Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Page 3
MALDEF to Grant Highest Honor to Antonia Hernández
Linda Ronstadt Also to Be Honored at November Gala
By a MetNews Staff Writer
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund yesterday announced its selection of Los Angeles attorney Antonia Hernández to receive its highest honor, the Valerie Kantor Award for Extraordinary Achievement.
Named in honor of a former MALDEF board member who served from 1974 until her death in a place crash in 1978, the award is presented to former MALDEF board members who have distinguished themselves for their contributions to the group and the Latino community, a spokesperson said.
Hernández, a past president and former general counsel for MALDEF, is set to receive the award during a Nov. 15 gala at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles.
She is currently the president and chief executive officer of the California Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded in 1915 involved in grantmaking, civic engagement and public policy initiatives in such areas as early education and immigrant integration.
After earning her undergraduate and law degrees from UCLA and joining the State Bar in 1974, Hernández began her career as a staff attorney with the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice.
She subsequently worked as counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary before joining MALDEF in 1981 as regional counsel in Washington, D.C.
Hernández is also a member of American Bar Association and Mexican American Bar Association of Los Angeles, and a fellow of the American Law Institute.
MALDEF is also slated to honor Equality California Executive Director Roland Palencia with the Excellence in Community Service Award and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Linda Ronstadt with its Lifetime Achievement for Leadership in the Arts Award, in recognition of their contributions to the Latino community.
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