USHCC Unveils Leadership Roadmap through 2016 with New Chairmen-Elect

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announced today the election of two future Chairmen of the Board of Directors, who will serve consecutively after the term of incoming Chairman Marc Rodriguez ends in 2014.

Ignacio R. Veloz was elected to serve from 2014-2015, and Raymond J. Arroyo to follow from 2015-2016.

"We are so delighted to have not one, but two exemplary leaders from our community, to guide the USHCC into a new era" said Nina Vaca, USHCC Chairman of the Board. Vaca added: "I have great confidence in both elected leaders, as they represent the very best from two critical constituencies of the USHCC - the business owner and the corporate executive."

Mr. Veloz is the President of Inmobiliaria Nuestro Servicio, Inc., a company dedicated to administering and maintaining condominiums and commercial properties and is the president of the United Retailers Association of Puerto Rico (CUD) - the largest Hispanic chamber of commerce in the USHCC network, with over 10,000 local members. Mr. Veloz is also the president of the non-profit Américo Badillo Foundation, which is dedicated to educational development throughout Puerto Rico. Ignacio was elected to the USHCC Board of Directors in 2007, becoming a Regional Chair the following year.

Raymond J. Arroyo is the head of Alternative Distribution at Aetna, where he is responsible for driving membership growth. Mr. Arroyo is the former Chief Diversity Officer at Aetna. Prior to joining Aetna, he worked at Altria Group, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), HSBC and Domino Sugar.

In addition to serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the USHCC, Raymond serves on the Board of Trustees of the Wheeler Clinic and the Board of Directors of the National Hispanic Medical Association. Previously, he also served as chairman of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the Corporate and Philanthropic Council and as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Hartford.

In 2010 and 2011, Raymond was selected by Hispanic Business magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S. In 2010, the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) chose him for the Corporate Executive Excellence Brillante award; Urban Professional magazine as one of the 100 Top Executives in Corporate America; and he was featured as the cover story on Diversity Executive magazine. Mr. Arroyo holds an M.S. degree from Polytechnic University and a B.A. degree from New York University.

Javier Palomarez, USHCC President & CEO said: "Ignacio will provide us wonderful, relevant expertise in terms of leading a large, local chamber and running a successful business, while Raymond will afford us a perspective gained through years of working inside a large public enterprise. In addition, he will be the first corporate executive to lead the USHCC when he takes the helm as Chairman of the association in 2015. This leadership roadmap that carries us through the next four years is good for the organization and all of our constituents."

The election of incoming chairmen is part of a larger succession-planning and growth strategy selected by the USHCC Board of Directors and championed by Chairman Nina Vaca. This selection strategy is meant to imbue the board with the stability and diversity of expertise that both Hispanic Business Enterprise (HBE) owners and corporate executives bring to bear for the benefit of all USHCC stakeholders.

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of over 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that combined generate in excess of $465 billion annually. It also serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit: www.ushcc.com

SOURCE United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce