Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Our Local Legends
At 101.1 The Bounce we’re proud to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) by shining spotlight on powerful local voices who have helped shape Arizona through activism, education, service, and leadership.
Dr. Steven Gonzales
Dr. Steven Gonzales, former Chancellor of the Maricopa Community Colleges, now serves as Vice President for Student Success at Kansas State University. A seasoned higher‑education leader who hails from Coolidge, Arizona, Dr. Gonzales is known for expanding access, strengthening workforce pathways, and championing equity. His work continues to shape transformative opportunities for diverse learners across Arizona and the nation.
Dr. David E. Arrellano
Dr. David E. Arrellano is the Vice Chancellor of Pima Community College, leading strategic initiatives that expand access, strengthen student success, and advance equity across Southern Arizona. A dedicated educator and community advocate, he has shaped innovative pathways for diverse learners and continues to champion culturally responsive leadership in Arizona’s higher‑education landscape.
Carmen de Novais Guerrero
Carmen de Novais Guerrero, born in Brazil, is a renowned artist, educator, and cultural leader whose work has shaped Arizona’s Latino arts community. Through storytelling, advocacy, education, and collaboration with her husband and fellow artist, Zarco Guerrero, she has inspired generations while preserving Chicano and Indigenous heritage. She currently serves as Executive Director of the nonprofit Cultural Coalition.
Stella Pope Duarte
Stella Pope Duarte is an acclaimed Latina author, lecturer, and educator from South Phoenix whose award‑winning fiction and advocacy illuminate women’s lives, social justice, and Chicano/Latino history. Winner of the American Book Award for If I Die in Juárez, she is celebrated nationally as a powerful storyteller, educator, and community voice rooted in Arizona’s barrios.
Zarco Guerrero
Zarco Guerrero, born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, is a renowned sculptor, mask‑maker, and performance artist whose work blends Indigenous, Mexican, and Chicano traditions. A cultural visionary, he founded key arts festivals across the Southwest, using public art and storytelling to uplift social justice, ancestral memory, and Arizona’s barrio communities.
Dr. José Leyba
Dr. José Leyba is a veteran Arizona higher-education leader known for guiding colleges through complex governance, policy, and community-centered decision-making. A trusted advisor and mentor, he brings decades of experience in administration, ethics, and advocacy. His work strengthens institutional integrity, expands access for diverse learners, and uplifts service-rooted leadership in Arizona’s communities. (52 words)
Dr. Monica Villalobos
Born in Los Angeles, Dr. Monica Villalobos is a leading Arizona business strategist and advocate who elevates Latino entrepreneurship, equity, and statewide economic growth. As President & CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, she strengthened data‑driven policy and community partnerships. A respected researcher and speaker, she continues shaping opportunities that advance diverse businesses and Arizona’s future.
Carmela Ramirez
Carmela Ramirez is an award-winning Arizona performer, producer, educator, and cultural advocate whose work has strengthened arts and community engagement across the Southwest. A Phoenix native, she founded Más Productions and leads the musical group Carmela y Más. Through music, mentorship, and arts leadership, she continues inspiring audiences while advancing multicultural artistic expression.
Raul Aguirre
Raul Aguirre is a Tucson-based media pioneer, broadcaster, entrepreneur, and community advocate. A longtime television host and producer with both Univision and Telemundo, he later founded REA Media Group, advancing multicultural marketing and communications. Through broadcasting, civic engagement, education, and mentorship, he has championed Latino leadership and strengthened communities throughout Arizona and the Southwest.
January Contreras
January Contreras is a nationally recognized attorney, public servant, and advocate for children and families. She served as U.S. Assistant Secretary for Children and Families and founded Arizona Legal Women and Youth Services. Honored with the Judge Learned Hand Public Service Award and the Pete Garcia Hispanic Leadership Award, she has advanced justice and opportunity nationwide.
Elizabeth Toledo
Born in California to immigrant parents and raised in Arizona and Sonora, Elizabeth Toledo grew up surrounded by visual and performing arts. Her lifelong love of drawing and singing was encouraged by her artistic family, who supported her decision to pursue the arts professionally. Her artwork reflects the Arizona/Sonora desert’s vivid landscapes, colors, monsoons, arroyos, and heat. Working mainly in surreal female figure drawings and paintings, Elizabeth explores the pains and passions of the female experience.
