Raul Magdaleno, Dallas Local and Volunteer of Parents Step Ahead, Named MillerCoors 2010 Lider of the Year

USA - English

• Latin America - español

CHICAGO, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MillerCoors announced today that Raul Magdaleno, a volunteer for Parents Step Ahead/Padres un Paso Adelante, is the chosen MillerCoors 2010 Lider of the Year. As the winner, Magdaleno will receive a $25,000 grant for a community leadership project with Parents Step Ahead and MillerCoors.  Magdaleno was among 12 Hispanic leaders recognized by MillerCoors for their contributions to their communities. He was chosen through an online public voting campaign, hosted on www.MillerCoorsLideres.com from September 15 – October 29, 2010.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101116/DC01868)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101116/DC01868)

"I am honored to be voted as the MillerCoors 2010 Lider of the Year," said Magdaleno. "I'm grateful to MillerCoors for highlighting my achievements, and I hope that by receiving this recognition I may inspire future generations to reach for their aspirations and continue to work toward the advancement of the Hispanic community."  

Magdaleno was chosen as one of the twelve MillerCoors Lideres because of his extensive volunteer work and his dedication to the community. In 2004, he received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, presented to outstanding youth, for his more than 29,000 hours of community service. Magdaleno oversees the office of Diversity and Community Outreach for Southern Methodist University, Meadows School of the Arts.

"Raul's dedication to the Hispanic community serves as an example and an inspiration to those around him," said Joedis Avila, multicultural relations manager, MillerCoors. "We are thrilled that Raul was chosen by the public as the MillerCoors 2010 Lider of the Year, and we are proud to highlight his achievements so he may continue to be a role model for future generations."

Through his work with Parents Step Ahead—an educational outreach organization founded in 2006 by Lupita Colmenero, Associate Publisher of El Hispano News in Dallas—Magdaleno has helped reach out to local families and encouraged parents to participate in their children's education. As part of its mission, Parents Step Ahead seeks to increase parental awareness and involvement in their children's education, increase academic achievement and graduation rates among minority students, and reach more students and their families by replicating the Dallas model in other cities through partnerships with national organizations, companies and publications.

"Raul has demonstrated remarkable leadership through motivating others to never give up and promoting the value of an education," said Lupita Colmenero, Founder and Chair of Parents Step Ahead. "I wish to express my gratitude to MillerCoors and everyone who has supported Raul and Parents Step Ahead during this campaign. This is just the beginning. We invite everyone to become ambassadors for our cause and help us enable and empower parents to be effective leaders and role models in their children's educational life."

Since 2006, MillerCoors Lideres has raised awareness and highlighted the achievements of 70 national and local leaders within the Hispanic community through an online public voting program and a national marketing campaign. The program offers up-and-coming Latino professionals leadership tools, counsel and the opportunity to network through www.MillerCoorsLideres.com, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About MillerCoors

MillerCoors brews, markets and sells the MillerCoors portfolio of brands in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  Built on a foundation of great beer brands and nearly 300 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers.  MillerCoors is the second-largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales.  Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment.  Miller Lite is the great-tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to Rocky Mountain cold refreshment.  MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft, and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also offers innovative products such as MGD 64, Miller Chill and Sparks.  Through its new craft and import company, Tenth and Blake, the company imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company.  MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and two microbreweries, the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver.  MillerCoors vision is to create the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth.  MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact.  MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.

About Parents Step Ahead/Padres un Paso Adelante

Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission "to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children." The organization works in partnership with school districts, corporations and community organizations to offer a series of school-based programs for parents of all backgrounds throughout the school calendar year. Educators, motivational speakers, community volunteers and parenting experts present seminars on topics such as gang awareness, drug use prevention, underage drinking, computer literacy, Internet safety, raising kids with love and logic, and health and financial issues. Programs focus on ways parents and legal guardians can be involved in their child's life and the difference their involvement can make. www.parentsstepahead.org.

SOURCE MillerCoors