Yolanda Puyana from Mexico
Latino Community Leader, President & Founder of Hacienda (former Hispanic Community Center). Dr. Puyana organized the Roanoke Latino Festival for 15 years and was a Spanish Columnist at The Roanoke Times.
Maria (Mary) and Francisco (Kiko) Gonzalez from Venezuela and Mexico
Francisco Gonzalez, is the product Innovation Coordinator at Metalsa – a Mexico founded vehicle technology company in Roanoke, and Maria Gonzalez is a medical interpreter at Carilion Clinic both have been often recognized for their excellence.
Josue Gonzalez from Cuba
Entrepreneur, wrought iron sculptor and former physicist who creatively makes the dreams of many families in Virginia a reality through the remodeling of their gardens.
Patricia Sagasti Suppes, Ph.D. from Peru
Dr. Sagasti Suppes is Director of International Programs and Associate Professor of Spanish at Ferrum College. She also is involved in immigration reform activism and in the leadership of the Blue Ridge Resistance Alliance of Virginia.
Irma Laskar, Gustavo Ruiz and Esperanza Laskar and Gustavo Ruiz Jr. from Colombia
Irma Laskar and the Ruiz Lascar family from Colombia are the founders of SOMOS Virginia, a Spanish media outlet created to keep the Hispanic community in Southwest Virginia informed, as well as to support local businesses, bringing important resources for their growth. Founded in 2015 as a print magazine and evolving later into a digital medium with a permanent presence on its own website and social networks.
Joslaine Austin from Brazil
Joslaine Austin is President and Founder of Arara Language Solutions, LLC, with headquarters in Roanoke. A native of São Paulo, Brazil, she has more than 20 years of experience as a professional interpreter. She is fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Jose and Zuheil Banuelos from Mexico
Dr. José F. Bañuelos – Montes, Chair of the Modern Languages at Roanoke College, and Zuheil A. Bañuelos are autism parents, business owners and activists involved in the community with Casa Latina, Roanoke Valley Autism Support Group and Grupo de Apoyo a la Comunidad.
Vivian Sanchez-Jones from Dominican Republic
Vivian is a Latino leader who began working with Refugee and Immigration Services as the school liaison for immigrant children in 2004. Since then she has worked with several hundred Latino families in the Roanoke Valley, helping them navigate the school system and community services.
Susana Nunez from Honduras
Dedicated hair stylist with more than 20 years of experience. Susana (Susan Designs) works with the external and the internal beauty of many Latinos in Roanoke and often organizes fundraisers to contribute to noble causes.
Rita Martin, Ph.D. from Cuba
Dr. Martin is an Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Radford University also is an experienced book writer and a communicator.
Elda Stanco Downey, Ph.D. from Venezuela
Founder and CEO of Roanoke Spanish. She holds an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Romance Languages & Literatures from The University of Chicago, an M.A. and a PhD in Hispanic Studies from Brown University. Roanoke has been her happy home for 14 years.
Tags: Latino Corner
Share On Facebook
Tweet It
