With the goal to educate Laredo women about civic engagement and the power of political participation, the Laredo Women’s Forum held its quarterly event Tuesday, September 11 at IBC Bank’s Annex Ballroom.
The event’s program presented information about local candidates and issues facing the community in the upcoming Nov. 6, 2018 General Election.
Over 125 women attended the panel discussion presented by former Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau, former state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, and Texas A&M International University Regents Professor Dr. Jerry D. Thompson. IBC senior vice- president Eddie Aldrete moderated the panel.
The panelists discussed the importance of women’s participation in politics at a time in which overall voter participation has been low.
In 2017, voter turnout was down across Texas, with less than 6 percent of the state’s 15 million registered voters casting ballots in the November constitutional election.
Founding Members of the Laredo Women’s Forum (standing) are Olivia Varela, Margarita Flores, Lucy Montemayor, and Sandra Alaniz. Seated are Linda LaMantia, Dalia Martinez, and Marisela Jacaman.
“IBC Bank acknowledges and celebrates the important role that women play in their families, the community, and in business,” said Dalia Martinez, IBC Bank executive vice-president and founding member of the Laredo Women’s Forum. “It is important for women to play an active role in politics to effect positive change in our community. It is critical that our voices be heard,” she said.
Panelists for the Laredo Women’s Forum are, left to right moderator Eddie Aldrete, Susan Pamerleau, Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, and Dr. Jerry D. Thompson.
Martinez and Margarita Flores, IBC’s vice-president of corporate marketing, were the driving force behind the creation of the forum, whose mission is to connect and empower women leaders in order to enrich local businesses and the Laredo community. The Forum’s purposeful work to encourage voter registration and getting out the vote reflects IBC Bank’s acknowledgement that the vote of an engaged and active society makes a difference at all levels of government.
The quarterly events of the Laredo Women’s Forum offer local businesswomen and community leaders the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and foster relations with key stakeholders. Topics focus on issues that affect the business climate for women locally, regionally, and nationally.
The founding members of the Laredo Women’s Forum include Dalia Martinez, IBC Bank; Margarita Flores, IBC Bank; Adriana Benavides Maddox, Benavides Maddox, PC; Olivia Varela, Laredo Economic Development Corporation; Adriana Rodriguez-Devally, Laredo Morning Times; Marisela Jacaman, Webb County Assistant District Attorney; Linda LaMantia, community leader; Priya Vaswani, About Time, Inc.; Lucy Montemayor, Rodel International, Inc.; and Sandra Alaniz, RE/MAX Real Estate.
