6th National Conference 2003

D O M I N I C A N A M E R I C A N N AT I O N A L R O U N D TA B L E

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Dominican American Future:

HEALTH & ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT "Creating Access in Health, Finance, and Education through Political Participation"

Atlantic City Convention Center and Sheraton Atlantic City Hotel October 10-12, 2003

Margarita Cepeda (FL) President President of the Dominican American National Foundation and Executive Director of the Miami Beach Hispanic Community Center, Florida Cid Damon Wilson (NJ) 1st Vice President Commissioner of the Bergen County Improvement Authority, Vice President of Dominicans on Wall Street and Vice President & Sr. Analyst, Whitaker Securities, LLC Hon. Juan Pichardo (NY) 2nd Vice President of DANR, State Senator of Rhode Island Ana García-Reyes (NY) Vice President of Membership Director of International Programs and Special Assistant to the President for Community Relations at Hostos Community College, of the City University of New York City Dora Maria Abreu (NY) Secretary Computer Systems Manager for the New York City Housing Authority and Adjunct Professor for Borough of Manhattan Community College at CUNY Alexandra Ventura (NY) Assistant Secretary Director of the New York State Refugee Bureau - Office of Gov. George Pataki

Josefina Infante (NJ) Treasury President and founder of the non-for-profit Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation (HPEDC) -- the largest Industrial park in New York City Zenaida Mendez (NY) Assistant Treasury President & Founder National Dominican Women's Caucus and Organization and political consultant

Raysa Castillo (NY) Chair of Legal Affairs President of Dominican Women's Caucus, Attorney, Political and Governmental Consultant Radhamés Peguero (FL) Chair of Conference Planning Committee Executive Director of the Dominican American National Foundation in Miami, Florida Muriel Alfonseca (MD) Co-Chair of Conference Planning Committee Board Member from Maryland

Board of Directors 2003 Roberto Alvarez (DC) Owner of Restaurants Café Atlántico, Jaleo, and Zaytinya in Washington DC Víctor Capellán (RI) Office of New Schools Development, New York City Department of Education

LETTER FROM OUR FOURTH PRESIDENT

Andrés Paniagua (MA) Assistant to Dean for Special Project at College of Community and Public Service, University of Massachusetts at Boston Moisés Pérez (NY) Executive Director of Alianza Dominicana, Inc, in New York City

Ralph Carrero (MA) Founding board member of Casa Dominicana of Lawrence, MA, Community Activist and Student Services Coordinator at Greater Lawrence Technical High School

Silvio Torres-Saillant (NY) Associate Professor of English and Director of the Latino-Latin American Studies Program, Syracuse University

Melba Depena (RI) President of the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee and the Rhode Island Latino Civic Fund

Ninoska Uribe (NY) Director /Principal Investigator of Nutrition and Health Education Programs at Cornell University Cooperative Extension NYC Programs

Hon. Adriano Espaillat (NY) NY State Assemblyman and Chairman of the NY State Black, Puerto Rican, & Hispanic Caucus Consuelo Evans (NJ) Marketing Consultant, Executive Manager of USB Merchant Services Oscar Herasme (NY) Lawyer, President of the Dominican American Professional Alliance (DAPA) Maria Luna (NY) Democratic District Leader of 71st A.D. and Member of the Democratic Party State and National Committees Rafael Morel (FL) Vice-Chairman of Dominican American Chamber of Commerce of Florida Rafael Núñez-Cedeño (IL) Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and member of Dominican American Midwest Association (DAMA)

Nelson Valdez (NJ) Vice-President of 1199 SEIU and Community activist Pura P.Vázquez (PR) Lawyer and Board Member from Puerto Rico Lourdes L.Washington (MD) General Sales Manager, Viva 900 AM - WILCAM

Jose Ramon Bello (DC) Executive Director of DANR

Dear Amigos: Bienvenidos! The Board of the Dominican-American National Roundtable (DANR) welcomes you with open arms to the Sixth Annual National Conference.

Once again, we join together to make history and address the prevalent issues that are of concern to our families and neighborhoods throughout our country: health, education, and financial autonomy.

As an entity we have come to realize that the only way we will be able to affect US policy decisions is by making our vote, and thus our voices, count, at all levels of government. As the fourth largest Latino ethnic group in the country, we are residing in every single congressional district of the country, from Alaska to Wyoming.We are here, and we are here to stay!

Yet, we still face staggering obstacles accessing health insurance, good schools, and socio-economic improvements. With rising health care costs, any form of health insurance or health plan still does not cover the nearly 500,000 Dominicans vulnerable to high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma. In the birth of the No Child Left Behind Act, we face alarming high school drop out rates, leaving us with only 11% of Dominicans, 25 years old or older, possessing a college degree. It is no surprise then to see that, in the US, the average per capita Dominican household lives on only $11,013 (1999 CPS). In addition, the wide repercussions of 9/11 continue to affect our community and exacerbate the very issues we are here to address.

Despite these sobering statistics, stars continue to shine among us. Among these are our 20 elected Dominican-American officials, our doctors, community leaders, entrepreneurs, students and brave pillars holding our families together.

We are here to give accolades to the growing number of Dominican professionals in the areas of health, education and community organizing. Pioneers like Dr. Nafryn Michellen, First Latino Executive Director of Lincoln Hospital of NY and founding President of Hostos Community College of New York, and Rhadames Peguero, founder of the Dominican American National Foundation of South Florida. Both of these leaders have donated their time, energy and efforts to their roles and their community. We are also here to applaud Bernardo Vega and Rick Swartz for their dedication to building future leaders.

To our audience, we challenge you to take advantage of this conference and what it has to offer. Our goal is to build capacity, create new leaders, rejuvenate seasoned ones, and make the links to build a sustainable network of trailblazers from the students to the professionals. So we encourage you to find a new mentor/mentee, meet a new organization, commit to volunteering your time, and leave with a doable action plan. Then do it. Until next year! A generation that Cares!

Sincerely, Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo President of DANR

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DANR HISTORY

LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY

[1997]

The concept of the Roundtable emerged in December 1997, when over 200 Dominican American leaders from around the country met in Miami, Florida, to discuss the educational, economic, legal, social and political status of the more than one million people of Dominican origin in the United States.This historic gathering was organized and hosted by the Dominican American National Foundation of South Florida under the leadership of Margarita Cepeda, President, and Radhamés Peguero, Executive Director; the Office of New York State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat; and Rhode Island’s Quisqueya in Action Youth Organization. Embracing the theme "The National Agenda," the conference included workshops and symposia addressing education, public policy, health care, immigration reform, community empowerment and economic development, among other topics, with attendees from states and cities with large Dominican populations.

