Posted: September 18th, 2009 Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman

Tonight, La Noticia, Charlotte's Spanish-language news source, is hosting their 11th annual Excelente Awards at the Westin in Uptown.

This year's award winners include seven people and two businesses. New this year, an award for the Diversity and Inclusion Company of the year. Two companies are being honored, People's Bank and Compass Group North America.

Also, Nhora S. Gomez-Saxon, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg teacher, is being honored as the Latina teacher of the year. Her award includes a $2,500 scholarship for professional development.

"This is the most significant event of the year for the Latino community in Charlotte," says Hilda H. Gurdian, La Noticia's publisher and CEO. "Everyone looks forward to it."

The evening includes a gourmet dinner, performances by the Latin Dance Company and a performance by Leydy Bonilla and her band. Tickets are $100 per person.

While the festive event recognizes the outstanding achievements of the Latino business community, as well as others that support the community, the real winners of the night are the students whose scholarships are funded by the proceeds the awards ceremony generates.

According to Elisa Rodriquez, the scholarship fund's chairperson and a former Excelente Awards recipient, the scholarship fund started about five years ago. It is an effort to help young Latinos continue their educations past high school. She says only the best of the best are chosen for the $2,500 scholarship.

This year, scholarship recipients are studying to become doctors, nurses and dentists. "These kids are unbelievable," says Rodriquez. "Their stories are full of passion for education and love for our country."

She predicts tears as each student takes the stage to share their story with the audience. Her hope for the scholarship recipients is that, once they graduate, they find ways to give back to their communities.

This Excelente Award winners include:

* Businessman of the Year: Richard Latorre, Latorre Insurance Group

* Businesswoman of the Year: Violeta S. Moser, ReMark, Inc.

* Community Service Person of the Year: Edith Valladares McElroy, Ph.D., Central Piedmont College

* Non-Latin Person Most Supportive of the Latino Community: Bob Morgan, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce

* Latino Teacher of the Year: Nhora S. Gomez-Saxon, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

* Student of the Year: Ana Gabriela Salas, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

* Student of the Year: Claudia Isabella Castillo, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Sponsors include: AT&T, Food Lion, Compass Group, Carolina's News Channel 36, Phillip Morris USA, Allstate, Charlotte Metro Credit Union, Duke Energy, the Latino American Chamber of Commerce, State Farm Insurance, Lowe's, Wachovia- Wells Fargo and The Charlotte Observer among others.

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