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Creator of Flamin’ Hot® Cheetos to Address Families at Parent Step Ahead Event in Irving, TX
Richard Montañez, author of the book “A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie,”
to highlight his rise from janitor to PepsiCo executive

Special guest Richard P. Montañez to speak with parents and students at the May 21st Parent Program

DALLAS, April 23, 2013— Richard P. Montañez, an executive for PepsiCo North America and the “Godfather of Hispanic Branding,” will be the special guest speaker at the Parents Step Ahead program for Irving ISD’s Secondary Reassignment Center (SRC). The private event for families of the SRC’s will be held on Tuesday, May 21^st from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School (3601 W Pioneer Dr., Irving, TX 75061).

Montañez started his PepsiCo career at Frito-Lay in 1976 as a janitor and is now recognized as the creator of the Flamin’ Hot® product line, which influenced future ethnic products and the first Frito-Lay Hispanic marketing team. Montanez currently leads Multicultural Sales & Community Promotions across PepsiCo’s North American divisions, leveraging best practices internally and externally to develop community partnerships. He is known for his visionary leadership and ability to develop new systems and products. This spring he released his first published book,  A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie, a motivational story of his own experiences.

The Secondary Reassignment Center (SRC) program is an off campus discipline management center for Irving ISD and it offers many educational as well as social/emotional programs for each student.  “By bringing together Parents Step Ahead and schools such as the SRC we can work together to overcome the barriers that many of these families face,” affirmed Richard Montañez. “I know how it is to feel hungry for success and I want to ensure that these families don’t let fear stop them from achieving the life they deserve.”

Parents Step Ahead is dedicated to providing families the necessary tools to ensure the success of parents and students. Families from the Secondary Reassignment Center will have the opportunity to meet with counselors, social workers, and community organizations to receive information and resources so that parents can become proactive in their child’s education.  “Richard Montañez is a truly inspiring figure and we are excited for him to share his incredible story with families who have encountered numerous struggles,” said Lupita Colmenero, Chair and Founder of Parents Step Ahead. “He is a wonderful example of how a person can overcome barriers and achieve success through hard work and dedication.”

For more information regarding Parents Step Ahead and its initiatives, please visit www.parentsstepahead.org.

About Parents Step Ahead

Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children.” The organization works in partnership with corporations and community organizations to offer a series of programs for parents to demonstrate the importance of parental involvement. Programs are free and include dinner, childcare, and the raffle of prizes and culminate with the raffle of a desktop computer.

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Parents Step Ahead & Nissan Celebrate
March as Month of the Family in Irving ISD

On March 2^nd, Parents Step Ahead and Nissan joined together to celebrate March as Month of the Family for the third consecutive year. Parents Step Ahead and Nissan kicked-off the month with a day of community service for parents and students in the Irving Independent School District to encourage families to get involved in their schools. Nissan employees in Irving also worked alongside local volunteers to demonstrate the company’s commitment to education and community. The event included beautification efforts in Clifton Early Childhood Center, TJ Lee Elementary, Sam Houston Middle School and MacArthur High School.

The day began with a morning rally and breakfast provided by McDonald’s. Officials from the city of Irving and school district representatives attended the event and gave a few words of encouragement to the volunteers. “Great things when great organizations like Parents Step Ahead, great corporations like Nissan, great schools like Irving Independent School District, and most importantly great families come together for a great cause,” said Dale L. Walker, local representative of Nissan, during the opening ceremony. Students and parents also participated to motivate volunteers before leaving to work at the various schools

The four schools developed plans beautification projects that included a preparing a Butterfly and Vegetable Garden, creating rain sticks for toddlers, renovation of a teacher lounge, organization of a student clothing closet and an entire makeover of a courtyard. More than 350 volunteers participated in the projects and came to support the various schools.

Parents Step Ahead encourages families to celebrate March as Month of the Family by selecting a day each week to spend time together as a family. “A great way to celebrate family values ​​is to help our schools. Nissan has been a major sponsor of Parents Step Ahead and has given us the opportunity to celebrate together the importance of family unity, “said Lupita Colmenero, founder of Parents Step Ahead.

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/Uyvnv-S-pYA

About Parents Step Ahead

Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children.” The organization works in partnership with corporations and community organizations to offer a series of programs for parents to demonstrate the importance of parental involvement. Programs are free and include dinner, childcare, and the raffle of prizes and culminate with the raffle of a desktop computer.

About Nissan Americas
In the Americas, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency in 2010, 2011 and 2012. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete lineup of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4.8 million vehicles in 2011, generating revenue of 9.4 trillion yen ($118.95 billion U.S.). With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades, including the prestigious 2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year awards. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

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Parents Step Ahead Expands its Programs to San Antonio, TX
First Event is on Thursday, October 11^th, at Cable Elementary

WHO:          
Parents Step Ahead, Northside ISD, and Cable Elementary

WHAT:
Parents Step Ahead is expanding its parent education program to San Antonio, Texas for the first time! The program will focus on ways parents and legal guardians can be involved in their child’s life and the difference their involvement can make in the child’s education. The event will feature educators and parenting experts will present seminars on: the “You and Your child’s education” and “Common Sense Parenting.”