[1998]

OUR MISSION The Dominican-American National Roundtable (DANR) is a nonpartisan, non-profit corporation seeking to bring together the different voices of all people of Dominican origin in the United States.

DANR is a national forum for analysis, planning, and action to advance the educational, economic, legal, social, cultural, and political interests of Dominican Americans.

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DANR aims to ensure for U. S. Dominicans the full exercise of the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States of America.

With those objectives in mind, DANR is committed to enriching the quality of life in the United States by highlighting the contributions of Dominicans to the larger American society.

Following the December 1997 conference a meeting was organized that brought together at Alianza Dominicana, Inc. in New York City a broad spectrum of Dominican community leaders. The participants created a National Interim Steering Committee to develop the formal structure and initial agenda of the Roundtable. In April of 1998, the interim steering committee met at the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute of the City College of New York to plan a path forward that included several other gatherings designed to secure the grassroots and leadership buy-in necessary to ensure the Roundtable’s success and effectiveness. For example, during a working conference held in Washington, D.C., in June 1998, 47 Roundtable participants met with federal officials to introduce the Roundtable and its national agenda.

[1999]

In January 1999, the National Interim Steering Committee elected the Official DANR Board of Directors, its officers, and its first president, Mr. Victor Capellán, from Rhode Island. In May 1999, the Roundtable gathered again in Rhode Island, at a public conference attended by over 600 people. The main topic of this 2nd Annual Conference, celebrated in May 1999, was "Toward the New Millennium – Strengthening Organizational Development for Dominican Communities in the United States." In addition to numerous educational symposia, the Rhode Island conference formally gave attendees the opportunity to provide input to the national steering committee concerning the structure, future activities, and vision of the Roundtable.

[2000]

In February 2000 the Roundtable was incorporated in Washington, D.C. With the theme, "Dominicans in the United States: Americas’ New Face," the 3rd Annual Conference was celebrated in New York City on October 6-8, 2000 with great success, and the DANR Board elected its second president, Hon. Adriano Espaillat, from New York. In 2000 the DANR arrived at a level of organizational development which included: successfully organizing the first Roundtable event in New York City in partnership with Columbia University and major corporate sponsors, establishing membership participation, allowing members in good standing to vote for a new Board of Directors, increasing the numbers of members entering the organization, and obtaining the Federal Exempt Status.

[2001]

The Roundtable opened its headquarters in Washington D.C and appointed Jose R. Bello as its Executive Director on October 1st, 2000. With the theme "Empowerment through Education:The Way for Dominican Americans" the 4th Annual Conference took place on December 7-9 in Washington D.C. At the closing of this conference, Ms. Ana I. García-Reyes was elected third president of the DANR, leading a diverse 27-member Board of Directors with an Executive Board made up of eight members, of whom seven were women.

[2002]

During 2002, DANR registered thousands of voters with the Dominican American Voter Registration and Participation Program in Manhattan, New York, and ran the Dominican Internship Program, which placed Dominican students in the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the US Senate Committee for International Relations. DANR also held two important meetings in Washington, DC, the Dominican American Business Legislative Meeting, where Dominican business leaders met with US legislators to discuss policy issues affecting our community, and our 5th Annual Conference entitled, "Our Local Empowerment Builds Our National Power." During the Conference, Ms. Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo was elected fourth president of the DANR. In addition, DANR published a 2002 Dominican American Calendar, to promote Dominican American artists, as well as, initiated an important advocacy agenda before the US Congress, the US Census Bureau, and Immigration and Naturalization Service, as to secure the rights of Dominicans in the United States and Puerto Rico.

[2003]

In April, DANR organized its first Congressional Delegation to the Dominican Republic, with the participation of 10 Members of Congress led by Rep. Charles Rangel and Rep. Cass Ballenger. In Washington, DC, DANR celebrated its second Business Legislative Meeting, as well as another successful edition of the Dominican Internship Program, and this time in partnership with the Group of Dominican Professionals of DC. In New York City, DANR sponsored a Dominican Heritage Celebration, and honored Dr. Hugo Morales, as the first Dominican Trustee at the City University of New York, as well as Hon. Adriano Espaillat, as Chairman of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican And Hispanic Legislative Caucus. In conjunction with other national Latino organizations, DANR actively advocated in favor of Affirmative Action programs by filling two historical amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court. DANR also advocated for several immigration and education bills that once passed will benefit immigrant students in the United States. As part of its yearly activities, DANR published the 2003 Dominican American Calendar to educate the public about our history in the United States, and celebrated its 6th Annual Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 10-12, 2003, with the theme "Dominican American Future: Health & Economic Empowerment. Creating Access in Health, Finance, and Education through Political Participation."

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HIGHLIGHTS 2002-2003 Below: DANR published the Dominican American Calendar 2003 to educate about our history in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Above: DANR Reception in New York City, honoring Hon. Adriano Espaillat, as Chairman of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican And Hispanic Legislative Caucus. (June 27, 2003) Below: DANR Assisted, in Washington DC, to the Family of the Victims of the Flight 587 (Octuber 2002)

Above: DANR opened the doors of US Congress to the President of the Dominican Republic Hipolito Mejia, in his first visit to US Congress.

(September 26, 2003)

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DANR visited New England (March 27-29, 2003)

Above: The CUNY -Dominican Studies Institute and DANR honored Dr. Hugo Morales, as the first Dominican appointed to the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York (October 17, 2002)

Above: DANR advocate on behalf of the Dominican American community on Capitol Hill, Washington DC (February 5, 2003). Among the 10 member of Congress visited was Rep. Steven R. Rothman from New Jersey.

Above :Mid-year Executive Board Meeting in Washington DC (July 12, 2003)

05 Above: DANR celebrated the Dominican Heritage at the White House

Dominican Internship Program, in partnership with the Group of Dominican Professionals of D.C. (Summer 2003)

Below: Second Business Legislative Meeting-Breakfast in Capitol Hill (July 10, 2003)

Above: In conjunction with other national Latino organizations, DANR filed two historical amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court in favor of Affirmative Action programs (March 2003).

