FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Stephen Chavez (310) 486-4104 Stephen@chavezmc.com

ALPFAS NEW VETERANS INITIATIVE HELPS TRANSITION SERVICE MEMBERS BACK TO A TOUGH U.S. JOB MARKET
LOS ANGELES, CALIF., March 5, 2012 ALPFA, the countrys largest Hispanic
professional organization, announced today a new Veterans Initiative to aid service men and women to successfully transition into Corporate America. Since the announcement of U.S. troop withdrawal last year, tens of thousands of service members left Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Labor Department reports that unemployment among veterans age 18-24 years old tops 20 percent, compared with the national rate of about nine percent. A major factor in veteran high unemployment rate is their struggle with fitting in, adjusting to civilian life and making the transition back into a job market. For many veterans, getting through the hiring process and assimilating into corporate culture can be challenging. According to the US department of Veteran Affairs, roughly 6% of current Veterans are Hispanic. This is where ALPFAs new initiative can help. Corporations recognize the leadership skills Veterans bring to the table and we want to ensure that our Latino Veterans are connected to these opportunities. As ALPFA works to build Latino leaders, we want to support Veterans to transition from leadership in the military to leaders in the corporate community." Manny Espinoza, ALPFA CEO. The new ALPFA Veterans Initiative will provide one-year free professional membership, a highly discounted rate to the Annual National Convention, and access to specialized events across the country for veterans to connect with corporate leaders and hiring managers. The ALPFA Institute is working to launch programming in April, that will be implemented at the chapter, level to help Veterans transition into corporate America. Orley Pacheco, a first generation Latino, served proudly in the United States Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom. When he returned from his service he found an atmosphere that was not friendly, very discouraging about his service and to some point belittling. One bright spot was the encouragement and support he received by joining ALPFA, and the opportunity to engage leaders in the organization. People ask me all the time how did you get to where you are today? What is it that makes you stand apart? Who helped you? I easily reply: ALPFA. ALPFA Builds Leaders, they helped build my skills and talents to the next level and put me forth to new heights where many of my peers fell short. If anyone is a veteran or knows a veteran looking for business networking opportunities and professional development, you can learn more about the ALPFA Veterans Initiative at www.alpfa.org.

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About ALPFA Established in Los Angeles in 1972, ALPFA is the first national Latino professional association created in the United States and is the proud predecessor of the AAHCPA. ALPFA provides members the foundation to advance Latino leadership through access to opportunities and the individuals that can impact them throughout their careers. Today, with more than 18,000 members, including CEOs, CFOs and board members, through 39 professional chapters and 90 student chapters in campuses around the nation, the organization has the largest member base and footprint among professional associations for Latinos. For more information on ALPFA, or to become a member visit: www.alpfa.org