Parents Step Ahead partners include:

• Educational Testing Service
• McDonald’s
• Comerica Bank
• AARP

Following the seminar, families are invited to a resource fair with local organizations covering issues such as:  domestic violence, drug use, Internet safety, college preparation, health, financial literacy, and so much more! The program includes a free meal provided by McDonald’s, free childcare, and will end with the raffle of a desktop computer and other prizes.

WHEN:
Thursday, October 11, 2012
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm:  Parent Seminars & Community Resource Fair

WHERE:    
Cable Elementary – 1706 Pinn Rd., San Antonio, TX 78227

WHY:          
Parents Step Ahead seeks to remedy the growing lack of awareness and education plaguing parents, especially minority and disadvantaged parents, which is putting their children at a significant educational disadvantage. We believe parents are the foundation of their child’s future; and to a great extent the key to their success in life.

About Parents Step Ahead:
Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children.” The organization works in partnership with corporations and community organizations to offer a series of programs for parents to demonstrate the importance of parental involvement. Programs are free and include dinner, childcare, and raffle prizes such as desktop computer.

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Richard Montañez

Congratulations to our Board Member Richard Montañez! He was recently selected as the 2013 U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education (USHYEE) Hispanic Hero Legend Award Recipient! His work with the community and in Corporate America makes him the ideal candidate for the award.

Richard Montañez started his PepsiCo career at Frito-Lay in 1976 as a janitor and is now recognized as the creator of the Flamin’ Hot® product line, which influenced future ethnic products and the first Frito-Lay Hispanic marketing team. Montañez currently leads Multicultural Sales & Community Promotions across PepsiCo’s North American divisions, leveraging best practices internally and externally to develop community partnerships. He is known for his visionary leadership and ability to develop new systems and products.

About USHYEE
USHYEE is focused on the high school to college continuum for Hispanic youth and developing tomorrow’s Hispanic leaders. U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education (USHYEE) was founded in 2004 in order to address the high dropout rates among Hispanic youth and to introduce high school youth to Leadership, STEM and Entrepreneurship as career options.

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Ford Motor Company Fund and Parents Step Ahead to Highlight Educators’ Trip to Washington, DC
Press Conference to Recognize Texas Educators for Engaging Parents and Families

WHO:
Parents Step Ahead, Ford Motor Company Fund, and 2012 PSA Ambassadors:

• Demarius Howard – Counselor, Jack Singley Academy (Irving, TX)
• Melanie Maine – Counselor, Sam Houston Middle School (Irving, TX)
• Lorraine Mantei – Superintendent, La Academia de Estrellas Charter School (Dallas, TX)
• Sherqueena Myles – Teacher, Urban Park Elementary (Dallas, TX)
• Rosie Siller – Principal, Cable Elementary (San Antonio, TX)

WHAT:
A press conference to recognize the 2012 PSA Ambassadors for their hard-work and highlight their professional development trip to the nation’s capital. With support from Ford Motor Company Fund, among other partners, this year’s Ambassadors were selected by Parents Step Ahead to travel to Washington, D.C. during September 5-9 to attend:

• The National LATINA Symposium, a leadership development conference
• Meetings with educational agencies policymakers, such as Educational Testing Service (ETS) and congress members
• Tours of national and historic monuments to create lesson plans and class discussions upon their return

WHEN:
Thursday, September 12, 2012 at 4:00 PM

WHERE:         
Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – 4622 Maple Avenue #207, Dallas, TX 75219

WHY:
With the support of several corporate supporters, Parents Step Ahead established the Ambassadors Initiative as a partnership with teachers and school administration to engage hard-to-reach families and encourage those parents to become actively involved in the education of their children. At the end of the year, PSA Ambassadors are entered into a raffle for a professional and leadership development trip to Washington, DC. This travel experience recognizes those teachers and school administration that have gone above and beyond their daily responsibilities and have strengthened the relationship with parents to ensure the success of our students and families. In the nation’s capital, the PSA Ambassadors visit with many of our national education leaders and return motivated with plans of how to improve the learning environment in their own schools.

About Parents Step Ahead:

Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children.” The organization works in partnership with corporations and community organizations to offer a series of programs for parents to demonstrate the importance of parental involvement. Programs are free and include dinner, childcare, and raffle prizes such as desktop computer. Please visit: www.parentsstepahead.org.

About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services:

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. For more than 60 years, Ford Motor Company Fund has operated with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through national programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and dealers work on projects each year that better their communities in more than 40 countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com

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Parents Step Ahead & Partners Host 2012 PSA Ambassadors in Washington, DC
Recognizing Teachers and School Administrators for Engaging Parents and Families

Dallas, Texas, September 4, 2012 – Five Texas teachers, counselors, and principals will be traveling to Washington, D.C. from September 5-9^th, as a reward for their commitment and work with Parents Step Ahead (PSA), a Dallas-based non-profit. This year’s special trip is being sponsored by Educational Testing Service (ETS), LATINA Style Inc., Hyatt Hotels, Southwest Airlines, and Ford Motor Company.

