Page 14 - 2017 JAN-JUN - KAAKBAY

14 January to June
2017

Filipina Executive Honored at Glass Ceiling Awards
Stella Aquino, a Filipina Ms. Aquino, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of
Executive of Empire Blue Cross the University of the Philippine Diliman School of
Blue Shield, one of the largest Economics and Masteral Degree graduate from the
insurance providers in the world University of Chicago, played an integral role during
was honored along with five other Empire’s efforts to convert from being a non-profit to a
women by the Queen’s Tribune, for-profit organization. She likewise helped establish an
the largest newspaper in the Asian-American employees association in Empire Blue
Borough of Queens, New York at Cross Blue Shield to make Asian-American employees
its Glass Ceiling Awards in more visible in the company. She is currently the
commemoration of Women’s Company’s Business Director for Actuarial Valuation.

History Month. Her community involvement includes serving on

The other awardees the Board of the Asian-American Federation, one of the
included the first ever elected largest and most visible organizations for Asian-
Stella Aquino with Consul General Theresa
Dizon-de Vega . woman President of Queen’s Americans, which has undertaken research work on the
Borough, Clair Shulman, New socioeconomic, demographic, political, and health
York State Assemblywoman Vivian E. Cook, Lawyer and New York issues affecting Asian-Americans including Filipino-
Director for Immigration Affairs and Special Counsel Jenifer Americans. The Federation’s various studies continue to
Rajkumar, Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi, Executive Director of India be used by policy makers as a reference point in
Home, and Barbara Amand, President of Amand Corporation and determining programs and funding for the Asian-
the organization Professional Women in Construction. American sector.

The awardees were chosen on the basis of their individual On hand to witness Ms. Aquino receive the
professional achievement in addition to pioneering and award was Philippine Consul General Theresa Dizon-de
groundbreaking work in community service, particularly service to Vega, family members of the awardee, and colleagues
the women’s sector in their respective communities. from Empire and the Asian-American Federation.

Continued from page 13.. Quartet of Filipina-American Achievers)

Each of the honorees, coming from different socioeconomic,
educational, and professional backgrounds found common narrative
threads in their being children of immigrants from the Philippines and being
reared with distinctive Filipino values of hard work, sacrifice, and
perseverance.

Ms. Balares, a scholar with humble roots from the Philippines is a
World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, UBS Global Visionary, a
NASA Datanaut, and former financial analyst, spoke eloquently about her
decision to leave the corporate world and focus on building communities
that accelerate women and girls to create the future. Consul General Dizon-De Vega with Ms. Nika Milbrun, Assistant
Director for Constituencies, Women and African-American Affairs
Ms. Quijano, best-known for breaking media barriers by being the of the Office of the Governor of New York (photo by Boyet
first Asian-American and the youngest media personality to moderate a Loverita)
national election debate when she served as moderator for the 2016 US
Vice Presidential debate, spoke about competing with oneself and never with others.

For her part, Housing Commissioner Maria Torres Springer spoke of bringing lessons learned from her life experience
to better serve the people of New York. She had served previously as Head and CEO of the New York Economic Development
Corporation and also as Chief of the NY Department of Small Business Services.

Aside from talking about the challenges for Filipino-Americans and Asian-Americans to breakthrough in Theater,
Broadway performer Ali Ewoldt, the first Asian-American to play the iconic role of Christine Daee in Phantom of the Opera,
narrated how one should never give up even after successive disappointments. Ms. Ewoldt also delighted the audience with a
stirring rendition of “Somewhere” from West Side Story.

Other highlights of the program included the presentation of a Proclamation for Women’s History Month to Consul
General Theresa Dizon-De Vega by Ms. Nika Milburn, Assistant Director for Constituencies, Women, and African-American
Affairs of the Office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Other special guests included the Honorable Patricia Cox, former Premier of Bermuda and Honorable Patrice Minors,
former Minister of the Economy, Trade and Industry of Bermuda.