The Houston Texans Campeón de la Comunidad Award presented by Miller Lite honors an outstanding leader in the Latino community who is making a positive impact on the city of Houston through service and dedication to a local nonprofit. On Wednesday, September 25, the Texans and Miller Lite hosted a reception in the Champions Club of NRG Stadium to recognize the winner of the 2019 Campeón de la Comunidad Award, Sonia Corrales, Chief Program Officer, Houston Area Women's Center. Two finalists, Andy Canales, Executive Director of Latinos for Education, and Claudia Aguirre, President and CEO, BakerRipley, were also recognized at the reception for their work in the community.

The Houston Area Women's Center will receive a $20,000 grant in honor of Ms. Corrales's for her leadership. Ms. Corrales will also be recognized in a ceremony on the field during the Texans game on Sunday, September 29 with Texans President Jamey Rootes and MillerCoors General Manager Mike Lowe. She will also be the Houston Texans recipient of the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award and an additional $2,000 grant will be made in her name to the Houston Area Women's Center. On October 15, the Texans and Miller Lite will visit the Houston Area Women's Center for a special community event in her honor. A donation of $2,500 each will also be awarded to Latinos for Education in honor of Mr. Canales and to BakerRipley in honor of Ms. Aguirre from the Texans and Miller Lite.

Additional details on the winner and finalists are below:

WINNER

Nominee Name: Sonia Corrales
Nominee Title: Chief Program Officer, Houston Area Women's Center
Bio: As Chief Program Officer for the Houston Area Women's Center, Sonia Corrales has dedicated her life to anti-violence work. As a leading expert in our community, she has received numerous awards and honors. Sonia possesses a never-give-up attitude, standing up and being a strong voice for survivors during her 27-year career at Houston Area Women's Center. She is a wife and a mother of two strong and independent daughters, now college aged. A beloved leader, she mentors countless staff, particularly Hispanic women, and shows that accomplishing professional aspirations are possible. Sonia started her professional journey in the trenches as an advocate, so her awareness and compassion supporting staff to continue through the daily challenges of this work are inspiring. She is a role model to so many in our community. A native of El Paso who moved to Houston in 1992, she is honored to be among Latino leaders creating change in Houston and is proud to be part of an incredibly diverse Hispanic/Latino community… from those who have been part of Houston before 1836, to those who are newly arrived!   

FINALISTS

Nominee Name: Andy Canales
Nominee Title: Executive Director, Latinos for Education
Bio: Andy Canales is the Greater Houston Executive Director at Latinos for Education, an education non-profit organization focused on developing and placing Latino talent in the education sector. In this role, Andy works with a wide range of non-profits to increase Latino leadership in their organizations. In just one year, Andy worked with a number of community leaders and non-profit organizations to launch two Latino leadership programs focused on training Latino leaders to serve on education nonprofit boards and advance into senior education roles. The goal of the organization locally is to train 150 Latino leaders over the next five years to be at the forefront of education change in Houston. Andy also chairs the Latino Texas PAC, a nonpartisan volunteer organization that prepares and elects the next generation of Latino leaders in Texas politics. Andy Canales is passionate about making a difference in the Latino community.

Nominee Name: Claudia Aguirre
Nominee Title: President & CEO, BakerRipley
As President and CEO of BakerRipley, Claudia Aguirre leads an internationally renowned community development organization that has transformed neighborhoods for 112 years. As one of the largest nonprofits in the country, BakerRipley serves 600,000 people specializing in immigration, education, workforce development, community engagement, and health and wellness programs. Claudia leads a team of 1,600 staff at 67 locations across the Houston region. Her experience of immigrating from Mexico at the age of eight helped her to pursue her dreams and ignited a passion to help others pursue theirs.