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U.S. Representatives Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) head the list of honorees at the upcoming 4th Recognition Ceremony for the island delegation participating in Puerto Rican Week and the National Puerto Rican Parade events in New York.
This gathering is set for Friday, Nov. 8, at the Convention Center in Miramar and is organized by the Puerto Rico Police Members Association. It will take place just three days following the island’s general elections and will mark the first occasion for the new governor-elect to be present.
“We customarily invite the sitting governor, and we have already secured the commitment from the campaign coordinators of various political parties, allowing the victor of the general election to join us as a guest speaker,” stated Wilson Nazario, the coordinator for the Puerto Rican Delegation heading to New York for next year’s Puerto Rican Week and National Puerto Rican Parade festivities.
The event will also honor several notable individuals as determined by the Delegation Committee, including Rafael Hernández Montañez (speaker of the island House of Representatives), José Luis Dalmau Santiago (president of the island Senate), Grégory Gonsález Souchet (mayor of Peñuelas), Lt. José J. Taboada de Jesús (president of the Puerto Rico Police Members Association), Rep. Eddie Charbonier Chinea, Luis Vélez (New Jersey councilman), Jesús Márquez Rodríguez (mayor of Luquillo), Fabián Arroyo Rodríguez (mayor of Lares), Jorge “Georgie” Luis González Otero (mayor of Jayuya), Héctor Camacho (Jet Blue’s manager for PR-Virgin Islands), Luis Rodríguez Díaz (executive director of the Traffic Safety Commission), Johnny Cruz from the Salsa Museum in New York, Wilson D. Nazario Cruz (president of Interstate General Construction), Pablo Crespo Claudio (former executive director of the Commonwealth Employees Association, AEELA), Dr. Ramón Barquín III (president of the United Retailers Center of PR), Carlos Mercado (director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company), and Matilde Rodríguez (the oldest participant to march in the 2024 parade, hailing from Lares).
Additionally, three businesses will be acknowledged for their contributions to supporting the delegation: Koffy Brunch & Bistro from Palmas del Mar in Humacao, Potrero Los Llanos in Coamo, and AEELA.
“Recognizing these individuals and businesses is crucial for us as the Delegation and the CROEM ALUMNI organization successfully conducted the most significant event during Puerto Rican Week in New York last year, which was the ‘Third Conversation on the Empowerment of Communities and Opportunities for SMEs’ (small and midsize enterprises) aiming to conduct business in New York, gathering hundreds of SME leaders,” remarked Marcel García Burgos, the CROEM ALUMNI presidential delegate for last June’s New York events. “We are already organizing our Fifth Conversation, and several topics have come up that we look forward to announcing shortly.”