Below: First DANR Congressional Delegation to the Dominican Republic with the participation of 10 Members of Congress led by Rep. Charles Rangel and Rep. Cass Ballenger. (April 23 - 27)

Above: DANR cosponsored the seminar " Dominican Dual Nationality: Consequences for Politics, Community and Identity " organized by the CUNYDominican Studies Institute and the Dante B. Fascell North-South Center, University of Miami. (December 5, 2003)

DANR organized Dominican Heritage Celebration in New York City (February 25)

6th Annual Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 1012, 2003.

Above: Dialogue on AIDS in the Dominican Community, Hosted by the Dominican Studies Institute at City College, with the participation of Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003 (June 23)

The DANR Board of Director celebrated its 5th anniversary during its annual retreat in Miami, FL. (December 5-7, 2002)

First DANR Congressional Delegation to the Dominican Republic

LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic sponsored a reception at the American Embassy in Santo Domingo. Margarita CepedaLeonardo, president of DANR addressed talked about the mission and role of the organization.

Sonia Guzman, Secretary of Commerce and Industry of the Dominican Republic, gave a Reception and Dinner for the Congressional Delegation. In this picture – Hans Hertell, American Ambassador in DR, Rep. Charles Rangel, Secretary Guzman, Rep. Donald Payne, Rep. Donna M. Christensen, and Carolina Mejia.

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Guest Receiving Line at the US EmbassyCongressman Cass Ballenger (R) and his wife, Ambassador Hans Hertell and his wife, Congressman Charles Rangel (D), Jorge Ivan Ramirez, President of Codetel and President of AMCHAM, Margarita Cepeda- LeonardoPresident of DANR.

The City Hall of Santiago and his Mayor recognized Rep. Donna M. Christensen from Virgin Island, Rep. David Dreier from California, Charles Rangel from New York and Rep. Donald Payne from New Jersey.

Jose Ramon Bello, Executive Director of DANR, introduced Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo to Monsignor Agripino Núnez Collado, Rector of the Pontifical University Mater et Magistra.

The congressional delegation visited several free trade zones parks. Here, members of the board of director of DANR, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Donald Payne, Rep. Donna M. Christensen, with Angel Rosario Viñas, the owner of Interamericana Products, in one of his factories in Santiago de los Caballeros.

Estimados Amigos, Almost six years ago a small group of individuals from across the country gathered together to dream and hope. They dreamed of a national organization that unites and represents all Dominican Americans around this great nation. They hoped to establish a permanent presence in Washington, DC, so as to gain a seat at the tables where policies affecting our community are written, advocated, lobbied, and finally, decided upon. They wanted to become the national voice and force behind real changes, to improve the circumstances of all Dominican Americans.

At the first roundtable meeting a promise was made. These pioneers promised to sacrifice their personal and institutional resources, time and local agendas to establish a national organization. Their vision has brought us to where we are now. Since then, the Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR) has had 45 different accomplished individuals serve on its Board, four distinguished leaders serve as its President, and one fine Executive Director. These are among the best and the bravest of our community committed to this effort. However, much work still needs to be done.

The most exciting, demanding and challenging projects that will benefit our community have yet to be created, financed, implemented, and evaluated. But let us put a real face to our concerns. Too many of our Dominicanos and Dominicanas are going from one job to the next one without any health insurance coverage.

Our schools are underfunded. Our youth do not have the proper incentive, information and support to go to college and aim high. Our small businesses are struggling to survive. Many of us here live from paycheck to paycheck, barely making ends meet, still unable able to see the day of achieving financial independence. Yet, despite all this, we manage to support our needy families in the Dominican Republic, while still feeding and clothing our own families here.

However, there is hope at the end of the tunnel. Francisco Perez gives us hope. He is a 2003 intern of DANR who moved from Harlem to Harvard University. Arlene Fernandez, another 2003 DANR intern, shows us how the youth, in going to "DR" to embrace her Dominican roots, are taking their own initiative to keep our cultural link alive. Others, like Tom Perez and Julio Guridi, give us the courage of running for political office outside of traditional Dominican constituencies and breaking ground as the first Dominican Americans elected in Maryland and Pennsylvania, respectively. And in another race, San Diego-raised track athlete Felix Sanchez represents us as winners before the eyes of the world.

Then there is Dr. Ramona Hernandez, who exemplifies our scholarly credentials by being published under the prestigious Columbia University Press. But, in our every day experience, we sit week after week to watch Judy Reyes from NBC’s comedy series "Scrubs" and go to the movies to see Manny Perez in "Washington Heights." These are just a few actors paving the path of Dominicans in Hollywood. We are breaking cycles and nullifying stereotypes.

The urgency of our community needs is immense but the horizon is reachable. DANR will continue its aggressive advocacy agenda in Washington, DC. DANR will keep engaging and representing Dominicans throughout all of the US. DANR will lead and train our youth and women to become stronger leaders in our communities. And every year, Dominicanos and Dominican Americans, will keep coming to these annual conferences to share our success stories, to learn from our mistakes, and to plan and strategize our national agenda to build a better future for all of us in the United States of America.

Disfruten la conferencia, y nos vemos el año que viene.

Jose Ramon Bello Executive Director

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LETTER OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE 6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE BY MOISES PEREZ, CO-FOUNDER OF DANR

NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON CRISES IN EDUCATION AND HEALTH WITHIN THE DOMINICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY As one of the founders of the Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR) it gives me great pleasure to stand here today joined by leaders and key decision-makers from a broad spectrum of the Dominican-American community to announce the Sixth Annual National Conference of DANR. The conference will be taking place this year between Friday, October 10 and Sunday, October 12, 2003, at the Atlantic City Convention Center and the Sheraton Atlantic City Hotel.

The mission of the Dominican American National Roundtable is to bring together the voices of all people of Dominican origin and enrich their quality of life by highlighting the contributions of Dominicans to the larger American society. Dominican Americans are becoming a powerful and integral part of the American fabric as their numbers and subsequent contributions increase. According to the latest Census figures, there are over one and a half million individuals of Dominican origin residing within the United States. Since 1997, DANR has been dedicated to advancing the education08 al, economic, legal, social, cultural, and political interests of this population through extensive analysis, planning, and action.

DANR is proud to be one of the few immigrant organizations that have established its national headquarters in Washington DC in order to actively work to be the voice of Dominicans and represent their interests in the policymaking capital of this great nation.

This year’s conference will focus on the issues critical to the Dominican community residing in the United States and will focus on the following theme: Dominican American Future: Creating Access to Health, Education and Finance through Political Participation. I am also proud to announce that Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Governor Jim McGreevey (R- NJ) will be participating at our conference this year.

