Dear HACE Members and Friends,

The arrival of 2004 brings in some innovations here at HACE. We have new events, new programs and we are happy to announce that our new website is in the works. Our national expansion is on track and we are delighted to be hosting our first Career Conference in Houston, Texas this Fall. As for our 19th Annual Career Conference in Chicago, please mark your calendar: the date is Wednesday, June 30th at the Palmer House Hilton.

First and foremost, please welcome Louie Flores Arecco to the HACE team as Managing Director, National Accounts. Louie comes to us from Hewitt Associates, where he was Project and People Manager for the company's largest outsourced account and was a leader of LAHA, their Hispanic affinity group. He brings over 13 years of experience in consulting, business development and entrepreneurship to HACE as well as a strong record of professional accomplishment, such as his role on the National Society of Hispanic MBAs Corporate Advisory Board. Expect to see Louie playing a leadership role in our continued national expansion.

It is with great excitement that we present to you our new Corporate Members for the first months of 2004. Their commitment and support to Latino advancement is crucial and we applaud their involvement with HACE as these companies are working to build their pipeline of Latino talent:

We are launching our Latino Recruitment Series in March. Previously called Latino Achiever Series, these company open-houses provide corporations and job seekers with the opportunity for face-to-face interactions with company executives and hiring managers. These events are so successful because several hires are made directly at these programs.

On March 11th, Walgreen Co. will host the first Latino Recruitment Series of 2004 at their corporate headquarters in Deerfield, IL. Walgreens is looking for driven Latinos who are dedicated to their careers. Positions are available in many areas, including Human Resources, Purchasing, Marketing, Clinical Pharmacy, Legal, IT, Sales and more. If you have a desire to work for a company that values its employees, you won't want to miss this event. Pre-register now!

Another new program is Access College. On Friday, February 27th, HACE is teaming up with Hewitt Associates, Walgreen Co. and W.W. Grainger to host this important educational program for Latino high school students from five schools in Lake County. Access College will include workshops on the college application process, financial aid, testing, scholarships and more! The location will be W.W. Grainger's headquarters in Lake Forest, IL. If you would like to volunteer or for further information, please contact beatriz@hace-usa.org.

We look forward to working with all of you in 2004!

Warm regards,

Abe Tomás Hughes, II
Chairman of the Board