Political strategist Matthew Dowd told Hispanic business leaders Friday that their time had arrived as a force in society.
“You in this room are becoming extremely powerful,” said Dowd, speaking to a luncheon as part of the 19th annual Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce business conference.
“In the past 20 years, the Latino voting population has increased 400 percent. There has never been a group in 220 years that has grown that fast.”
Dowd is a founding partner of ViaNovo, an international management consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. He was chief campaign strategist for the Bush-Cheney campaign in the 2004 election.
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper spoke at the luncheon, which drew about 500 people. The conference, job fair and business expo was held at the Colorado Convention Center. Five attendees received honors:
Pat Cortez, a Wells Fargo senior vice president who manages public relations in Colorado and Wyoming, was named Corporate Advocate of the Year.
Denver City Councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez was named Government Advocate of the Year.
Lloyd G. Chavez, owner of the Burt Automotive Network, was selected as Businessman of the Year.
Olga Torres, owner of an independent insurance agency in Aurora, was chosen as Businesswoman of the Year.
A. Gabriel Torres-Duvic, a personal banker at Wells Fargo Bank, was named Chamber Ambassador of the Year.
Staff writer Marcus W. Vanderberg can be reached at 303-820-1209 or mvanderberg@denverpost.com
