Don Quijote Awards

PHOTOS: The Complete 25th Don Quijote Awards Winners List

Published

3 years ago

December 11, 2022

The winners of the 2022 Don Quijote Awards. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi / Florida National News.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – The Don Quijote Awards, presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and Prospera, is Central Florida’s premier business awards gala with good reason.

The black-tie gala, which celebrates the Hispanic business community by recognizing small business owners as well as business and community leaders who help propel the Hispanic business community forward, filled Epcot’s Showplace Pavilion with well over 1,000 formally dressed attendees for its 25th anniversary Saturday.

The prestigious ceremony recognizes companies and individuals in six categories:

Hispanic Business of the Year, 5 Years or Less
Hispanic Business of the Year, Over 5 years
Professional of the Year
Excellence Award
Hispanic Community Champion (this award is given to a non-Hispanic who avidly works to support and strengthen the Hispanic community)
Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2022 Don Quijote Award Winners

Hispanic Business of the Year, 5 Years or Less: Guacamole Mexican Grill

(center trio, from left to right): Gustavo Aristizabal, Mayessi El Halabi and Diego Rojas, co-founders of Guacamole Mexican Grill, Inc, receive the Don Quijote Award for Hispanic Business of the Year, 5 Years or Less. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.

Hispanic Business of the Year, Over 5 years: SkyBuilders USA

(center duo, left to right): Marcela Restrepo and Juan Velez, co-founders of SkyBuilders USA, LLC, receive the 2022 Don Quijote Award for Hispanic Business of the Year, Over 5 Years. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.

Professional of the Year: Luis Nieves-Ruiz, Economic Development Director, East Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Luis Nieves-Ruiz, Economic Development Director for East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (center), received the 2022 Don Quijote Professional of the Year Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.

Excellence Award: Former State Representative Bob Cortes,

Senior Government Affairs Administrator, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office

Former State Representative Bob Cortes, Senior Government Affairs Administrator for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, receives the 2022 Don Quijote Excellence Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.

Hispanic Community Champion: Dr. James Michael Burkett, President, Florida Technical College

Dr. James Michael Burkett, President, Florida Technical College (center), receives the 2022 Don Quijote Hispanic Community Champion Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Modesto Alcala,

Senior VP of Global Restaurant Development and Placemaking for Universal Creative at Universal Parks & Resorts

Modesto Alcala, Senior VP of Global Restaurant Development and Placemaking for Universal Creative at Universal Parks & Resorts, receives the 2022 Don Quijote Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo: Shreyank Tripathi/Florida National News.

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Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com

Related Topics:business Don Quijote Awards Latino Voices

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Don Quijote Awards

2023 Don Quijote Awards: Winners and Highlights

Published

2 years ago

December 19, 2023

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Central Florida Hispanic business leaders held its biggest awards night of the year, as entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders attend the 2023 Don Quijote Awards at the Walt Disney World Epcot’s World Showplace Pavilion, Saturday, December 9.

For 26 years, the Hispanic Chamber of Metro Orlando and Prospera have brought together the Central Florida community to celebrate the incredible contributions of Hispanic business leaders in our region and beyond, according to Yamile Luna, Chair of the 26th Don Quijote Awards and Chief Operating Officer at AdventHealth.

Don Quijote Awards Winners and Honorees

Hispanic Business of the Year Award (Five Years or Less)

Winner! Ana Carolina Salazar, owner, BOLD Hispanic Marketing Agency

Hispanic Business of the Year Award (More than Five Years)

Winner! Debbie Rodriguez, owner, Competitive Edge Partners & Consulting

Professional of the Year Award

Winner! Dr. Cyndia Muñiz, Senior Director of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives and Partnerships at the University of Central Florida

Excellence Award

Winner! Dr. Maria Vázquez, Orange County Public Schools Superintendent

Hispanic Community Champion Award

The 2023 Don Quijote Hispanic Community Champion Award winner is Jeff Hayward, President and CEO of Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW) – Since 2016, Jeff has led HFUW Central Florida’s largest supporter of local health and human service agencies. He oversees more than $50 million in total resources invested in the community to provide support in education, health, financial stability, and basic needs. Immediately after Hurricane Maria, Jeff established a close working relationship with his counterpart at Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico. In response to the needs identified, HFUW sent 5,000 solar lights, 3,000 reusable water filtration units, and 1,000 solar phone chargers. A Welcome Center was established at Orlando International Airport, and HFUW and about a dozen other organizations greeted and assisted evacuees, with 1,800-2,000 arriving every day. HFUW provided transportation, emergency housing, security deposit fees, and utility deposits.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This year’s Lifetime Achievement goes to Jan Aspuru, Retired Orlando Utilities Commission Senior Executive.
As the first Hispanic to serve on the C-level suite of the Orlando Utilities Commission, Jan Aspuru has paved the way for many Hispanic professionals in the utility industry. As Vice President of Electric and Water Generation and then Chief Operational Officer, he designed, developed, and implemented OUC’s innovative Fuel Price Hedging Program, which manages market price volatility of OUC’s $300 million to $400 million annual fuel budget. He oversaw the construction and commissioning of the $220M Stanton Unit B project that began as a coal-gasification plant and turned into a 300-megawatt natural gas-fired combined cycle facility, and he enhanced and expanded OUC’s generation portfolio and set in motion the methodical growth of the chilled water operations while improving OUC’s water quality and control, and management, among many more accomplishments.

Event Sponsors:

The Don Quijote Awards are made possible thanks to the support of Walt Disney World Resort, Wells Fargo, OUC- The Reliable One, 1st SOS Staffing, AdventHealth, Bank of America, Duke Energy, Florida Blue, Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando Health, Travel and Leisure, VyStar, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Ana G. Mendez University, JP Morgan Chase, The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida, Neurology One, Orlando Magic, iHeart Media, Florida National News, El Osceola Star, Orlando Business Journal, La Prensa Newspaper, Telemundo 31 and Univision Orlando, among many more.

For more information on the Don Quijote Awards, please visit www.donquijoteawards.com.

Don Quijote Awards

Superintendent Maria Vazquez winner of 2023 Don Quijote Awards for Excellence

Published

2 years ago

December 14, 2023

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Dr. Maria Vazquez, Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools winner of the 2023 Don Quijote Awards for Excellence .

Don Quijote Awards

VIDEO: 2022 Don Quijote Awards Interview – Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Modesto Alcala, Universal Parks & Resorts

Published

3 years ago

December 11, 2022

Mellissa Thomas

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Modesto Alcala, Senior VP of Global Restaurant Development and Placemaking for Universal Creative at Universal Parks & Resorts, talks with FNN News after receiving the 2022 Don Quijote Lifetime Achievement Award during the 25th Don Quijote Awards gala, presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Metro Orlando and Prospera USA, at Epcot Showplace Pavilion Saturday.