Barry University School of Law Dean Leticia M. Diaz was named the 2013 Professional of the Year at the 16th Annual Don Quijote Awards on December 7 in Orlando.
The Don Quijote Awards celebrate the achievements and entrepreneurial spirit of individuals in the Central Florida business community. The awards are presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc.
The Professional of the Year award recognizes Hispanic men and women who have achieved distinction in their profession, demonstrated leadership or community involvement, and made innovations or notable contributions to their field. Dean Diaz and her fellow honorees in five other categories were chosen from more than 150 nominees.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” Dean Diaz said. “At Barry, I am surrounded by students who dare to dream big. In the spirit of Don Quijote, they inspire all of us to make our dreams a reality through hard work and determination.”
Dean Diaz is the first Cuban-American woman to hold the position of dean at an ABA-accredited law school in the United States. She has been a leader and advocate on Hispanic issues and serves on the advisory committee for the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities. She has been an advocate for immigration reform, penning an article on the DREAM Act that was entered into the Congressional Record in 2010 and hosting a White House Hispanic Action Summit at the law school in 2011.