Washington, D.C. – The Board of Directors of The Latino Coalition today presented its Hector Barreto Sr. Award to Joseph A. Reyes, Chairman Emeritus, Reyes Holdings, L.L.C. and President of Orion Enterprises, for his five decades of generosity, leadership and guidance to so many within the Hispanic business community.
“The award celebrates leadership and excellence among the national Latino business community,” said TLC President Robert Deposada. “We created this award in honor of the late Hector Barreto, Sr., known as the Godfather of the U.S. Hispanic business movement, and the founder of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference. This is our most prestigious award, and we know of no one more deserving of it than Joe Reyes.”
“Joe Reyes represents the best kind of role model for the new wave of Latino entrepreneurs in this country,” said TLC Board member Jose Martinez. “He built an extremely successful business, while always looking out for the well being and progress of his workforce and the community he serves. Joe represents the best of our business community and deserves our recognition and our admiration. That’s why we presented him with the most prestigious business award in the Latino community.”
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Joseph Reyes served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years as a Naval Aviator and fought in the Korean War. After which, he moved to Washington DC where he earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and took advanced engineering classes at George Washington University -- all the while working to support his growing family with wife Frances.
For over 50 years, Mr. Reyes has driven the creation of successful service-oriented organizations, consulting for both government and private businesses. Twice named Hispanic Businessman of the year, Mr. Reyes received the prestigious Image Award as Hispanic Entrepreneur in 1985. Active in the community and generous with his time, Mr. Reyes sits on the Board of Directors for the National Park Commission, the Wolftrap Foundation, the University of Maryland, Engineering College and the Incarnate Word University.
One of the founders of Reyes Holdings, L.L.C. along with his sons Chris and Jude, Mr. Reyes contributed to building the foundation for what is today one of the foremost names in the distribution of high-quality beverage and foodservice products.
The award was presented during the 2007 Small Business Economic Summit in Washington, D.C. Speakers at the Summit included former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, U.S. Senator Ken Salazar, U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Wellpoint Inc., CEO Angela Braly, and Hollywood Star/Activist Maria Conchita Alonso, among others.
The Latino Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, D.C. TLC was established to address policy issues that directly affect the well-being of Hispanics in the United States. TLC’s agenda is to develop and promote policies that will foster economic equivalency and enhance overall business, economic, and social development of Hispanics. For more information, please visit our website at www.TheLatinoCoalition.com.
