WOMEN OF DISTINCTION: LAURA LOPEZ CANO

 

LAURA LOPEZ CANO: 

A WOMAN OF DISTINCTION IN TEXAS

By Jacqueline Quinones

 

Many Comadres outside of Texas know her, and Comadres everywhere recognize Laura Lopez Cano's artwork used as the logo for Las Comadres Para Las Americas.

Commissioned over 20 years ago by Nora Comstock, Las Comadres continues to use Laura's painting (updated to five diverse Latinas) for the Count on Me Book cover. A teen version of the Comadres Five was used recently for the 2023 Worldwide Comadrazo in April, where Laura also led an art workshop.

 

Born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Laura joined Las Comadres in 2001. Her contributions have been many from providing workshops on several different art topics to donating raffle items. Of course, her greatest contribution has been the Las Comadres logo. It depicts a colorful, inclusive and eloquent sisterhood; it's a visual representation of what it means to be a member of Las Comadres. As an artist myself, Laura's artworks inspire a sense of collective spirituality, community and admiration. Her colors draw you into her world and how she sees it. She has such a fluid and flexible approach to her visual artistry since she uses many different materials and modalities to espresso herself.

 

We are so proud to hear that she has been selected as a Woman of Distinction in Texas. Her humble response posted on her Facebook page: "I am so honored and grateful for being named a Woman of Distinction by TAMACC (Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce).” The award was presented on Friday, June 16. 

Laura has a very long list of accomplishments from Exhibitions at the Smithsonian Latino Center to the Women's Museum in Washington DC, and speaking engagements related to leadership training. In a previous presentation Laura describes Art as healing:  "Art is also the weeks and months, and years of self- discovery, frustration when what is in your head can not be expressed and pure joy  when  it all comes together in a masterpiece."    

This article was published in the Comadres Connect! Summer 2023 newsletter.

 

LAS COMADRES CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS' ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR JULY 2023

 

Success is not final. Failure is not fatal.  It is the courage to continue that counts.– Winston S. Churchill

 

 

 

Congratulations to the following Comadres on their accomplishments!

 

 

Jori Carrington (NY) – Has been promoted to Manager of People & Culture at her job.

 

Gladys I. Cruz (NY) – Is pleased to announce that she has been installed as President of AASA the Superintendents Association.

 

Maria Vilma Duran (TX) – Was featured on LATINA Style, Inc. Magazine's “Latina Empowerment in Sports” edition. She shared about her career in sports and outlook on women and Latinas advancing in the industry. Read the full article: https://magazine.latinastyle.com/latina-empowerment-in-sports/

 

Bobby Garza-Hernandez (TX) --  Celebrates the 21st Anniversary of her business, Pink Consulting, a public relations firm specializing in community outreach and engagement.  Visit her at www.pinkpr.biz.

Celeste Leon (CA) -- Her novel, LUCK IS JUST THE BEGINNING, was the book of the Month in Las Comadres and Friends National Book Club, and was released in late 2015 by Floricanto Press. Sadly, the founder passed away and the press closed after 40 years, and her book was out of print. So after much deliberation, Celeste re-published it herself with a new Author's Note. It was a formidable task (hundreds of hours) and a labor of love. LUCK IS JUST THE BEGINNING is now available at your favorite book outlets.

 

Marissa Marquez (TX) – On June 17, Marissa was promoted to the labor & employment legal counsel role at Houston Methodist Hospital.

 

Gina Nuez-Mchiri (CA) -- This August 2023, Dr. Núñez-Mchiri completed her first year as Dean of San Diego State University-Imperial Valley. She is delighted to be back in California serving in this leadership position in a majority Latinx campus on the U.S.-Mexico Border.  (The San Diego State University is celebrating its 125^th Anniversary this year.)

 

Angela Rodriguez Mooney (TX) – Is thrilled to share that she’ll be joining the faculty at Texas Woman's University as an Assistant Professor of Spanish this August.

 

Zulmara Maria Teixeira de Lima (CA) – This July, Zulmara celebrated 10 years of Daily Abrazos...an ABRAZO from your divine self-reminding you just how incredible you are.

 

 

 

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This Accomplishments List is published monthly and distributed to all Comadres.  

 

  

To read last month's Comadres Accomplishments, visit us here:   https://comadresconnect.blogspot.com/2023/07/las-comadres-celebrates-its-members.html

 

 

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NOTE:  these listings are for congratulatory purposes only. We are not endorsing any products, services, or candidates for public office.  

 

  

 

Congratulations to all our Comadres!

LAS COMADRES CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS -- JUNE 2023

 I never dreamed about success.  I worked it. -- Estee Lauder

Congratulations to All!     

 

 

Sofia Abad-Guzman (CA) – Her first accomplishment was finding and joining Las Comadres.  The other one is that her 33.5 years of service to low-income students ended June 30^th.  She is now moving to another position at Foothill College until her full retirement at the end of this year.

