Dean Leticia Diaz wins inaugural Hispanic Women Who Make the Difference Award

Barry University School of Law Dean Leticia Diaz was awarded ImpreMedia Company’s first-ever Hispanic Women Who Make the Difference Award March 22 during a special awards luncheon in Orlando.

ImpreMedia, which owns the Hispanic newspaper LaPrensa, honored Diaz with the award in the category for “Outstanding 2008 Hispanic Female in the Legal Field.” The Hispanic Women Who Make the Difference Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of Hispanic women in the Central Florida area in their respective fields and their active involvement in the Hispanic community.

“This award pays tribute to every minority woman who has for so many years strived to make a difference in her field and her community. To be recognized as one of these women is truly an honor,” said Diaz. “By recognizing Hispanic women we honor diversity, which is not only vital to higher education, but to our culture as a whole.”

Diaz is a reflection of the diverse cultures that make up Barry University, which has continuously been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top southern schools for student diversity. Diaz has been instrumental in the lives of Hispanic Barry students as the advisor to the Hispanic American Law Student Association (HALSA), a group she helped form in 1995 and has advised ever since. HALSA has been involved in multiple pro bono community activities and has collaborated with the Hispanic Bar Association. Under Diaz’s leadership the Law School had its largest ever first-year incoming class in Fall 2007, and recent Law School graduates scored the highest first-time Bar passage rate in the school’s history.

Several dignitaries were present for the awards luncheon, including former United States Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello, Orange County Commissioner Mildred Fernandez, State Rep. John Quinones, Orlando City Councilman Tony Ortiz, Kissimmee Commissioner Carlos Irrizary, and Emmanuel Tormes, Special Assistant to Gov. Charlie Crist.

In a letter paying tribute to Florida’s Hispanic women, Gov. Crist wrote that “Hispanic women continue to enhance our communities by serving the Sunshine State as entrepreneurs, public servants, scholars and artists. The dedication of these women has had a profound impact on countless citizens throughout our great state.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer issued a proclamation calling March 22, 2008 “Central Florida Hispanic Women Who Make the Difference Award Day,” and Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty proclaimed March 22, 2008 to be “Women Who Make the Difference Day.” In all, nine Hispanic women, each from a different professional field, were honored at the luncheon, which was held in conjunction with Women’s History Month.