Latin American Association Names Aníbal Torres as Executive Director
Appointment follows national search to lead Atlanta’s largest organization serving the Latino community
ATLANTA (Sept. 23, 2015) – The board of directors of the Latin American Association (LAA) unanimously has selected Aníbal Torres as its new executive director, effective today, following a national search.
Torres has been serving as interim director since July; he stepped down as board chair and chair of the advocacy committee to take that position. Deeply engaged for many years as an advocate for the Latino communities in Georgia and Florida, Torres will now lead metro Atlanta’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization serving the area’s half million Hispanic residents. He will continue to strengthen the core services the LAA provides as well as its overall financial sustainability.
“Aníbal is passionate about our work and has been a valued board member since 2008,” said board chair Bob Jimenez. “He embodies our mission of empowering Latinos to adapt, integrate and thrive, and is absolutely the right person to realize our vision and move our strategic plan forward.”
The LAA’s former executive director, Jeffrey Tapia, who retired in July, will help with the leadership transition over the next few months.
“I have known Aníbal for seven years,” Tapia said. “He is deeply committed to helping bring about change for Latinos in Atlanta. He has extensive knowledge of key public policy issues and a strong, established network in Atlanta and Georgia. This is a very dynamic and exciting time for the LAA and the people we serve.”
Torres has been on a progressive leadership path to this position throughout his career. Most recently, he was the publisher of Cox Media Group’s MundoHispánico (2007-2013) and a partner in Uno Georgia, a firm researching Latino voter demographic trends. From 2005 to 2007, he served as vice president and general manager of Hoy’s New York edition, a daily newspaper targeting New York City’s Hispanic community.
From 2003 to 2005, he published the weekly newspaper for Central Florida’s Hispanic community, El Sentinel, and from 1996 to 2003, was regional division manager of the Orlando Sentinel. He has also worked in Panama, Puerto Rico and Colombia for McGraw-Hill’s LatinoAmericana.
Throughout his career in media, Torres has been deeply involved in organizations that build and support the Latino community. Past commitments include serving as board member of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, region 2; chair and board member of the Florida Newspaper Advertising and Marketing Executives; board member of the Osceola County Chamber of Commerce and its Hispanic Business Council, Orlando; chair and board member of the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, Orlando; chair-elect of Leadership Alumni at Metro Orlando Chamber of Commerce; and board member of the Orange County COMPACT Mentoring Program, Orlando.
Torres earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.
About the LAA: The Latin American Association (LAA) is the largest and oldest organization serving the needs of metro Atlanta’s Latino community. It was founded in 1972. Last year, the work of the LAA impacted more than 40,000 individuals.
For more information, visit www.thelaa.org
