Tony Gracia, CEO of Power Media Group invited to Adelante Hombre Latino Youth Summit

SANTA CLARITA, CA, October 22, 2011

Success defined the day at the second annual Adelante Hombre Latino Youth Summit held at Panorama High School on Saturday, October 15, 2011. Designed to promote the academic success of Latino males, this event included four other high schools — Polytechnic, San Fernando, Arleta and Sylmar — as well as various area youth groups, in a day filled with empowering guest speakers and workshops, along with health and college information. Musical and dance performances, from mariachi music to Aztec dancers, rounded out the occasion.

Among the panelists present at Saturday's event was Tony Gracia, CEO of Power Media Group. A prominent businessman — making him a stellar example for the students in his own right — Mr. Gracia's leadership and hard work within the Latino community are well known and respected through the country, adding to his role in this venue. After four years of working in the advertising and broadcast industry, in 2004, Gracia joined PMG - the company his wife, Patricia, founded in 2001. His passion for his role at the agency and about PMG clients is transmitted to his employees. He demonstrates his commitment to serving the Hispanic business community nationwide through sound financial decisions, always keeping in sight the long-term growth of the agency. As a result of Tony's firm vision and financial leadership, he secured a real estate loan - and PMG qualified under very strict SBA guidelines for the loan - which resulted in the acquisition of the firm's 11,000 sq. ft. commercial building in the city of Santa Clarita.

Additional standout participants included Bill Miranda, head of an eponymous consulting firm and CEO of SCV Latino Chamber of Commerce, as well as Robert Reyes, owner of Reyes Winery in Agua Dulce. Well-established entrepreneurs, these speakers were inspirational for the students, exemplary of the benefits of big dreams coupled with hard work.

Like the event held last year, Adelante Hombre Latino Youth Summit 2011 was organized by a coalition of participants led by Pacoima Beautiful, Panorama High School and the Leadership Institute for Education & Leadership in San Fernando. With the progress of low-income female students over the past two decades, as evidenced by their vastly increased college attendance, the lack of comparable progress among Latino male students has become cause for concern. It was this focus on male development and empowerment that brought about the genesis of Adelante Hombre Latino Youth Summit.

Seeking to stem the dropout rate and prevent these young men from continuing to slip through the educational cracks, Adelante Hombre Latino Youth Summit 2011 opened vistas of various means of support for the development of the young men. To combat the underlying academic problems, organizers of this event presented a three-pronged approach: academic support, college information and introduction to opportunities in diverse trades.

Toward this end, workshops headed by doctors, attorneys, educators, business people, and law enforcement workers, among others, provided students a broad view of potential fields of employment along with an understanding of the academic qualifications needed to pursue these professions. The idea being to encourage these young men not only to remain in high school but also to pursue education beyond their high school years, these speakers emphasized the benefits inherent in academic diligence.

With an overall goal of bolstering the advancement of these youth beyond this one-day event, organizers and supporters of Adelante Hombre Latino Youth Summit 2011 believe that the success of this year's event bodes well for continued support of these students.

Power Media Group

A public relations and advertising agency specializing in creating all-inclusive Spanish language campaigns for high-profile clients, including Universal Music Latin and Creativa Interiors Primor, Power Media Group helps businesses build lasting relationships with the Latino community. As the 2010 Minority Small Business Champion of the Year, Power Media Group utilizes grassroots media campaigns to reach out to the booming Hispanic population, who contribute more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy annually. Last year, principals Patricia and Tony Gracia launched the Power Woman Business Centerwww.powerwomanbc.com , a business incubator that reaches out to diverse entrepreneurs who are trying to develop and grow their businesses during these precarious economic times.