Chelsea was well represented on this year’s ALX100 list from Amplify LatinX. During this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, six Chelsea residents, including City Manager Fidel Maltez, were named to the list of 100 Latino leaders from across Massachusetts. In addition to Maltez, the other local recipients included City Council President Norieliz DeJesus; City Councilor at Large Kelly Garcia; MA Executive Office of Economic Development’s Juan Vega; Executive Director of La Vida Scholars Peter Barros; and Assistant VP & Relationship Manager at Eastern Bank Chelsea, Jose Abreu.
The full list of the Latino leaders from across the state is available on the Boston Globe’s website and was printed in the Sept. 15 issue of the Globe Magazine. The ALX100 recognizes exceptional Latino leaders who have demonstrated excellence and made significant contributions in their respective fields and communities, according to the Amplify Latinx website. This year’s celebration honoring the recipients is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Museum of Science in Boston.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award alongside such inspiring leaders as we celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Garcia. “It’s a privilege to be recognized among Chelsea’s Latinx leaders, advocates, and disruptors who are making a positive impact in our community. Congratulations to all the honorees – this is truly a celebration of our collective dedication and hard work.”
Maltez said the honors show the strength of Chelsea leadership.
“We are leaders in the entire Commonwealth and it’s amazing to get recognized,” he said. “People like Juan Vega, who has worked his whole life to improve the livelihoods of people in Chelsea, and then when he went onto the state, the entire Commonwealth.
People like our council president, who similarly has been working to improve the lives of all residents, and there are also folks in the private sector who are really advocating for the Latino community and the entire community at the same time.” Maltez noted that his wife, Maria Belen Power, was an ALX100 honoree last year. “This one is kind of special to me, because my wife was a recipient of the award last year and I was that event as her plus-one, so she gets to attend this year as my plus-one,” said Maltez.