Hispanic Network offers Lifetime Achievement awards

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

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By Register Staff

The Napa County Hispanic Network recently honored two community leaders with Lifetime Achievement awards, while four others received recognition as Friends of the Network.

At the Hispanic Network’s Jan. 16 awards ceremony at the Napa Valley Opera House’s downstairs café, Shearer Charter School Principal Lisa Miri and Community Health Clinic Ole Medical Director Dr. Robert Moore received lifetime achievement awards.

Friends of the Network awards went to Marlena Garcia, Bruce Killen, Oscar Ortiz and Rene Rubio.

Miri’s campus in Old Town Napa has the largest concentration of English language learners — students whose families don’t speak English at home — of any school in the Napa Valley Unified School District.

Miri has gained a reputation for reaching out to parents, teachers and administrators to ensure the continued success of local students. She has done this in her role at Shearer as well as while serving as the NVUSD’s Bilingual Advisory Council.

In essay in the Hispanic Network’s program for the evening stated, “During parent/teacher conferences, you will see Lisa literally running from one classroom to another to assist with translations.”

Moore has been with Clinic Ole for 12 years and is medical director of the agency, which provides medical services to 22,000 uninsured and underinsured people. Clinic Ole has medical offices in Napa, St. Helena and Calistoga, and serves residents of the Berryessa area, as well as Napa Valley College students and those who utilize the county’s shelters for the homeless.

Moore has previously been honored for his dedication to the community by several organizations, including the Queen of the Valley Medical Center and the Napa County Medical Society. The Network’s program notes state that Moore ”works collaboratively with others in the community to improve the county’s system of primary health care and community prevention efforts.”

Friends of the Network honoree Marlena Garcia is a community activist who works with Alianza de la Comunidad, which promotes cultural diversity and understanding in Napa Valley, as well as ParentsCAN, which supports families with children facing a range of disabilities. Garcia has also volunteered her time to the Hispanic Network’s last two annual scholarship banquets, in which the agency gives out scholarships to more than a dozen local Latinos in college or high school.

Killen is a therapist with the Napa County Department of Adult Mental Health and has been a long-time volunteer. He uses his bilingual skills to provide counseling to children and adults in Napa County, assisting many on behalf of the Volunteer Center of Napa Valley.

Ortiz has coached basketball, soccer and boxing through the Napa County Sheriff’s Youth Activity League, dedicating time several days a week to support at-risk youth as they use athletics to gain discipline and purpose. He helped local athletes Jessica Ponce and Brandon Trejo bring home medals from state and national boxing tournaments last year.

Rubio works with Napa Valley College’s MESA and Puente programs, counseling students in academics and other disciplines. He has been a volunteer for the Hispanic Network’s scholarship committee for four years, helping to select students whose academic achievements and ability to overcome adversity helps them stand out from other applicants.

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