Erika Reyes, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce received the Juana Bordas Leadership Legacy Award at the 7th Circle of Latina Leadership Continuatioon Ceremony held on November 18th.

Erika is a Graduate of Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation “Leadership Denver” 2009 and was a Colorado Rockies Adult Leadership Award (2007 Finalist). Erika, a class of 2005 alumni, was the past CLL coordinator and has a deep commitment to her Circle sisters.

The award is named after CLL founder Juana Bordas and is given to a distinguished alumnae. Past receipients have included Marlene DelaRosa and Monique Lobato.

Circle of Latina Leadership (CLL) founding board member, Lena Archuleta has been a guiding light to the Hispanic communities for over 50 years! This July, Lena will be celebrating 89 years of a life well lived - a life filled with service, contribution, and a great legacy of leadership. Lena was the first Latina principle and because of her life-long services as an education currently has a school named after her. Lena is a founder of many Latino organizations such as Mi Casa and La Rasa and has been a mentor, inspiration, and role model to countless Latinas.

To honor her contributions, and to recognize the exceptional mentors who have followed in her footsteps, CLL is initiating the Lena Archuleta Legacy Circle. Each year outstanding mentors will be recognized for their continuous dedication to growing, nurturing, and promoting our young leaders. Lena - Con todo Corazon - Gracias for your many contributions!

With the graduation of the 2009 class, the Circle of Latina Leadership (CCL) is now 130 women strong. These Latinas are making great strides across Denver and are taking the lead in nonprofits, government, education, and business. Now the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America is recognizing their efforts and the excellence of the CLL program with the Vale La Pena Award.

The award recognizes the contributions CLL and our alumnae have made in improving the lives of Latinos in our community and in advocating for Latino progress. Mayor John Hickenlooper will speak on behalf of CLL at the event on December 1st. Other honorees include CLL founder, Sister Alicia Cuaron and Pat Cortez, Senior Vice President of Public Relations for Wells Fargo who has served as a mentor and supporter of the program.

From her stint as a young Peace Corps volunteer in Chile to her role as head of Mestiza Leadership International, a company that pushes corporate diversity, Juana Bordas has devoted her adult life to the Latina community. That's why she has been named the 2009 Unique Woman of Colorado.

"It was a real honor to be singled out, but the thing I want to emphasize is that the work I do is really collaborative and involves so many women," Bordas said.

The award, presented Monday, recognizes those whose work has benefited women and girls in Colorado. Bordas moved to Denver in 1971. Six years later she co-founded the Mi Casa Women's Center. She served as first president and chief executive of the National Hispana Leadership Institute. And in 2001 she started the Circle of Latina Leadership, a program that to date has trained 130 women for community leadership roles.

Her book, Salsa, Soul and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age won the 2008 Latino International Leadership Award.