherokee Street in South St. Louis as “Calle Cherokee,” a new Hispanic cultural district. This historic effort was accomplished by a collaboration of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic-owned businesses along Cherokee, The Mosaic Project, Latinos and Axion and local elected representatives Dan Guenther and Cara Spencer. Photo Courtesy of Fiestas Patrias. 2. HISPANIC FESTIVAL: Several members of the Hispanic Chamber participated in the annual Hispanic Festival in Soulard, a three-day fiesta held the weekend of September 21. Traditional Hispanic food, dancers, musicians and vendors welcomed thousands of visitors to the festival this year in the City of St. Louis. Photo Courtesy of: Hispanic Festival Inc. 3. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AT EDWARD JONES: HCC Member Edward Jones hosted hundreds of attendees for a special celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month during the Hispanic Chamber’s Business After Hours celebration on September 21. Food, drinks, networking and DJ Fonzo headlined an evening where business and familia where one and the same. Photo Courtesy of: Joe Bommarito. 4. STLFC: St. Louis’ own professional soccer team, Saint Louis FC, hosted a hundred members of the Hispanic community for a special celebration kick-starting Hispanic Heritage Month on September 9 for their game against Harrisburg City Islanders. The Hispanic Community enjoyed food, drinks, soccer, live music, porras, and a unique STLFC t-shirt in Spanish proclaiming that “El Futbol Vive Aquí.”

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SUMMER 2017 HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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OUR 11TH ANNUAL HCC STL FOUNDATION GOLF CLASSIC WAS A SUCCESS! WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR SPONSORS AND PARTICIPANTS.

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Building a more diverse and inclusive region.

That’s our business.

We’re the Regional Business Council. We’re 100 of the area’s leading businesses, with over $60 billion in revenue, staffed by over 100,000 professional associates.

And we’re targeting those resources and that expertise directly at the St. Louis region. Improving the St. Louis region is a big job. But that’s our Business.

The Regional Business Council stands with the

THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

in its work empowering communities and changing lives.

From the countless brews on tap in The Biergarten to the Signature Tours, the historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery offers a variety of experiences you won’t find anywhere else.

F O C U S + C O L L A B O R AT I O N + I N V E S T M E N T + A C T I O N + R E S U LT S

For more, call 314.577.2626 or visit BudweiserTours.com.

THE CEOS OF ST. LOUIS’ LEADING COMPANIES John P. Stupp, Jr., Chairman Tony Tersigni, Past-Chairman Carmen Jacob, Vice Chair Tony Thompson, Vice Chair Mike Zambrana, Co-Chair Diversity and Inclusion Kathy Osborn, President and CEO

© 2015 Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser® Beer, St. Louis, MO

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FRIEND Anthem Armstrong Teasdale LLP BMO Harris Bommarito Automotive Group Carrollton Bank Central Bank of St. Louis Citrus Springs Commerce Bank Country Financial CTS Group Dot Foods, Inc. Facilitec Corporate Furnishings First Bank Fontbonne University Fox 2 KTVI-TV Garcia Properties Graybar GSG Consultants, Inc. Guarantee Electrical Company Home Depot LHM Lindenwood University

Spire, Inc LUXCO, Inc. St. John’s Bank Madrina’s St. Louis Community College Magnolia Hotel St. Louis Economic Development Partnership

Major Brands St. Louis Post-Dispatch McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc. Midland Sates Bank Strategic Staffing Solutions Midwest BankCentre Success Promotions Mississippi Lime Company Talisen Technologies, Inc. Missouri History Museum TheBANK of Edwardsville Montgomery Bank The Private Bank NextGen Information Services, Inc. Thompson Coburn LLP Pangea Group UMB Bank People’s Health Centers UMSL Pinnacle – St. Louis University of Missouri System PNC Bank USA Mortgage Ponce Realty powered by ReMax Gold ValDivia Enterprises Regions Bank Volpli Foods, Inc. Reliance Bank Washington University Republic Services Weber Chevrolet Creve Coeur Risk Consulting Partners Webster University Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville Western Illinois University Scottrade Bank World Wide Technology

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