Celebrating its fourteenth year of existence, the 2007 Latino Youth Leadership Conference had one of its most successful conferences since its inception. This summer, The LYLC enrolled 64 students from the Clark County School District. It also was staffed by an incredible and well-prepared peer facilitation team, consisting of students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada.

The theme for this year's program was "Latino Leadership: The Path to Empowerment - activism, Education, and Immigration." The LYLC students were introduced to cultura, familia, ducation, empowerment, leadership, community building, and to their history. These are key tools for their future success and development as community leaders. The LYLC would like to thank President David Ashley of UNLV, for his support and sponsorship in housing the program on the campus of UNLV. The College of Southern Nevada and Nevada State College also deserve a great big thank you from the LYLC.

This summer, the LYLC was honored to have some great workshop presenters. Key presenters from the State of Nevada included Dr. Sylvia Lazos, who educated the students on immigration and its current legal and social impact. In addition to Dr. Lazos, popular Assemblyman Ruben Kihuen shared with the students his personal journey as a Mexican immigrant and how he became the first Mexican immigrant to become a Nevada Assemblyman. Other presenters included Attorney General Catherine Cortez-Masto, Assemblyman Mo Denis, and Andres Ramirez from the State of Nevada Democratic Party. All of those speakers provided valuable insights into political leadership. On the private sector side, the MGM MIRAGE team, led by Irene Bustamante-Adams, provided great insights on Corporate Leadership and the importance of diversity in the gaming and hospitality industry.

The LYLC planning committee is proud of its accomplishments and is committed to working diligently to make every year better than the last. This year it definitely met that commitment by putting together an outstanding group of keynote speakers. One of the keynote speakers was Gustavo Arrellano, a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of the best selling book "Ask A Mexican."

Gustavo's message was clear - Education is the key to success - and it is through education that he works to bring knowledge to the masses through his column and books. Another keynote speaker was Delores Huerta, the Co-Founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW). The word "Inspirational" only begins to describe the impact she had on the LYLC students as she shared stories of her many years of work and struggle with Cesar Chavez and the farm workers movement. She is still a powerhouse in the labor movement and is a living example of Leadership. The LYLC was honored to have both Gustavo Arrellano and Delores Huerta.

Thanks are also in order for Ricardo Reyna, whose leadership and commitment to the LYLC has made it better than ever. At the end of the conference the students and staff surprised Ricardo by honoring him with a special award that moved Ricardo to tears. Kudos also to the 2007 LYLC Peer Facilitators, who were incredible. We cannot say enough good things about their impact on the students. We look forward to many of them returning to serve as facilitators in 2008. Thank you also to the planning committee of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, that included Dr. Rene Cantu, Tom Rodriguez, Eva Melendrez, Victoria Napoles, and Otto Merida. Finally, a special thank you to the Latin Chamber's LYLC Committee, headed by Chairman and LYLC Co-Founder Tom Rodriguez, and Larry Mason, Chairman of the Chamber's Career Day Scholarship Committee. Adelante!