Dallas lawyer Sara Garcia Duran receives national honor as one of 12 Hispanic leaders

by PegNews wire

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, one of the world's leading law firms, announced today that Dallas associate Sara Garcia Duran has been selected as one of 12 Hispanic leaders honored nationally in the 2009 MillerCoors Líderes award program. The annual honor recognizes outstanding Hispanic individuals across the U.S. for their vision and unwavering commitment to the advancement of the Hispanic community.

Online voting to select one Líder of the Year out of the 12 honorees is now open at the MillerCoors Líderes website, www.MillerCoorsLideres.com. The public is encouraged to go to the website and select their top candidate now through November 20, 2009. The honorees will also be highlighted through a national advertising campaign beginning this month through the end of 2009.

"The 2009 Líderes are a diverse group of respected community leaders who serve as an inspiration and an example of what one person's dedication can accomplish," said Javier Soler, regional vice president and general manager, MillerCoors. "MillerCoors is proud to highlight their achievements and to provide leadership tools that benefit national and local leaders within the Hispanic community."

Duran was nominated for consideration as one of the 12 MillerCoors Lideres by the Dallas Concilio of Hispanic Service Organizations, a non-profit umbrella organization for groups addressing the needs of the Hispanic community in North Texas. Duran is currently serving a three-year term on the Dallas Concilio board of directors. She also serves as president of the board of directors for the Galaxy Counseling Center in Garland, Texas, which provides quality, low-cost counseling services to families in North Texas to enable them to lead healthier, more productive lives and to break the cycle of dysfunction.

Duran's work with the Dallas Concilio includes serving as an active, volunteer mentor to four Hispanic high school girls through the organization's Path to Opportunities program, of which Duran was a founding member. This program pairs Hispanic role models such as Duran with at-risk Hispanic students at Dallas' Woodrow Wilson High School to provide a stable support system throughout high school. Together, program participants work with each student on an individualized education plan that is focused on graduating from high school, getting into college and laying the groundwork for a future career. Duran has mentored her four students since their freshman year in high school and will continue mentoring them until they graduate in 2011. Students and mentors in the program also participate annually in an educational field trip to a local museum, other cultural venue or a college campus.

On top of this significant community leadership, Duran is also a leader within Weil Gotshal, serving as the Dallas office's representative to the firm-wide Associates Committee, and as a member of the Dallas office's Hiring Committee. Her legal practice at Weil Gotshal focuses on complex corporate and transactional matters, including representation of first-tier private equity firms and major public companies in connection with public and private acquisitions, divestitures and investment transactions. Duran also advises clients with respect to general corporate governance matters and compliance with applicable securities regulations.

To be selected as a Líder, individuals must be of Hispanic descent, between 21-39 years of age and work with a non-profit organization with a mission of supporting the Hispanic community. The chosen 2009 Líderes are featured on the MillerCoors Lideres website. The winner of the Líder of the Year will receive a $25,000 grant to develop a community leadership project in concert with their non-profit organization and MillerCoors.

The 2009 Líderes and the Hispanic non-profit organization that nominated each are:

* Cheryl Nadine Aguilar, National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), Washington, D.C.

* José Calderón, Hispanic Federation, New York, New York

* Sara Garcia Duran, Dallas Concilio of Hispanic Service Organizations, Dallas, Texas

* Rebecca Heather Gomez, Navidad en el Barrio, Houston, Texas

* Anjenys Gonzalez-Eilert, Cuban American National Council (CNC), Miami, Florida

* Lizette Jenness Olmos, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Washington, D.C.

* Veronica Melvin, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), Los Angeles, California

* Rolando Pablos, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio, Texas

* Maria Luisa Ramos, ASU Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, Phoenix, Arizona

* Michael David Rodriguez, Enlace Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

* Omar Vargas, Deauville Relief Fund, Washington, D.C.

Since 2006, Líderes has raised awareness and highlighted the achievements of a diverse group of respected national and local leaders within the Hispanic community. In past years, the program has included a series of workshops held across the country where participants were able to network and explore themes related to leadership.

Source: Weil, Gotshal & Manges