CITY OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Office of the Mayor

Thomas M. Menino

Contacts: Mayor’s Press Office Julie Sellew, Niwa Public Relations

Tel: 617-635-4461 Tel: 508-238-6547

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Menino, Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians to celebrate

Boston’s cultural diversity at 2009 We Are Boston Gala
Seeking nominations for corporations, community organizations and youth
leaders that have made contributions to Boston’s diversity

Deadline July 30

Boston, MA (June 23, 2009) – Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians (MONB)
are proud to announce a call for nominations for the 2009 We Are Boston Leadership Awards. The awards
celebrate individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions in promoting Boston’s rich
diversity and fostering civic engagement within communities of New Bostonians. The MONB is seeking
nominations to honor exceptional leaders in three We Are Boston Leadership award categories, Corporate
Leadership, Community Leadership and Youth Leadership.

For more information and to download the application, please visit www.weareboston.wordpress.com. The
deadline for nominations is July 30, and all nominees must be available to attend the Awards Celebration on
October 6 at the Hynes Convention Center.

“The We Are Boston Leadership Award was created to recognize individuals and organizations that help to
make Boston culturally vibrant by embracing and promoting our city’s diversity, immigrant heritage and
contributions, “Mayor Menino said. “The award recipients add to Boston’s vitality and give us a competitive
edge that’s more important than ever. I look forward to celebrating the achievements of another terrific group
at this year’s gala.”

Past awardees include for following:

 • U.S. Senator Edward M Kennedy, David Ortiz, and Bill Russell for the We Are Boston Leadership Award.

• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, State Street Corporation and Verizon for the We Are Boston
Corporate Leadership Award.

• Mr. Carlos Saavedra, Mr. Herbert Maisonet, Ms. Dan Thuy Chu, Mr. Diego Medina and Ms. Berjeany
Charles for the We Are Boston Youth Leadership Award.

A decade ago, the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians (ONB) was created to ensure that new immigrants have full
access to the civic, economic, social and cultural life of Boston. The MONB established a nationally-recognized
model for assisting newcomers in overcoming the barriers and challenges of immigration. Every year, the MONB
assists over 1,000 new Bostonians by connecting individuals to English language classes, helping them open new
business, promoting free immigration advice from volunteer lawyers, and offering employment and homeownership
counseling, which allow new Bostonians to contribute socially and economically to the city in a myriad of ways.

Proceeds from the We Are Boston Gala support the English for New Bostonians Initiative, a public-private-
community partnership that allows more than 1,000 new Bostonians to access English language classes and
other crucial programs that enable new Bostonians to better acclimate themselves in Boston.

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About the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians

The Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians was established in 1998 to meet the needs of the growing and
changing immigrant and newcomer communities in Boston. Its mission and objectives were formed through a
shared dialogue across immigrant communities in Boston. The Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians strives to
reach and serve diverse cultural and linguistic communities and create a model of a welcoming multicultural
city, as well as to improve the ability of these diverse communities to access city services.