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BRIEF REPORT ON THE TWELFTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF
THE DOMINICAN AMERICAN NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE

STATE OF DOMINICANS IN THE UNITED STATES:
RENEWED VISION – RENEWED COMMITMENT

This past weekend (December 4-6, 2009), I had the great pleasure of participating in the Twelfth Annual Conference of the Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR), which was held at the Walt Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort in Florida.  Hostos has very strong ties with this organization, and the college was well represented at the event.

Néstor Montilla, our Director of Public Relations and the current President and Chairman of DANR, deserves a large measure of credit for the success of this year’s conference.  In his speech on the state of the Dominican American population (estimated at over two million), he identified three major areas that DANR must address during the next decade: education, economics, and political representation.  After recognizing state contingents in the audience,

Montilla concluded his address by declaring: “We are the stars of our own story.  We are defining the role we play.  We are occupying our place in the American society.  We are the Dominicans in the United States!” Speech is available online at www.danr.org

Other Hostos family members who participated in the conference were Ana I. García Reyes, Special Assistant to the President for Community Relations and Director of International Programs (and herself a former President of DANR); Professor Angulo Nieves of the Mathematics Department; Professor Julie Bencosme of the Dental Hygiene Unit; Stefan Bosworth Assistant Director of the New Stars Program; Aldrin Bonilla, Site Administrator of CUNY in the Heights; Lisanka Soto, Assistant Director in the Office of Admissions and Faculty Advisor of the Dominican Student Club, and club officers Franklyn Correa (President),  Araya De La Cruz (Vice President), Katelyn Canales (Treasurer), and Ms. Karinel Santana (Secretary).

At the awards ceremony, I was deeply honored to receive DANR’s Guanín Award as National Educator.  Even so, I know that this recognition is more deserved by Hostos Community College as a family than by any individual member.  Therefore I am glad to share with all the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who have made Hostos what it is today.

I congratulate DANR on a very successful conference and look forward to taking an active role in its ongoing efforts for the advancement of the Dominican American community.

Felix V. Matos Rodríguez, Ph.D.
President

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