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Monday, February 6, 2012
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Presentations (free)
12:30 p.m. – Lunch (optional, fee) RSVP by Wednesday February 1st before noon

(presentations will be in Spanish)

Opening the program will be María Otero, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. The highest-ranking Hispanic woman ever to serve in the State Department. Otero, born in Bolivia, is the former president and CEO of Acción International.

Keynote Address: Dr. Inés Bustillo, director of the Washington office of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America & the Caribbean (ECLAC), will speak onWomen's Leadership and Innovation: Improving Lives in Latin America

Giving Back to the Community: Deborah Szekely will speak on Empowered Women as Catalysts for Economic and Social Change. Admired and loved by many on both sides of the border, Mrs. Szekely is one of the most accomplished bi-national business leaders and female philanthropists in San Diego history.

The Institute of the Americas is hosting a week-long seminar titled, “Women: From Poverty to Power,”(Seminar Agenda) which will introduce women social and business entrepreneurs from several countries in Latin America to experts who will discuss effective tools of engagement and share successes and challenges. You are invited to attend the opening session of this extraordinary meeting.

Inés Bustillo is a leading voice in the Western Hemisphere promoting social and economic equity. As an economist and representative in the United States of ECLAC, Dr. Bustillo works on such diverse issues as economic policy, poverty, investment and trade, and women's role in the economy. Her keynote address at the Institute will focus on economic and social issues confronting women in the Americas and the role that innovative women play in improving quality of life for their families, communities and the region. Uruguayan by birth, Dr. Bustillo holds a doctorate in economics from American University.

Deborah Szekely’s life exemplifies what is possible when an empowered woman leads and inspires economic and social change. A philanthropist and public servant who has funded numerous causes in the areas of education, health and welfare and the environment, Mrs. Szekely has created several non-profit organizations that continue to improve lives in the San Diego-Baja California region, as well as nationally. She has been particularly active as a champion of immigrant rights and cross-border cultural and environmental programs. A former candidate for U.S. Congress, she is recognized for directing the creation of the first and leading guide for Congressional management, a non-partisan guide now in its 12th edition which is found on nearly every desk on Capitol Hill.<

Mrs. Szekely is the co-founder (with her husband, Professor Edmond Szekely) of the modern health and fitness movement as the owner/director of two destination spas -- Rancho La Puerta and the Golden Door. She served as president and CEO of the Inter-American Foundation in Washington, D.C., and has had various assignments as a U.S. diplomat, including service as the principal delegate to the Inter-American Commission on Women, Organization of American States. She has earned numerous recognitions including San Diego/Tijuana Citizen of the Year and the title "Mrs. San Diego."  This month she is due to complete her memoirs.