Hispanic Heritage/Latino Celebration in Niagara Falls!

Thank you to the Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York, especially Casimiro D. Rodriguez Sr., and all of our generous sponsors for allowing us to put on a spectacular celebration for Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month!  

Congratulations to our Latino Trailblazers: Jessica Centeno, Center for Employment Opportunities; Luis Rodriguez Rodriguez Construction Group, Inc.; Angelica Perez-Delgado & Roxanne Marin, MA, FDC Ibero American Action League; and Evelyn Ortiz who were honored during the Partners for Workforce 2022 Fall Conference Hispanic/Latino Heritage Celebration for their contributions to the workforce system. Gracias por sus esfuerzos y dedicacion (Thank you for your efforts and dedication). ¡Felicidades!

Additional information on the Trailblazers! 

Angelica Perez-Delgado
President & CEO
Ibero-American Action League

In 2018, Angelica Perez-Delgado (Angie) was named the seventh President and CEO in the 50-year history of the agency. Angie had previously worked at the Villa of Hope, where she served as Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Compliance Officer. While there her responsibilities included: development; leadership and administration of compliance; quality; organizational development; human resources; information technology; facility operations and strategic initiatives. She was key in growing the Villa of Hope to a $26 million operating budget with 450 employees. She has over 25 years of experience in not for profit and began her career as a substance abuse therapist before transitioning into administration in the last decade. Angie has her M.S. in Health Administration from Roberts Wesleyan College and her B.S. in Community and Human Services from Empire State College. She is active with several community organizations including the Father Laurence Tracy Advocacy Center and sits on the board of directors for Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School, Center for Governmental Research and the University of Rochester Medical Center. Angie is a very active community organizer in the Northeast part of the city of Rochester and participates in various advisory groups throughout the community.

Jessica Centeno
Deputy Executive Director, Upstate NY & Midwest Regions
Center for Employment Opportunities

Jessica Centeno, one of NYATEP's board members, currently serves as Deputy Executive Director at the Center for Employment Opportunities, the largest national reentry provider of employment services. Based in New York City, Jessica oversees CEO’s workforce reentry programs in New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Jessica has been working in workforce development for 20 years and in the employment reentry field for nearly 15 years where she fulfills her passion for creating connections to training and employment that leads to social and economic mobility for justice-involved individuals.

Luis Rodriguez
CEO
Rodriguez Construction Group, Inc.

Luis A. Rodriguez Jr. was born and raised on the west side of Buffalo, NY and currently resides in Orchard Park, NY with his wife Jessica, daughter Milana and son Luis III. Luis is an alumni of Clarkson University, where he earned a B.S. in both Civil Engineering and Engineering & Management. Luis is the CEO of Rodriguez Construction Group (RCG), a privately held company that is headquartered in Buffalo, NY. RCG is a Certified New York State Minority-Owned Business, SBA 8(a) Certified Business and Disadvantaged Business that specializes in General Construction and Construction Management. Rodriguez Construction Group has grown into a company that runs over $18 million in construction projects yearly, has a diverse group of 65 employees, and is currently working on projects such as the Buffalo Convention Center, Buffalo Bills Maintenance, Erie County Parks, UB and Roswell Park. Luis is passionate about building his company from a grassroots level, and plays an active role in strengthening and developing workforce opportunities within our community. Luis focuses on local recruitment from the University at Buffalo, SUNY Erie and Clarkson University, while providing mentoring, training and additional educational opportunities. 

Roxanne Marin, MA, FDC
Regional Director
Centro Civico

I am the Regional Director for Centro Civico, a Division of the IBERO-American Action League. Workforce & economic development to me is about inspiring and motivating all that I meet,  to make a difference in the communities that we serve. Leadership is not about maintaining followers; it’s about mentoring, coaching, and developing the next generation of leaders.

Evelyn Ortiz
Deputy Director for Advocacy & Equity Initiatives
NYATEP

Evelyn Ortiz is a workforce development leader with over 15 years of experience in government affairs, advocacy, community engagement, and program development. In her current role as Deputy Director at New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP), Evelyn leads the development, execution, and evaluation of NYATEP’s statewide policy and advocacy priorities as well as its statewide diversity equity and inclusion efforts. Prior to joining NYATEP, Evelyn held the position of Chief External Affairs Officer at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), a leading youth and adult workforce development agency for individuals in need of employment and educational training. Through her advocacy, she was able to triple the amount of government funding OBT secured, ensuring the sustainability of OBT’s critical programming for years to come.

Evelyn realized the power of advocacy while working for NYS Senator Kevin Parker as the Director of Constituent Affairs. In order to help strengthen the community she established workforce development initiatives that alleviated her constituent’s financial burdens and enhanced their access to economic success.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Evelyn grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and a Master’s degree in Social Work from SUNY Stony Brook University.