 

Amina Susi Ali (NY) -- Her short story, Upper West Side, will be published on July 15 in the Summer 2023 issue of LatineLit, a literary magazine that focuses on Latinos. Their website is Latinelit.com/themagazine.

 

Margo Candela (CA) – Her fifth novel, THE NEAPOLITAN SISTERS, has been picked by Poderistas for this summer's Poder Circle Book Club.

 

Norma E. Cantu (TX) – Walked the Camino De Santiago in northern Spain. This time she only walked the last 115 kilometers (almost 72 miles) of the path.

 

Olivia Castillo (CA) -- Submitted an interview for Voraka Magazine, on June 23, 2023 about her books SONGS OF THE BORICUA; SONG OF THE BORICUA; and DAUGHTER OF THE BORICUA.

 

Denise Chávez (NM) – Honored to be the recipient of the Campion de Cultura Heritage Cultural Award presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Las Cruces.

 

Lynette Correa-Velez (IL) – Delighted to share that she has been accepted into a prestigious tech mentoring fellowship called “The Ladder” at Chicago Innovation on a full scholarship!

  

Erlinda Delgado (TX) – Graduated from St. Edward's University with a M.A. in Educational Innovations in May 2023.

 

Giselle Drouillard-Salom (TX) -- Held her 4th Spiritual Retreat as part of her ministry Root Empowerment Ministry. Revelations abound for all attendees.

 

Elizabeth Guerra (CA) – Celebrates her retirement after 34.5 years of service in adult and early education since October 1, 2022.

 

Rubi Hurtado (FL) -- On January 2023, she quit her job as national editor at Telemundo Network News in Miami, and began a one-year sabbatical to volunteer at the Kuyayky Foundation in Jauja, a small town in Andes in Peru, where she was born and that is still home to indigenous people like herself.  She writes:  Here I worked on different projects including giving music classes to children and youth at the Kuyayky Children and Youth Orchestra. On January 20th, we launched a STEAM initiative: the Kuyayky START Labs to promote science, technology and the arts among youth in the Andes. https://kuyayky.com/nuv/kuyayky-start-labs/ On March 2023, we at the Kuyayky touring band were invited to Harvard University to give a workshop and perform at the Quechua Alliance Conference in Boston. https://youtu.be/zyWg89WCv8A On April 22nd, Earth Day, we launched the trailer of an ethnomusicology research project that began with my father in the 60's in Peru and continued with us and my sister as part of her PhD dissertation in the United States. The trailer was of an upcoming music video we planned to release this July 29th. https://youtu.be/tnJeFp19sw0 On June 11, 2023, we celebrated nine years of the Kuyayky Children's Orchestra in Jauja and 20 years of the founding of the Kuyayky Foundation with a special concert. https://fb.watch/lrvDMQzxWT/ On June 15, we launched our single and video clip of "Mi Tierra Xauxa" of Kuyayky the touring band featuring the Kuyayky Youth Orchestra of Jauja and the Bonilla Peña Ayllu Choir uniting several generations of artists in a beautiful song that speaks to the love and longing for one's native land, a feeling shared by millions of immigrants around the world. The song is available now in all major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music. https://youtu.be/zyWg89WCv8A

 

Karina H. Martinez (TX) – Was awarded a Fashion Design Certificate from Austin Community College.

 

Rebecca Pistiner (TX) – Picked up a new corporate account this month. They began on the 1st of July!

 

Leonor Vargas, LMSW (TX) – Celebrated one-year anniversary of her company, Wisdom En Familias, LLC.

 

 

 

 

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NOTE:  these listings are for congratulatory purposes only. 

We are not endorsing any products, services, or candidates for public office.  

 

  

LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS NATIONAL LATINO BOOK CLUB RELEASES 9TH ANNUAL SUMMER READING LIST

 

** Connecting Readers All Over The World

Through Latino Literature **

 

9^th ANNUAL

SUMMER READING LIST

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --  JUNE 21, 2023 

CONTACT:  Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager 

tmtobin.lcbookclub@gmail.com

 

 

New York, NY—Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is pleased to announce the release of its ninth annual Summer Reading List on this the first day of the summer.

 The Las Comadres & Friends Book Club is celebrating its Sweet Sixteen, and they have selected 16 books in commemoration.  The Summer Reading List includes a new Pulitzer Prize Winner; a celebrity memoir; a self-help book from the Boogie Down Bronx and a career guide for Latino Leadership; two wonderful children’s books; a poetry collection; two short stories collections; mysteries and thrillers; and a classic novel with a “masterful translation.”

 “Did you know,” asks Las Comadres National / International Founder Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, “reading helps put your consciousness on another plane? It helps you move into a fictional world, easing tension and helping you relax. Our readers will have a hard time selecting which book to read first because all 16 books are delicious and enticing.”

