LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is pleased to announce its 2022 Pobladores Awards Gala, presented by City National Bank, honoring musical artist and entrepreneur Pepe Aguilar, media trailblazer Walter Ulloa, and City National Bank. The annual event will take place on the evening of October 13, 2022, at LA Plaza’s outdoor campus.
The Pobladores Awards Gala is LA Plaza’s primary community funding effort. Leading the event are Gala Co-Chairs Raul Bustillos, Senior Vice President, Community Relations at Bank of America, and Robert Villaseñor, Vice President Senior Relationship Manager at City National Bank.
The Pobladores Award recognizes individuals, organizations, and companies who, much like the original pobladores settlers from Mexico, have blazed a trail that continues to endure, inspire, and enrich. The Awards Gala serves as LA Plaza’s primary fundraising event and supports the museum and cultural center’s many educational, exhibition, and programming initiatives. This must-attend event, which caps Latino Heritage Month in Los Angeles, welcomes more than 400 cultural, business, and government leaders.
“LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is pleased to bring recognition to those that represent the best of our community through areas that have a great impact on our daily lives: communication, financial services, art, and music,” says Leticia Rhi Buckley, LA Plaza CEO. “Walter F. Ulloa, City National Bank, and Pepe Aguilar represent in the best way possible those important pillars.”
Pepe Aguilar is a singer, composer, and independent producer of Mexican music with global sales of more than 15 million records. He was born to the Mexican icons Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre during a tour in Texas and sang for the first time at the age of three during a concert at Madison Square Garden. He is known for being a visionary. Three decades ago, he became an independent artist, which allowed him to win ownership of his own catalogue, create his own radio station, and get creative freedom. As a result, he has won four Grammy Awards, five Latin Grammy Awards, and nineteen Lo Nuestro awards, as well as several Latin Billboards. In 2012, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is married to Aneliz Álvarez Alcalá and has four children: Emiliano Aguilar, Aneliz Aguilar, Leonardo Aguilar, and Ángela Aguilar. Leonardo and Ángela are also singers.
“Pepe Aguilar is one of the most recognized artists in the music industry due to his undeniable influence in expanding the reach of ranchera music, particularly in the United States. LA Plaza couldn’t be prouder to pay him this well-deserved tribute,” says Andy Carrasco, Chairman of LA Plaza’s Board of Trustees.
Walter F. Ulloa is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Entravision Communications Corporation, a diversified Spanish-language media company utilizing a combination of television, radio, and digital media operations to reach Latino consumers across the United States, as well as the border markets of Mexico. With 30 years of experience in Spanish-language television and radio in the United States, Ulloa has held his position as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Entravision since its inception in 1996. Mr. Ulloa is a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Music Center, the LA84 Foundation and the US/Mexico Foundation. He is also a founding member of the Board of Directors of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.
With $91.2 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 68 branches, including 22 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $83.0 billion in client investment assets. City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of the world’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 27 other countries. For more information about City National, visit the company’s website at cnb.com.
Past recipients of the Pobladores Award include Linda Ronstadt, Cheech Marin, the late Honorable Esteban Torres, The Getty, AltaMed CEO Castulo de la Rocha, Los Lobos, and LA Plaza Founders.
Since its founding in 2011, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is the only museum and cultural center in Los Angeles dedicated to preserving and sharing the history and many contributions of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and all Latinos in Southern California, serving more than 500,000 people, including 80,000 school-aged children.
“It is critical to support the arts and LA Plaza’s Pobladores Awards is one way we can work together to keep this museum and cultural center thriving as the hub for the Latino community in the L.A. area,” says Gala Co-chair Robert Villaseñor.
“Guests and donors who make this event possible will enjoy an unforgettable and exciting evening full of celebration, pride in our heritage, and authenticity. It’s one of the highlights of all the activities that take place at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes!” adds Raul Bustillos, Gala Co-chair.
Gala sponsors to date include Bank of America (Platinum Sponsor) and PepsiCo (VIP Reception Sponsor), and University of LaVerne, TELACU, Locke Lord, LA84, and Majestic Realty.
Sponsorship information and individual tickets are available at: https://lapca.networkforgood.com/events/45412-pobladores-awards-gala
For additional information, please contact Lisa Esparza, Development and Membership Associate, at 213 542-6276 or [email protected].