Socorro Hernández-Bernasconi
Socorro Hernández-Bernasconi was a teacher, education reformer, and community activist in Guadalupe, Arizona. Raised in this close-knit, historically underserved Yaqui and Latino town southeast of Phoenix, she dedicated her life to educational justice, mental health, women’s empowerment, and youth violence prevention, leaving a legacy of courage, compassion, and grassroots leadership.
Lillian Piñon Carrillo,
Lillian Piñon Carrillo organized Brownie and Girl Scout troops in Globe, Arizona in the 1950s for Mexican American girls excluded from other local troops. She drew on her entrepreneurship and business background to guide girls in public service and fundraising. Their work benefited rural communities while helping the girls earn badges, become self-reliant and resourceful, and later follow her example as community leaders, entrepreneurs, and public servants.
Magda Verdugo
Magda Verdugo is a respected nonprofit executive and community advocate who serves as President and CEO of YWCA Southern Arizona. Through her leadership, she has advanced equity, economic opportunity, and empowerment for women and families. A prominent Latina voice in Tucson, she has strengthened community partnerships and driven meaningful social change across Southern Arizona.
Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera
Born in Puerto Rico, Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera leads Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff with a deep commitment to equity and opportunity. Since 2021, he has opened tuition‑free pathways for Arizona families, elevated NAU to R1 research status, expanded healthcare training statewide, and built powerful partnerships that uplift students, communities, and Arizona’s future.
Gema Duarte Luna
Born and raised in Superior, Arizona, Gema Duarte Luna is an award-winning marketing strategist, community leader, and advocate for educational opportunity. With more than 30 years of experience in media, banking, philanthropy, and business development, she has advanced Hispanic engagement across Arizona. Her honors include the Latina Excellence Woman of the Year and Latino Legacy Award.
Adelita Grijalva
Adelita Grijalva is a Tucson native, lifelong public servant, and U.S. Representative for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District. Formerly Chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, she has championed public education, affordable housing, environmental stewardship, and preschool access. In 2025, she became the first Latina elected to represent Arizona in Congress.
Dr. Trino Sandoval
Dr. Trino Sandoval is an educator, scholar, cultural leader, and advocate whose work has enriched Arizona’s educational and arts communities. A longtime professor and administrator at Phoenix College, he co-founded Teatro Bravo, Phoenix’s first Latino theatre company, promoted Latino arts and culture, and served as Senior Policy Advisor on Education to Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton.
Dr. Pete Dimas
Dr. Pete Dimas is a Phoenix historian, educator, author, and preservationist whose scholarship has illuminated Arizona’s Mexican American experience. A professor emeritus at Phoenix College, he documented the role of Latino veterans, neighborhoods, and civil rights leaders in shaping Arizona history. His acclaimed work continues to preserve and share the state’s rich cultural heritage.
Elvia Díaz
Elvia Díaz is an award-winning journalist, columnist, and political commentator who became the first Latina to lead the opinion pages of The Arizona Republic. Born in Michoacán, Mexico, she has spent decades elevating Latino voices and analyzing Arizona politics, immigration, and border issues. She was recognized as a Valle del Sol Profiles of Success Honoree.
Regional “Reggie” Carrillo
Regional “Reggie” Carrillo is an award-winning educator, environmental justice leader, and founder of AZ (LAND), a nonprofit advancing climate resilience and sustainability in underserved communities. A proud Queer Chicano from Arizona, he champions education, technology, and community empowerment. Carrillo is a Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree and respected civic innovator.
Lety Miranda-García
Lety Miranda-García is an award-winning media executive, publisher, and community leader dedicated to informing and empowering Arizona’s Hispanic community. As CEO of Prensa Arizona, she has expanded the publication’s statewide influence and journalistic excellence. In 2023, the National Association of Hispanic Publications named her Latina Publisher of the Year in recognition of her outstanding work.
Guillermo Reyes
Guillermo Reyes is a Chilean-born playwright, author, and educator whose groundbreaking work explores Latino identity, immigration, gender, and culture. A longtime Arizona State University professor, he co-founded Teatro Bravo, Phoenix’s pioneering Latino theater company. His acclaimed plays have earned national recognition, including the L.A. Ovation Award and Outer Critics Circle Award.