The conference will give us an opportunity to discuss several critical national issues in depth and develop strategies and recommendations to alleviate the effects of the high percentage of the uninsured and the staggering rates of drop outs within our community.

The Plight of the Uninsured in the Dominican Community Forty one million Americans across the United States are living without health insurance and this number continues to climb especially amongst the ever-growing Latino population.

With health care costs rising, even more are likely to become uninsured as people and employers alike find it increasingly difficult to afford coverage.

Not having health insurance has serious con-

sequences for Latinos, with one-third of all Latinos residing in the United States today (approximately 12.6 million) being uninsured including one quarter of Latinos born in the US. In New York State alone, the rate of the nonelderly uninsured is thirty-one percent.

There are approximately 500,000 Dominicans residing within the United States that lack health insurance. This represents approximately one third of all Dominicans in the US. Only thirty-six percent of Dominicans currently have subsidized health coverage (Medicaid) and thirty four percent are covered through their employers.

Nevertheless, the most staggering statistic for our community in this regard is that 23 percent or approximately 350,000 Dominican children are uninsured today. This is a major crisis for the Dominican community.

When our community lacks health insurance, they delay needed health care, live with illnesses and die younger. Latinos are more than three times more likely to be uninsured than white, non-Latinos.

According to Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, a leading researcher on the uninsured and an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Columbia University "Latinos suffer staggering health consequences from being uninsured.

Diabetes is 2-3 times more common in Latinos, which can cause blindness, kidney failure, and leg amputation if untreated. Asthma is 3-5 times more common in Latino kids."

Clearly these numbers indicate that the reforms of the past two decades have not been sufficient to address this prevalent issue and that its time to explore other solutions. Our health care leaders, elected officials and community leaders need to think of innovative ways to adequately address this crisis and eliminate barriers to health care access and insurance amongst Dominicans.

Education for Dominican-Americans: A Dream Differed Various studies including those performed by the National Education Association and the Pew Hispanic Center on the Latino student drop out rates point to alarming statistics that make it necessary for our community to demand higher standards and develop comprehensive strategies to ensure that all children can succeed.

The current system does not accomplish this and certainly does not meet the needs of all students when foreign born or native-born Latino students are dropping out at rates higher than any other group. The drop out rate among Latino students born in the United States is alarming--15 percent higher than the rate of white teenagers--but it is considerably less than that of foreign-born Hispanics, which is

34 percent.This figure released in the year 2000 is the same as in 1990.

The number of Latino students that drop out of school is increasing due to immigration and higher birth rates. The challenge for foreignborn Latino students seems insurmountable and is becoming more serious with time. According to the Pew Hispanic Center study, Hispanic Youth Dropping Out of U.S. Schools: Measuring the Challenge, eighty percent of Latino students who are recent immigrants do not know English or know very little. In addition to not knowing English, the necessity of working to send money home to family members in their country of origin—or to support their families living here places an additional burden on these students.

It is also important to mention that violence in schools and fragile family situations are additional factors that push students out of schools at an early age. However, the fact remains that many of the barriers are institutional. For example, it is well documented that many English Language Learners (ELLs) are encouraged by school staff to pursue a GED instead of

a regular high school diploma, which has inherent dangers for their future careers and for possible higher learning. In New York, the drop out rate for ELLs is approaching 50%.

These barriers pose many challenges for policymakers and community leaders. Clearly, gaining proficiency in English is critically important for Latino students, and major improvements are needed in the quality of ESL instruction.

However, focusing only on English proficiency, without providing an extended school day, weekend and year round classes, will result in Latinos falling behind in other core subjects and not being able to pass required Regents exams in math, science and social studies.

Dear Colleagues: It has been my privilege and honor to serve as the Dominican American National Roundtable’s (DANR) Chairman of this year’s 6th Annual National Conference. This was a responsibility I took very seriously because I am serious about the health, education, and financial issues that continue to plague our communities.

As a founding member of the DANR, I am proud of how far we have come but look fiercely forward to all we have yet to do. While I acknowledge that being successful is important to most of us, I challenge us to go beyond our own immediate gratification and look toward creating a national common agenda. If we are to prosper, we must focus our energy in bringing about changes for the betterment of our Dominican community. This does not happen overnight, or even in a 26-week novela, rather it is an ongoing process.

We must dedicate ourselves to empowering ourselves, to demanding a better education for and of our kids, to lowering the rate of high school dropouts, to participating in the local political process, and to embracing the need for a real unification. As community leaders and professional role models, our community deserves our commitment and our dedication.When we commit to the fight of and dedicate our time to any organization there is simply no limit to what we can achieve. All of us here are a testament to that.

We all want to change the world, but remember change starts within ourselves, both as individual and as a community. We must do away with the divisionism that is eroding our community, and concentrate our efforts on demanding better treatment for our immigrant brothers and sisters. We must demand from our local political representatives a true commitment to the plight of our people. We must allow our voices to be heard, and not without political impunity.

Thus, today I challenge each of you to take advantage of this year’s conference to create new networks, find new mentors/mentees, and learn how to build your capacity. Most importantly, leave here with an action plan. Then do it!

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my Co-Chair Muriel Alfonseca, the New Jersey Conference Committee, Wendy Martinez, and especially to Margarita Cepeda, a true and dear good friend who is a genuine leader of the Dominican American community.

Best Regards, Rhadames Peguero 2003 Conference Chairman

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DANR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM G PRINCIPLES

A LETTER FROM DOMINICAN AFFAIRS OF NEW JERSEY, MARIA TERESA FELICIANO

Estimados Amigos:

CLASS 2003

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Madiuska Batista Yonkers, NY Fordham University DC Office of Congressman Charles Rangel

Deni Taveras Perth Amboy, NJ Princeton University Dominican American National Roundtable Inter-American Development Bank

Arlene Fernandez Flushing, NY University of Pennsylvania DC Mayor Office of Latino Affairs, Berth Corona Leadership Institute

Erika Tusen Washington Heights, NY University of Pennsylvania Inter-American Development Bank

Francisco Perez Morningside Heights, NY Harvard University Children Defense Fund Dominican American National Roundtable Lourdes Rivas Santo Domingo, DR Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra DC Office of Congressman Charles Rangel

Below from left to right in the first line, Deni Taveras, Erika Tusen, Madiuska Batista, Jose Ramon Bello, Martha Soto, Arlene Fernandez, and Francisco Perez. In the second line, Ricardo Tejada, Ambassador Hugo Guliani Cury and his wife, Margarita Cepeda and Cid Wilson

Martha Soto Bronx, NY Bronx Community College DC Office of Congressman Jose Serrano

“The Dominican Internship Program has provided me with a solid foundation for my career and personal maturation. Through my internship at the InterAmerican Development Bank, I was able to apply the knowledge that I have acquired in college to real world projects.The DIP also provided me with the opportunity to meet an amazing group of people; I interacted with some of the most driven and successful people that I have ever met. In addition to developing strong relationships with many of them, these admirable Dominicans served the role of mentors as they shared their experiences and advice. The experiences and resources that the DIP has provided me will facilate my full-time job search as I approach the end of my college career.”

Erika Tusen University of Pennsylvania- Class of 2004 Double Majoring in Economics and Psychology

Above: Erika Tusen, DIP Intern talked about her experience at the Dominican Internship Program Reception at the Residence the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Hugo Guiliani Cury. Also in the picture, Ricardo Tejada, President of Group of Dominican Professionals in Washington DC, Jose Ramon Bello, Executive Director of DANR, and Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo, President of DANR. Above: Congressman Charles Rangel talked at the Reception of the Dominican Internship Program in Washington DC. Also in the picture Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo, Jose Ramon Bello, Amb. Hugo Guiliani and Ricardo Tejada.

As Director of the New Jersey Conference on Dominican Affairs it gives me great pleasure to welcome The Dominican American National Roundtable to New Jersey. We salute and with the utmost respect, extend our arms in solidarity to the men and women who have undertaken the honorable task of building a National Agenda for Dominicans.

As one of the fastest growing groups in the country, we lead the pack in the Garden State, home of five of the ten cities nationwide with “significant increase in Dominican population”. We are cognizant of the importance of each state creating a space to tackle the issues affecting our growth as a pueblo, if we are to weave the quilt of a National Agenda and make the objectives of the roundtable a reality. With this in mind The New Jersey State Conference on Dominican Affairs makes a state presence through which our accomplishments may be recorded and our areas of need identified.

It is with great satisfaction that I note that we have made inroads in the business sector, educational y social fields and the political arena: We have elected five councilpersons and nine commissioners and have caused the appointment of twenty three commissioners to different boards as well as representatives to the office of the Secretary of State, Department of Personnel,The United States Attorney General, and the Judiciary.

We are encouraged by the commitment and resolve of Dominicans throughout the country to ensure that the definition of our role in this society is not left to chance, but is guided by those genuinely concerned about it.

Congratulations! We are in for the duration. Let’s enjoy a meaningful and enlightening conference.

Un abrazo,

Maria Teresa Feliciano

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DANR PUBLIC POLICY GUIDING PRINCIPLES IMMIGRATION

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• Family Unification The Dominican American community values family, and DANR promotes policies, laws and regulations that increase legal immigration, especially base on the principle of family unification.

• DANR is interested in the reduction of the "affidavit of support" of the immigrant sponsor to easy the reintegration in the United States of Dominican divided families.

• Regulation of unauthorized Dominicans There are thousand of law-abiding, hard working and tax-paying Dominicans living in the United States asking for new paths to legal permanent residence. For national security reasons all people living in the United States need to live openly, not in the shadows.

• To fully incorporate Dominicans in the US society the DANR asks the legalization of all Dominicans living in the United State territory.

• Promotion of US Citizenship Although, the decision to become a US citizen is a personal decision, DANR encourages and promotes a full incorporation of all Dominicans with US residence to acquire the US Citizenship.

• DANR asks government and private foundations to give support to Citizenship program that DANR is establishing.

• Asylum in the United States DANR believes that all immigrants requesting asylum in the United States has to have equal treatment under the US laws and INS regulations.

• DANR asks the US Department of Justice to revisit current policies that give different treatment to different group of immigrants.

• Deportation of lawful Dominican citizens According to some interpretations of the current immigration laws a misdemeanor can lead to one's removal from the United States, no matter how long he or she has been a lawful permanent resident.

• DANR ask the US Department of Justice to work to modify the punitive interpretation of the immigration law that can lead to one's removal from the United States.

• Permanent restoration of Section §245(i) §245(i) Section gives immigrants an opportunity to apply for residency without having to

leave the country provided that certain requirements are met.

• We advocate for a permanent restoration of §245(i) to facilitate family reunification and allow business to maintain needed employees.

EDUCATION • Drop-out/ School Retention Dominican communities suffer one of the highest rates of dropouts among all major Latino communities. This is, as DANR recognizes, one of the greatest challenges of Dominican Americans.

• DANR requests assistance, funding and attention to programs working towards the school retention among our students.

• New research mush be funded to more accurately ascertain the reasons as to why Latinos drop out of high school in greater numbers than everyone else in the nation.

• Access to Higher Education DANR supports legislation and programs that foster recruitment, retention and graduation of Dominicans student from college. Specially, we value majors in education and science, and encourage our students to seek graduate programs.

• DANR will praise any legislation that enhances educational opportunities for Latinos and easy access to scholarship, grants, educational loans, etc.

• English as a Second Language As a window for the incorporation of Dominicans to the US job market and US society, DANR promotes and supports ESL programs for Dominican communities in Puerto Rico and in the United States.

• We ask for an increment in government funds to support ESL programs in our communities.

• Dual Language Because we live in a global economy the DANR praises the richness of bilingual education. We encourage Dominican families to teach and practice Spanish, as well as to learn and practice English.

• DANR promotes policies that guarantee the use and practice of Spanish for the coming generation of Dominican Americans.

• Professional Accreditation Many Dominican professionals that recently migrated to US are facing problems of working in their professional fields.

• DANR supports legislation and regulations that facilitate the accreditation in the US of foreign professionals.

• We ask for programs that help to transfer foreign professional skills onto the US job market.

• School choice Community practitioners and education leaders must be brought together to breach the gap between theory and practice, so appropriate access to basic education is identified.

• DANR believe that alternative models such as charter schools must be designed, implemented and evaluated.

• The business community must be brought into the dialogue as we attempt to figure out how to reduce the rate and numbers of Drop outs and school choice.

ELECTORAL RIGHTS • Political Endorsements DANR does not endorse any political candidates, nor does we advice our membership to vote for any one.

• However, in general terms we appreciate all US candidates, regardless their national origin, that legitimate promote and defend our communities.

• Voter registration and electoral civic participation DANR promotes voter registration and electoral participation of all Dominicans with US citizenship.

