WASHINGTON, March 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) is proud to announce the participation of an all-star lineup of the country's most influential and respected elected officials, decision makers, business leaders and institutions at our 23rd Annual Legislative Summit, which will take place at the Capital Hilton from March 18 – 20. The summit will engage the nation's top leaders in the public and private sectors in robust and insightful dialogue regarding the most relevant issues affecting the Hispanic community, such as business development, immigration reform, and educational a series of issues-based plenaries and workshops.

Our participating guests this year include: 

Chairman's Award Recipients

• Eva Longoria, Co-Founder, The Futuro Fund
• Andrés López, Co-Founder & National Chairman, The Futuro Fund
• Henry Muñoz III, Co-Founder & National Chairman, The Futoro Fund

USHCC Small Business Advocate of the Year

• Honorable John Cornyn (R-TX), Minority Whip, U.S. Senate

USHCC Lifetime Achievement Award

• Honorable Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Chair, U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Caucus

Elected Officials

• Honorable Eric Cantor (R-VA), Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives
• Honorable Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Chair, Congressional Hispanic Conference
• Honorable Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Honorable Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
• Honorable Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Member, U.S. House of Representatives
• Honorable Rafael Anchia, Member, Texas House of Representatives

Senior Obama Administration Officials

• Honorable Arne Duncan, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
• Alan Krueger, Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisers
• Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Jeanne Hulit, Associate Administrator for Capital Access, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Marco Davis, Acting Executive Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

Corporate Executives & Hispanic Business Leaders

• Scott Geller, CEO/Business Banking, Chase
• Henry Fleches, President, United Data Technologies
• Xavier Gutierrez, President & Chief Investment Officer, The Meruelo Group
• David Hernandez, CEO & Co-Founder, Liberty Power
• Ricardo Fort, Head of Global Sponsorship Marketing, Visa
• Mark Finley, General Manager, Global Energy Markets, BP
• Emilio Gonzalez, Vice President for Strategic Alliances & Public Policy, Verizon
• Lonnie Johnson, Senior Director, Federal Relations, ExxonMobil
• Eddie Loomis, Representative, Prudential Financial
• Susan Molinari, Vice President of Public Policy, Google, Inc.
• David Polinchock, Director of Adworks Lab, AT &T
• Luis Patiño, Senior Vice President, Univision Television Group

Nonprofit Leaders and Advocates

• Anna Lopez Buck, Executive Director, National Association of Hispanic Journalists
• Maria Cardona, Principal, Dewey Square Group and CNN Contributor
• Christopher Durovich, President & CEO, Children's Medical Center Dallas
• Jennifer Korn (MC), Executive Director, Hispanic Leadership Network
• Chris Ornelas, Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer, National Association of Broadcasters
• Amanda Renteria, Former Chief of Staff, Sen. Debbie Stabenow & First Latina Chief of Staff in the Senate
• Dr. Elena V. Rios, President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association

Academic Leaders

• Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., Chancellor, University of Texas System
• Trey Grayson, Director, Harvard University Institute of Politics
• Eugenio J. Alemán, Ph.D., Director & Senior Economist, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
• Chad Moutray, Chief Economist, National Association of Manufacturers

Event Co-Hosts

• Harvard University Institute of Politics
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Congressional Hispanic Conference
• Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute
• Hispanic Leadership Network

About the USHCC

Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of over 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses across the United States that contribute in excess of $465 billion to the American economy each year. It also serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers and business associations in the United States and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.ushcc.com.

Valentina Pereda, USHCC Communications Manager
202-735-7729