 We encourage readers of all ages to purchase our Summer Reading List selections and add them to their TBR piles, give copies to family and friends, donate copies to neighborhood libraries, and enjoy Reading Latino Lit.

 Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club

2023 Summer Reading List

 

1.     ALBORADA (DAWN): A Cross-Cultural Memoir in Poetry by Nylda Dieppa (Orange Blossom Publishing) - poetry

2.    CALL ME CASSANDRA by Marcial Gala (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) – 

       LGBTQ+ fiction

3.    *CHITA: A MEMOIR by Chita Rivera (HarperOne) - biography

4.    DULCINEA by Ana Veciana-Suarez (Blackstone Publishing) – 

       historical fiction

5.    *FRIZZY by Claribel A. Ortega (First Second) – children’s fiction

6.    GOOD NIGHT, IRENE by Luis Alberto Urrea (Little, Brown & Co.) – 

        historical fiction

7.     HOLLOW BEASTS by Alisa Lynn Valdés (Thomas & Mercer) - thriller

8.     LOTERÍA by Cynthia Pelayo (Agora Books) – short stories

9.     THE LUIS ORTEGA SURVIVAL CLUB by Sonora Reyes (Balzer & Bray) – 

        young adult fiction

10.   MR. PRESIDENT by Miguel Ángel Asturias, translated by David Unger 

        (Penguin Classics) - fiction

11.   NINE STRAY SHOTS by Jesús Miguel Soto (Disaster Books) – 

        short stories

12.   OUR OTHERNESS IS OUR STRENGTH: Wisdom from the Boogie Down 

        Bronx by Andrea Navedo (Broadleaf Books) – motivational self-help

13.   PLÁTANOS ARE LOVE by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris (Atheneum Books 

        for Young Readers) – bilingual, children’s fiction

14.   THE POWER OF LATINO LEADERSHIP: Culture, Inclusion, and 

        Contribution by Juana Bordas (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2^nd edition) – 

        career guide

15.   RED QUEEN by Juan Gómez-Jurado (Minotaur Books) – mystery

16.   *TRUST by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books) – fiction, 

          2023 Pulitzer Prize Winner

*Book also available in Spanish.

   

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club started in 2007 and is currently in 15 cities, with more cities to follow.  All books are in English, written by Latino authors. Membership is free and open to all readers.  Each month, Las Comadres & Friends Book Club features a Book of the Month selection and one or two additional “Conversations with” books.  At the end of the month, there is a LIVE zoom teleconference with the author(s), plus a simultaneous TwitterChat on @ReadLatinoLit. Registration is free and open to all readers.  The interviews are recorded and uploaded to the Las Comadres YouTube Channel (@LasComadresParaLasAmericas).

 For more information on Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club, to register for the monthly teleconference, and to submit your book for consideration, visit www.latinolit.com.

 For more information on the 2023 Summer Reading List, email Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager, at tmtobin.lcbookclub@gmail.com. 

 

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club

www.latinolit.com

Twitter: @ReadLatinoLit

YouTube: @LasComadresParaLasAmericas

Hashtags:  #ReadLatinoLit, #LasComadres, #LCBC

  

Leadership Team

Maria C. Ferrer, Executive Director

Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager

Dora M. Abreu, Social Media Coordinator

Karen D. Gonzales, Assistant Coordinator

 and

Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, National / International Founder

#####

 

HAPPY READING 

#READLATINOLIT

WED, JUNE 14 --- LAS COMADRES PRESENTS MIND, BODY & SPIRIT WITH HOSTESS JEANNIE DIAZ -- YOGA PRESENTATION & CLASS

  LAS COMADRES PARA LAS AMERICAS PRESENTS

MIND, BODY & SPIRIT

Wednesday, June 14

8pm ET, zoom

 

Hostess: Jeannie Diaz

 

   

                

Our hostess Jeannie Diaz will lead a discussion with Comadres Sabina, Lissette and Lucinda -- ages 25-75--, who will share their experiences and how yoga has strengthened their mind, body, and spirit. Jeannie will end the presentation with a 20-minute session of Chair Yoga.  All welcomed. All you need is a sturdy chair (no wheels) and a bottle of water. 

 

DATE:   Wednesday, June 14, 2023

 

TIME:  Check your time zone: 5pm PT / 6pm MT/ 7pm CT/ 8pm ET & PR

 

WHO:  Hostess Jeannie Diaz of Jeannie Diaz Yoga

ZOOM LINK:   will be emailed to all Comadres and registrants

 

 

 
ABOUT OUR HOSTESS:  JEANNIE DIAZ

Jeannie is a 200-hour Yoga & Meditation teacher based in New York City. Her classes focus on breathwork, mindfulness, body positivity and are accessible to all.  Jeannie teaches classes in both English and Spanish. Contact her at jnamaste18@gmail.com or visit her website at  https://jeanniediaz.offeringtree.com/ and Instagram @Jnamaste.

See you on Wednesday!