• We encourage Dominican American community base organizations to establish non-partisan programs of voter registration in our communities and DAND asks government and private foundations to support such programs.

• Redistricting The Voter Laws of 1965 was a centerpiece of the Civil Rights movement.

• Continuing this tradition, the DANR will promote electoral district that easy the participation and political advance of Latinos, and especially Dominicans in the United States.

• Regulation of political financial contribution to foreign political parties In compliance with US regulation DANR believes that all political fundraiser activities of foreign political parties need to have the same scrutiny and accountability as domestic political fundraising activities.

• DANR asks for laws and policies that facilitate the supervision of Dominican Republic

political organization and parties’ activities in the United States and Puerto Rico.

• Non-political elected appointees The Dominican American community needs to be represented in senior level non-elected appointees at all level of government, from city, state to federal level.

• DANR encourages the promotion of Dominican appointees.

HEALTH AND AGING • Health Insurance Programs Latinos and Dominicans represent the largest sector of the uninsured in the nation.

• DANR supports programs and initiatives to increase access and enrollment regardless of immigration status, in health insurance programs.

• DANR supports programs and initiatives aimed at reducing health disparities in areas such as: Asthma,Tuberculosis, Diabetes, Cancer/Breast Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health as well as others.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Dominican American Chambers of Commerce alliance with DANR The Dominican community has been characterized an entrepreneurial community. DANR recognizes the importance of our business organizations for the success of the whole Dominican community.

• DANR encourages a strong alliance of all Dominican American Chambers of Commerce to enhance the future of our business community.

• DANR calls on the Small Business Administration to aid a process of institutional training and capacity building of Dominican Chambers of Commerce all around the country.

• Employment and Training The Dominican community is largely a community of workers with a broad range of needs. Youth, newly arrived, displaced workers, underemployed, and women are technologically illiterate. Lack of employment and training is highly needed.

• DANR supports the design and implementa-

tion of a map study around certain conditions and needs and interests of Dominican American workers.

• Remittances Dominican Americans send annually the largest foreign aid coming from the United States to the Dominican Republic. This aid represents the first source of income of the Dominican Republic and it the result of the hard working culture and the solidarity of Dominican Americans.

• DANR demands that private financial institution and governmental regulators work together on a reduction of transferring costs of these remittances.

• Private financial institution, as responsible partner of our community, should be involve in the development of the Dominican American community.

• Giving the importance of remittances for the deployment of the Dominican Republic, DANR supports programs that use part of the Dominican American remittances to direct programs of development.

• Promotion of Community Base Organizations that service Dominican American communities DANR asserts that the Dominican American communities are underserved by a lack of Dominican American community-base organizations, therefore we consider crucial to promote organizations that provide direct services to our communities.

• Government officials, corporation and private foundations need to support Dominican organizations, and US elected officials may provide startup money from discretionary funds available.

HOUSING • Housing Ownership At the core of the American dream is home ownership. DANR encourages Dominicans in the United States to buy a residence.

• DANR requests to agencies like the House and Urban Department, and private financial institutions to create programs that easy the access to credit ownership for Dominican families.

• Affordable Housing Rent High rents affect a disproportionate number of Dominicans in the US and PR. • DANR calls on lawmakers throughout the community to approve rent stabilization pro-

grams and provide affordable housing.

• DANR supports the creation of more affordable housing throughout the US and Puerto Rico and the extension of rent control and stabilization in New York State in the year 2003.

RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER AND SEXUALITY • Race and Ethnicity As Dominicans are a racially, ethnically, socially, and culturally diverse population with a very strong African ancestry, plus important aboriginal, European, and Asian roots, DANR recognizes, respects, and celebrates ethnic and racial difference.

• DANR is committed to building bridges with African Americans and other communities of color to work together in projects of common concern.

• Similarly, DANR is committed to forging collaboration ties to and building broad coalition with other subsections of the Latino community with which Dominicans share needs and concerns.

• Gender Women play a central role in the future of the Dominican American community, especially since women outnumber men in the Dominican workforce and the majority of Dominican households are headed by women • DANR embraces a policy of gender equality and vigorously oppose any act of discrimination against women or any exclusion or unfair treatment based on gender-bias • Sexuality As an institution that is committed to diversity and the recognition of difference DANR acknowledges, values, and respects people’s different sexual orientations, include gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender, and transsexual members of the Dominican Community.

• As such, DANR will not ally itself with any institution known to have intentionally engaged in practices of exclusion or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

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sixth annual conference Agenda

CONVENTION CENTER FOURTH FLOOR FLOOR PLAN

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2003

•Organizational Development Seminar - by invitation only

4 pm

Coffee Break

Registration at the Sheraton Hotel 7 pm

Welcoming Reception - Sheraton Hotel Pearl Ballroom

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2003 7:30 am

Registration – Atlantic City Convention Center 8:30 am

Breakfast – Universal Health Coverage: Health Disparities in the Latino Communities - The Dominicans Perspective.

9:30 am

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Workshops •Profile of the Uninsured and Politics of Health Care •Politics of Education and Media Involvement •Status of US Dominican Student Associations •Finance & Economic Empowerment through Political Participation •Dominican Women at a Political Crossroad: Race, Class and Gender

10:45 am 11:00 am

Plenary •The Educational Disparities from Pre-K to Higher Education: Federal, City and State •Profile of US Business Trends & Investment Opportunities in the US 12:30 pm

Luncheon – Dominican American Political Participation in the US 2:00 pm

Workshops •Strategies to Improve Personal Finances •Best Practices:Traditional vs. Non Traditional:The administrative perspective vs. the teacher Perspective •National Voters Registration Education Initiative •Dominican Health Professional in the US •Organizational Development Seminar 3:30 pm

Coffee Break

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4:00 pm

Presentation of the website "Dominicanos en la Web" 4:30 pm

Panel •The Participation and Full integration of Minority Communities in the Political American Process 4:30 pm

The Film Santo Domingo Blues 5:30 pm

Women Empowerment Gathering 7:00 pm

GALA Reception 8:00 pm

Gala Dinner and Dominican Fiesta

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2003 9 am

Breakfast - Sheraton Hotel Pearl Ballroom Annual Meeting of the Membership

ATLANTIC CITY

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Past Presidents

DANR

D O M I N I C A N A M E R I C A N N AT I O N A L R O U N D TA B L E Victor Capellán 1999-2000

