Corporate CEOs to Strategize on American Latino Market at Chicago Forum; New America Alliance to Host CEOs at Forum on Latino Market.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 28, 2003

Diversity in America's board rooms makes good business sense, and America's corporate CEOs are pondering the inclusion of American Latinos at the highest levels of their businesses. On May 1, chief executives of several Fortune 500 companies will converge at the Chicago Club, to strategize on tapping into the burgeoning American Latino market, to expand their consumer base as well as to recruit talented workers. In its typically assertive approach to American finance, New America Alliance (NAA) has challenged the corporate CEOs to take inclusion to the highest level, and recruit American Latinos for expanding participation and influence of American Latinos in America's corporate boards.

The Spring Conference occurs May 1 and 2, 2003, in Chicago, Ill. All events, with the exception of the CEO Forum at the Chicago Club, will take place at the Swissotel Chicago Hotel, 323 East Wacker Drive. The conference opens Thursday, May 1, when Moctesuma Esparza, NAA chair, rings the bell to open the Chicago Stock Exchange. Esparza will be joined by members of the Illinois State Hispanic Caucus and directors of New America Alliance.

The conference will identify opportunities for increasing the presence of American Latinos serving on corporate boards in the U.S. and the benefit of diversity in upper levels of corporate governance and management. Although 13 percent of the U.S. population is Latino, they only hold 1.8 percent of corporate board posts. "Considering the strength of the buying power of the growing American Latino market, estimated at $600 billion dollars, increased American Latino representation in national leadership is a good and imperative business decision," indicated Moctesuma Esparza, New America Alliance chair of the Board.

In an unprecedented move, NAA will host CEOs from several of America's major corporations, to strategize on inclusion of American Latinos in corporate boardrooms. Alan J. Lacy, Chairman and CEO of Sears Roebuck; John W. Rowe, President, Chair and CEO of Exelon Corporation; and Lester Crown, Chairman, Material Service Corporation; are headliners for the forum, which also includes CEOs of Enesco, Duff & Phelps, Nuveen and several others. Attorney Manuel Sanchez of Sanchez & Daniels will moderate the event. Chicago-based corporations are highlighted in this first CEO forum; NAA plans to replicate the forum in cities around the country.

On Friday morning, executive search expert David Gomez will moderate a nuts-and-bolts working session on recruiting and preparing American Latino corporate candidates with senior management from corporate and finance. The second morning session will focus on increasing availability of investment capital in order to accelerate Latino business expansion and the generation of business start-ups. Moderated by Victor Maruri, of Hispania Capital Partners, the panel will include senior representatives from Bank One, LaSalle Bank, and Strategic Investment Group.

At Friday's Luncheon Gery Chico, chairman of the law firm of Altheimer and Gray and US Senate candidate, will deliver the keynote address.

The Political Leadership Session features Illinois State Representative Edward Acevedo, Chicago Alderman Edward M. Burke, and moderator Martin Cabrera of Cabrera Capital. The Philanthropy Awards Dinner will recognize Latino leaders for their accomplishments in education, investment in Latino businesses, and civic participation.

To register for the conference, call 202-772-2053. Sponsors for the Wall Street Summit are: Sears, Roebuck & Co., Bank One Corporation, Duff & Phelps & Hispania Capital Partners, Exelon Corporation, LaSalle Bank, SpencerStuart, Coca Cola Company, Vanir Group, Goya Foods, Evans Food Products, and Strategic Investment Group.

The New America Alliance (http://www.naaonline.org) is an organization of American Latino business leaders united to promote the well being of the American Latino community, with a focus on education, economic and political empowerment, strategic philanthropy, and public policy advocacy, to improve the quality of life in the United States.