Mr. Al Guerra, president of the Hampton Roads Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, addresses the graduates.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - February 14, marked the second graduation celebration of the Center for Latino Leadership's Management and Leadership training series.

A joint effort with Regent University 's Center for Latino Leadership (CLL) and the Hampton Roads Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HRHCC), this three-week training program consisted of half-day seminars taught in Spanish.

According to graduate, Oscar Lissa, "the reason for us to obtain this training is to be prepared so we may be of help to other newcomers, helping them to overcome obstacles and grow their businesses."

	Mr. Rodrigo Zarate, Dr. Michael Hartsfield, Dr. Sergio Matviuk and some of the graduates.

During the ceremony held at the Imperio Inca Restaurant in Virginia Beach , Mr. Al Guerra, president of the HRHCC, stressed the importance of integrating leadership, education and community engagement and recognized the importance of leadership training among Hispanics, who run the largest number of minority-owned businesses in the U.S.

According to keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Hartsfield, "the most important characteristic of leadership is service." Hartsfield, who directs Regent's Ph.D. program in Organizational Leadership, explained that "true leadership is and has always been a self-sacrificing action that involves considering the needs of others even when your own needs are pressing."

		Mr. Oscar Lissa represented the graduates and encouraged his peers to help newcomers overcome obstacles and grow their businesses.

The call to the Hispanic leaders today is to be leaders who will be willing to do not only what is strictly business, but to serve others, without regard for themselves, holding to values and beliefs."

Driven by an endurable entrepreneurial spirit and a strong desire to experience the American dream, the rise in Hispanic-owned businesses, according to new estimates by HispanTelligence, is expected to be 7.6 percent annually through 2010. The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States is expected to grow 55 percent in the next six years to 3.2 million, with total revenues surging 70 percent to more than $465 billion" according to www.hispanicbusiness.com/research/.

Dr. Sergio Matviuk, director of the Center for Latino Leadership, states, "we are improving the content and the delivery of this training to better serve the needs of business people in the area, making our courses not just one option, but the best option for training."

Future plans of CLL and the HRHCC include a third series on Leadership and Management and the launch of the Chamber's Institute of Leadership .

More Information
For more information about upcoming seminars, contact Rodrigo Zárate at 757-226-4737, rodrzar@regent.edu or Marcela Chaván at 757-226- 4760, marcmat@regent.edu, from Regent University or Gaby López Rengifo, president of the Hampton Roads Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at 757-592-6521 or 757-890-6266.  Also visit http://www.regent.edu/acad/sls/clal/chamberofcommerce/home.htm.

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About the School of Leadership Studies
The School of Leadership Studies (SLS) is one of eight graduate schools within Regent University, located in Virginia Beach, Va. Offering fully-accredited master's and doctoral degrees in a flexible online format, SLS provides rigorous, yet innovative academic programs that can accommodate even the busiest professionals. For more information regarding CLL or SLS, visit www.regent.edu/leadership.