Excellence Award in Health 2003 Rafael De La Cruz Polonia, MD Rita Basilia Gómez

Hon. Adriano Espaillat 2000-2001

Ausberto Hidalgo, MD Ana Victoria Lamarche Rafael Lantigua, MD Salomon Melgen, MD Hugo Morales, MD

Ana García-Reyes 2001-2002

Aritmedes Restituyo, MD Felipe Rodríguez, MD James A. Wilson, MD

Special Recognition Dr. Manuel Acevedo Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo 2002-2003

Dr. Fermín Almonte José Contreras, MD Bienvenido Fajardo, MD Luis Guerrero, MD Juanita Jenyons, MD Carlos Lithgow, MD Walid Michelin, MD Rafael Tapia Mendoza, MD Rafael Tejeda, MD

01

Top 25

Congressional Districts with the highest Dominican population*

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DOMINICANS IN NEW JERSEY*

By Cid D.Wilson

New Jersey boasts the second largest population of Dominicans in the United States, with over 150,000 Dominicans residing in the Garden State. Unlike most other states where Dominicans are clustered into one community, New Jersey has numerous separate Dominican communities in Paterson, Passaic, Newark, Jersey City, Union City,Trenton, Camden, Atlantic City, and Perth Amboy. According the 2000 U.S. Census, four of the top ten cities, with the largest population increases of Dominicans, are in New Jersey.

In the early years of Dominican migration to New Jersey, the community was reliant on New York for its needs, ranging from authentic Dominican food and merchandise to airline travel to the Dominican Republic.Today, virtually all of the communities in New Jersey are self-supporting with authentic goods and services available within the communities they serve. Newark Liberty International Airport now has non-stop flights to Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, and Santiago.

New Jersey possesses three Dominican Day Parades: Jersey City, Union City/West New York, and Paterson. The New Jersey State Dominican Day Parade & Festival in Paterson is among the top five largest Dominican parades in the United States.

Some of the more prominent Dominican organizations in NJ include Casa Dominicana of Paterson, the Dominican American Council of NJ in Hackensack, Conciencia Politica Dominicana (COPODO) in Hudson County, Congreso Domínico-Americano de Nueva Jersey in Hudson County,Alianza Domínico-Americana in Jersey City, Dominican American Community Association of Perth Amboy,Alianza para el Desarrollo Dominicano-Americano in Jersey City, and Asociación Dominicana De Perth Amboy.

Sociedad Estudiantil Dominicana at Rutgers University is largest Dominican student organization in the state.

The New Jersey Conference on Dominican Affairs is the largest annual gathering of Dominican leaders in the state, having had three successful conferences, and planning for its fourth annual conference in February 2004. The conference attracts elected officials from New Jersey and Dominican leaders from New Jersey, New York and the Dominican Republic. As a result of this annual conference, the various Dominican communities within New Jersey have begun to function more like one large community.

Dominicans in New Jersey have followed the footsteps of New York and New England by increasing their political activism and running candidates for public office. In November 2001,

Ramón “Tito” Rosario of Atlantic City became one of the first Dominican to be elected to any city council in New Jersey’s history. It wasn't long before other Dominicans would join Councilman Rosario including Manuel Segura, who was elected Councilman-At-Large in Trenton in 2002;Tilo Rivas, who was elected Commissioner in Union City in 2002; and Ercides Aguasvivas who was elected Commissioner in West New York in 2003. Also in 2002, Lizette Delgado became the first Dominican in the U.S. to be appointed to the Office of the Secretary of State as Assistant Secretary of State and Robin Andujar became the first Dominican appointed as Assistant Commissioner of the NJ Department of Personnel in U.S. history.

* Dominican American Calendar 2003, Dominican American National Roundtable

Rank

District

US Congressional Representative

Dominicans

Latinos

1

Congressional District 15 - New York

Rep. Charles Rangel

123,807

313,114

2

Congressional District 16 - New York

Rep. José Serrano

100,801

410,986

3

Puerto Rico

Rep. Anibal Acevedo-Vila

56,146

3,762,746

4

Congressional District 12 - New York

Rep. Nydia Velásquez

54,087

317,550

5

Congressional District 13 - New Jersey

Rep. Robert Menéndez

35,818

308,247

6

Congressional District 8 - New Jersey

Rep. William Pascrell, Jr.

28,006

167,117

7

Congressional District 7 - New York

Rep. Joseph Crowley

26,940

258,581

8

Congressional District 5 - New York

Rep. Gary Ackerman

26,322

153,721

9

Congressional District 17 - New York

Rep. Eliot Engel

22,247

133,691

10

Congressional District 5 - Massachusetts

Rep. Martin Meehan

20,046

74,014

11

Congressional District 10 - New York

Rep. Edolphus Towns

15,266

112,513

12

Congressional District 2 - Rhode Island

Rep. James Langevin

14,371

51,606

13

Congressional District 6 - New York

Rep. Gregory Meeks

13,389

110,277

14

Congressional District 9 - New Jersey

Rep. Steven Rothman

13,105

122,001

15

Congressional District 8 - Massachusetts

Rep. Michael Capuano

11,336

100,878

16

Congressional District 21 - Florida

Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart

11,151

445,275

17

Congressional District 18 - New York

Rep. Nita Lowey

10,768

106,056

18

Congressional District 17 - Florida

Rep. Kendrick Meek

10,461

135,334

19

Congressional District 25 - Florida

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart

10,174

398,852

20

Congressional District 9 - New York

Rep. Anthony Weiner

8,809

89,203

21

Congressional District 6 - Massachusetts

Rep. John Tierney

8,805

28,122

22

Congressional District 18 - Florida

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

8,410

400,633

23

Congressional District 4 - New York

Rep. Caroline McCarthy

8,331

89,291

24

Congressional District 10 - New Jersey

Rep. Donald Payne

7,992

97,250

25

Congressional District 11 - New York

Rep. Major Owens

7,812

9,366

Source: US Census Bureau 2000; 108th Congressional Districts (100 Percent). *Note: These figures do not account for 25% of misrepresentation among Dominicans and 0.7% of undercount for Hispanics as determined by the US Census Bureau.

