More than 150 guests gathered for the Mohawk Valley Latino Association’s 21st Anniversary Hispanic Heritage Gala, where HITN President and CEO Michael D. Nieves delivered an inspiring keynote honoring Latino leadership and community impact.
Nieves paid heartfelt tribute to Carmen Sonia Martínez, co-founder of MVLA, praising her decades-long commitment to empowering Latino communities across upstate New York. From humble beginnings, Martínez helped transform the MVLA into a key support system for immigrant families, small businesses, and young leaders throughout the region.
“Her vision built more than an organization—it built a community,” Nieves told the audience, highlighting how Martínez’s leadership has fostered education, cultural pride, and unity for over twenty years.
Drawing connections to his own work at HITN, Nieves reflected on the network’s growth to more than 35 million households since he took the helm in 2017. He also noted HITN’s Emmy Award-winning programming and ongoing mission to elevate Latino voices through culture, education, and civic participation.
Mike Nieves at MVLA
Nieves emphasized that both HITN and the MVLA champion the same core values: preserving language, honoring identity, and celebrating heritage. He praised Martínez as a shining example of servant leadership—someone who connects cultures and generations through empathy and action.
“Progress is born from collaboration,” Nieves concluded. “Every act of mentorship, education, or storytelling contributes to the living narrative of Hispanic heritage.”
The evening not only marked the closing of Hispanic Heritage Month but also celebrated the enduring impact of leaders who continue to shape a brighter, more inclusive future for Latino communities in the Mohawk Valley and beyond.
