Colorado's Ken Salazar is among the second class of inductees to the Colorado Latino Hall of Fame.
The former U.S. senator and secretary of the interior will be joined by six other Latino leaders who helped shaped Colorado history. The 2017 Colorado Latino Hall of Fame Gala is set for 7 p.m. Friday at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
“We are telling a new narrative that is a mostly unknown theme and legacy in Colorado’s history,” said Joelle Martinez, executive director of the Latino Leadership Institute at the University of Denver.
“Our Inductees are both Latino and Colorado heroes. Their contributions to our state’s economic, business, education and philanthropic landscape are extraordinary. In perpetuity recognition of their influence is long overdue,” Martinez said in a statement.
Ken Salazar is being inducted for his public service work. Others being inducted include Florence Hernández-Ramos, who helped found the listener-supported, Latino-owned KUVO FM radio station; Annette Quintana, who along with her sisters co-founded the information technology services company Istonish; Ron Montoya, who founded the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado; and Debra Bueno, who is a community advocate in Fort Collins with a career in community service spanning more than 40 years.
Dolores and Felipe Baca are being inducted posthumously for their role helping found the town of Trinidad.
“The Inductees literally built towns, companies, and philanthropic foundations from scratch. And in the process they built a sense of community that still connects us today,” said Katherine Archuleta, advisory board chair of the Latino Leadership Institute, in a statement
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Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