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Thanks

THANKS AND CREDITS DANR Washington DC Office & Conference Staff José Ramón Bello – Executive Director Deni Taveras – DANR Fellow and Researcher Wendy Martinez – Conference Logistic Coordinator Terryl De Mendonca – Accountant José Guillermo Díaz – Graphic Designer, fourdiaz design Marta Jarramillo – Graphic Designer, Graphicmart Domingo Santos – Wed Master María Pereira – Printer, United Reprographic Services, Inc Laura Díaz – DC Volunteer Maria Teresa Tejada – DC Volunteer

Member of the US Congress that have supported us during the last 12 months

Senator John Corzine - NJ Hon. Anibal Acevedo-Vila - PR Hon. Cass Ballenger - NC Hon. Charles Bass - NH Hon. Donna ChristianChristensen - VI Hon. Lincoln Diaz Balart FL Hon. Mario Diaz Balart FL Hon. David Dreier - CA Hon. Eliot Engel - NY Hon. Patrick Kennedy - RI Hon. James Langevin - RI Hon. Robert Menéndez NJ Hon. Donald Payne - NJ Hon. Charles Rangel - NY Hon. Steven Rothman NJ

Raquel Bouduix, – FL Volunteer, MBHC

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Elsa del Brio – FL Volunteer, MBHC Madiuska Batista – Intern Arlene Fernández – Intern Francisco Pérez – Intern Lourdes Rivas – Intern Martha Soto – Intern Erika Tusen – Intern

People of Washington DC that have supported us during the last 12 months Abel Guerra – White House Associate Director, Office of Public Liaison Ambassador Hugo Giuliani Cury and his staff at the Embassy of the Dominican Republic Annie Minguez – Legislative Correspondence of Congressman Charles Rangel Caleb McCarry – US House Subcommittee of Western Hemisphere

Hon. Jose Serrano - NY Eimer Ramon, Janitor George Daily – DC Chief of Staff Congressman Charles Rangel Josefina Sánchez – DC Scheduler of Congress Jose Serrano Leonard Rodriguez, White House White House Political Office Lourdes Washington – DANR Board Member from Maryland Muriel Alfonseca – DANR Board Member from Maryland Personnel of Source Office Suites, Inc Roberto Alvarez – DANR Board Member from Washington DC The Board of Directors of the Group of Dominican Professionals Virgilio Mota – Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. Zenaida Mendez – DANR Board Member living in DC during 2003

Hon. Nick Smith - MI Hon. Nydia Velásquez NY Hon. Melvin Watt - NC Hon. Anthony Weiner – NY Hon. Jerry Weller - IL

Frank Rainieri – Grupo Punta Cana George Arzeno Brugal – Brugal & Co. Hipolito Mejia – President of the Dominican Republic Hon. Hans H. Hertell – United States Ambassador in the Dominican Republic Jeannette Domínguez – Consejo Nacional de Zonas Francas de Exportación Jorge Ivan Ramirez – Presidente Codetel, President of AMCHAM Jose Clase – De Clase Confections Jose Torres – ADOZANA Leonel Fernandez Reyna – President of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo Luisa Sanchez – American Arlines, Latin American Division Milagros Ortiz Bosch – Vice President of the Dominican Republic Mons. Agripino Nuñez Collado – Rector, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra Octavio Rivera – Journalist Rafael Perelló – Industrias Banileja Sonia Guzman – Secretary of Industry and Commerce

People in the Dominican Republic that have supported us the DANR

Bernardo Vega – Chair of the DANR Advisory Committee Carlos Ros – Ros & Asociados, Former President of AMCHAM Eduardo Martínez Lima – Central Romana Corporation

Carl Dunn, Consigner

Felix Garcia – Envases Antillanos

Chandri Navarro-Bowman – Greenberg Traurig LLP

Fernando Capellán – Grupo M

Greg Malave – Office of Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham Hon. Axel Miranda – Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Gov. James E. McGreevey Hon. Cid Wilson – VP of DANR, Commissioner of Bergen Co. Improvement Authority Hon. Ercides Aguasvivas – West New York Commissioner Hon. Ida Castro – Commissioner, NJ Department of Personnel Hon. Lizette Delgado – Asst. NJ Secretary of State Hon. Manuel Segura – Trenton Councilman-AtLarge Hon. Ramon Rosario – Atlantic City CouncilmanAt-Large Hon. Robin Andujar – Asst. NJ Commissioner, NJ Department of Personnel

Claribel Azcona – Office of Lizette Delgado Consuelo Evans – DANR Board Member

Wendy Martinez – DANR Conference Logistic Coordinator The People of the City of Atlantic City

2002-2003 Sponsors

AMERICATEL Anheuser Busch Asociación de Zonas Francas de la Republica Dominicana BPD International Bank Bronx Community College Brugal & Co. Central Romana Corporation Cerveza Presidente in DC Citibank Coca-Cola Columbia University Con Edison Consejo Nacional de Zonas Francas de Exportación CUNY De Clase Confections Dominican American Chamber - NYC Dominican Embassy in Washington Envases Antillanos

Greenberg Traurig LLP

John Santana – Office of Sen. Jon Corzine

Hispanic Year Book

Josefina Infante – DANR Board Member

Industrias Banileja

Kelly Albert – The Atlantic City Convention Center

Maria Paulino – Desfile Estatal Dominicano De NJ

Barbara Ashcroft – The Atlantic City Convention Center

Ronette Martin – Sheraton Atlantic City Hotel

American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic

Israel Romero – El Especial/Save Latin America

William Malamud – Vicepresidente Ejecutivo AMCHAM

Alma Santana – Former Deputy Mayor of Jersey City

Robert Guzman – Noticiero Dominicano de NJ

fourdiaz design

Kevin Drennan – Office of Sen. Jon Corzine

People of New Jersey that have supported the DANR Conference over the last 12 months

Raul Acosta – Oro Solido Band

Hon.Tilo Rivas – Union City Commissioner

Victor Tejada – Periódico El Caribe

Angel Rosario Viñas – Interamericana Products Arturo Peguero – ADOZONA

Elise Sosa – Kean College

Maria Teresa Feliciano – New Jersey Conference on Dominican Affairs

Goya Foods Health Plus - Prepaid Health Services Hostos Community College Interamericana Products sabella Geriatric Center Lehman College Local 1199 Solidarity Fund Mayor's Office of Latino Affairs National Supermarket Association NY Presbyterian Hospital NYS Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat

Marisol Pabón – Office of Councilman Ramon Rosario

Periódico El Caribe

Miosotis Muñoz, NYC Office of Congressman Charles Rangel

Punta Cana Beach and Resort Club

Nelson Valdez – DANR Boardmember Nilda Wilson – Dominicanos Pro Ayuda A La Niñez Rafael Marte – COPODO

Pfizer Semana Dominicana Verizon Viva 900 Radio Western Union