Press Releases

Albuquerque, NM – The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) is proud to announce that Executive Director Zack Quintero was one of seven leaders invited to participate in the U.S. Hispanic Leaders Program earlier this fall. This internationally recognized program highlights young Hispanic leaders in the United States and brings them to Spain to foster greater collaboration between the two countries. 

“The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs prides itself on not only identifying leaders in their respective fields, but also empowering those leaders to grow and develop new skills,” said New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) Cabinet Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego. “We’re incredibly proud of Zack for representing NMDCA and New Mexico on the international stage.” 

Founded in 1998, the U.S. Hispanic Leaders Program (Programa de líderes hispanos) was established as an initiative of the Government of Spain to build a network of political, cultural, business, and academic leaders who can connect with their Spanish counterparts. This year, the program includes a seven-day trip to Madrid and Bilbao, offering leaders a chance to broaden their knowledge of the country and identify opportunities for future collaboration.  

Other leaders involved in the 2023 program include Melanie Fontes Rainer, Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S Department of Health & Human Services; Teresa Acuña, Deputy Director for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Initiative; and Dennis González, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Voto Latino. Upon completion of the program, all participants will be invited to join the Association of Hispanic Leaders, The Hispanic Leadership Award program is paid for in full by the Spain-US Council. 

“I am honored to be joining fellow Latino and Hispano American leaders in this ongoing partnership between diplomacy and the arts,” Quintero said. “My hope is to bring together more connections for the Center through visual and performing arts alongside key historical documents related to our home state of New Mexico. We have high-profile projects taking place here at the Center in genealogy, education, and artistic programming that will require strong connections to other governments and I am excited to be working on behalf of our fellow New Mexicans to get these connections made.”   

NHCC leadership has participated in the Hispanic Leaders Program before. In 2022, Visual Arts Program Manager Jadira Gurulé was selected to participate in the program. To learn more about the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Award program, visit lideres-hispanos.org/en/the-program. More information on Quintero’s background and skillset is available HERE. 

More about the National Hispanic Cultural Center The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities. The NHCC presents mission-related events throughout the year, some produced by its history, literary, performing, and visual arts programs, and others by partnering with external organizations. Events take place at its 20-plus-acre campus, which includes a plaza, an art museum, a historically designated building, a library, and a genealogy center. The NHCC is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is further supported by the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.