The Rubel School of Business Dean's Executive Speaker Series presents the virtual event “Latinx in Louisville: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month” on Tuesday, October 5.
David Lopez, Chief Development Officer of Metro United Way, will emcee a panel discussion addressing Hispanic Heritage, leadership and contributions, as well as
needs of the Latinx community in our region.
Lopez is from the cross-border region of San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico. Following a career in technical sales and product management, he became a regional coordinator
with the National Farm Workers Service Center and later joined Teach For America as an elementary bilingual educator in Houston, Texas. While there, he co-founded USAdelante, an organization that connects Latino college students to a network of mentors.
In 2012, he raised $2.5 million in seed funding to launch Teach For America – San Diego. As the founding executive director, he grew the organization from 19 teachers serving 1,100 students to more than 40 teachers serving nearly 3,000 students.
He also served as a board member at Barrio Logan College Institute and advisory council member for RISE Urban Principal Preparation.
Lopez joined Louisville’s Metro United Way as the chief development officer in 2018.
Panelists for the virtual event include:
Karina Barillas, Executive
Director of La Casita Center
Gladys Lopez, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Norton
Health Care
Jose Neil Donis, Publisher of Al Dia En America
The event is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 5. Register here to receive a Zoom link. The public is invited to attend.
Dr. Natasha Munshi, dean of the Rubel School, began the Executive Speaker Series in Fall 2020, as a way to support the school's strategic goal to "increase recognition and enhance its reputation within the business and academic communities."
“It also serves to bring in inspiring leaders from across different sectors to engage with our students, alumni and community at large,” she said.
Past speakers include Allison Ball, Kentucky State Treasurer, Scott Colosi, former president of Texas Roadhouse and Natala Bishop, a serial entrepreneur.
Bill Samuels, chairman emeritus of Maker’s Mark Distillery, will speak November 3. He'll talk about the achievements of his parents, Bill Sr. and Margie Samuels, the creation of Maker’s Mark and the birth of bourbon tourism. Bill will also highlight his educational journey (from Case Institute of Technology to studying law at Vanderbilt University), his career path, and ultimately, what teachable moments he's had along the way. Register for that event here: https://bit.ly/Bill_Samuels.