Abogados

This year’s awards ceremony, which is held in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show, will feature Sinbad as the celebrity emcee. More than 1,000 automotive industry executives, media, political and community leaders are expected to gather to honor companies for their strides in promoting diversity in the auto industry. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Edward Davis Education Foundation, which provides scholarships, internships and mentoring for students interested in pursuing careers in the automotive-related profession. Since 1999 the foundation has awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships to ethnic minorities in need of financial support.

Past winners of the Latino Executive of the Year Award include: 2004, Francisco Codina, vice president, of customer service, Ford Motor Company; 2003, Patricia Salas Pineda, vice president of legal and human resources, New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.; 2002, Mike Shaw, president and CEO, Mike Shaw Chevrolet Buick Pontiac Saab GMC Truck.

The public is also invited to vote on its favorite Diversity Ad that targets the Latino community by visiting www.onwheelsinc.com, www.latinopress.com and www.clickdiario.com. Diversity ads that win by popular vote will also be announced at the awards ceremony.

In addition to the Latino Executive of the Year Award, the following awards will be presented at the Urban Wheel Awards ceremony: Company of the Year, African American Executive of the Year, Asian Executive of the Year, Diversity Automotive Advertisement of the Year, Minority Supplier of the Year, Urban Truck of the Year and Urban Car of the Year. All of the awards honor diversity in the automotive industry; the winners are selected by an independent panel of judges comprised of well-known journalists, including Warren Brown, Washington Post; Jay Chen, Asian Fortune Magazine; Kenneth Chester, Jr., Motor News Media; Earle Eldgridge, USA Today; Glenda Gill, Rainbow/Push Coalition; Kathy Jackson, Automotive News; BJ Killeen, Motor Mouth Productions; Edward Lapham, Automotive News; Valerie Menard, Latina Style; Kimatni Rawlins, Automotive Rhythms; and Pam Yung, former editor Shei Magazine.

Major sponsors for the 9th Annual urban Wheel Awards include: General Motors, GMAC Financial Services, Daimler Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Subaru, Nissan North America, Kia Motors and GlobalHue. Media partners include: AboutThatCar.com, AsianMall.com, Automotive Rhythms, Michigan Front Page, Michigan Chronicle, Diversity, Inc., Corp! Magazine, Upscale, Auto Scene, TV – One, Latino Press, WMXD 92.3-Detroit and Click Diario Network.

For ticket information to the 9th Annual Urban Wheel Awards, call On Wheels, Inc. at (313) 963-2209.

Detroit-based On Wheels, Inc. is a multi-cultural multi-media company that publishes “African Americans On Wheels”, Latinos On Wheels” and Asians On Wheels magazines, which are distributed in more than 80 newspapers throughout the United States and have a combined readership of 5 million. Additionally, on Wheels, Inc., manages the Edward Davis Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to students pursuing technical and college degrees in the automotive industry. Since 1997, On Wheels, Inc. has hosted the annual Urban Wheel Awards, the automotive industry’s premier diversity awards ceremony, in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show.