Ambassadors are teachers and administrators who actively engage parents who typically do not participate in their children’s education. The Ambassadors make phone calls to parents, volunteer at events, and assist with promoting Parents Step Ahead Programs. By going beyond and above their daily responsibilities these teachers and school administrators are strengthening the relationship with parents to ensure the success of our students and families.

Every year Parents Step Ahead and committed sponsors recognize Ambassadors for their hard-work by providing a professional development trip to our nation’s capital. On the trip, the five PSA Ambassadors will attend the LATINA Style National LATINA Symposium, a leadership development conference, and meetings with educational agencies, such as ETS.  They will also meet with representatives from the Office of Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-32) and tour the White House, the Capitol and the Pentagon.

The five PSA Ambassadors selected this year’s DC Leadership Program are:

• Lorraine Mantei – Superintendent, La Academia de Estrellas Charter School (Dallas, TX)
• Demarius Howard – Counselor, Jack Singley Academy (Irving, TX)
• Melanie Maine – Counselor, Sam Houston Middle School (Irving, TX)
• Sherqueena Myles – Teacher, Urban Park Elementary (Dallas, TX)
• Rosie Siller – Principal, Cable Elementary (San Antonio, TX)

“The PSA Ambassadors do extraordinary things to ensure the success of their students and parents. By going the extra mile they are helping these families build dreams.” said Lupita Colmenero, Chair and Founder of Parents Step Ahead. “On behalf of Parents Step Ahead, I would like to thank our partners for this program who through their generosity have given these Ambassadors an opportunity of a lifetime.”

For up-to-date highlights on the 2012 PSA Ambassadors DC Program, visit our blog at www.parentsstepahead.org/blog.

About Parents Step Ahead

Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children.” The organization works in partnership with corporations and community organizations to offer a series of programs for parents to demonstrate the importance of parental involvement. Programs are free and include dinner, childcare, and the raffle of prizes and culminate with the raffle of a desktop computer.

Contact:
Gypsy Gavia
Programs & Communications Coordinator
(214) 357-2186
Gypsy@parentsstepahead.org

Contact:
Frank Gómez, ETS
609.683.2422
Fdgomez@ets.org

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MODEL TEACHERS HONORED IN WASHINGTON, DC
Texas Teachers, Counselors and a Principal Invited to Nation’s Capital

Princeton, NJ – Five outstanding educators from Dallas, Irving and San Antonio, Texas are visiting the nation’s capital September 5-9 under the auspices of Dallas-based Parents Step Ahead Teacher Ambassador initiative. The program recognizes the efforts of these ambassadors in encouraging parents to engage in the education of their children.

Founded in 2006, Parents Step Ahead (PSA) has conducted parental engagement programs in the Greater Dallas area and in San Antonio, reaching more than 25,000 parents and guardians. Participants in the Washington, DC visit have excelled in the Teacher Ambassador program supported by Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey, whose K-12 Division is headquartered in San Antonio.

Parents in PSA programs learn about parenting with love and logic, the roles of guidance counselors, the importance of tests, test-taking skills and reading to children, and information to help build a college-bound culture in the home, among other child-rearing topics. Each year PSA honors outstanding parents or guardians who have made a difference in the educational and personal development of children. The program is also supported by national and local companies.

While in Washington, the five model educators will have meetings with their delegations in Congress, and will tour the White House, the Capitol and the Pentagon. ETS officials will host them at the ETS offices in Washington.

A highlight of the visit will be their participation in the 9^th annual Latina Style magazine National Latina Symposium on September 6 in nearby Arlington, Virginia. Following last year’s event, Latina Style President and CEO Robert Bard will recognize these outstanding models of school engagement with parents.

“We congratulate the educators selected for this year’s program,” said Lupita Colmenero, founder and chair of the board of directors of PSA and publisher of El Hispano News in Dallas. “And we salute ETS for its vision in believing in and supporting our model of parental engagement.”

Bard noted that “the presence of these outstanding teachers at our annual Latina symposium allows us to underscore the importance of education to Latinos. That will be a highlight of the entire day’s agenda.”

The Ambassadors selected for the PSA Washington visit are:

•           Demarius Howard, Counselor, Jack Singley Academy, Irving
•           Melanie Maine, Counselor, Sam Houston Middle School, Irving
•           Lorraine Mantei, Principal, La Academia de Estrellas, Dallas
•           Sherqueena Myles, Teacher, Urban Park Elementary, Dallas

Also joining the group is María del Rosario Siller, Principal of Cable Elementary School in San Antonio. Parents Step Ahead has extended its program to Cable in partnership with ETS’s K-12 Division headquarters in San Antonio. ETS, furthermore, is conducting research at the school as part of its efforts to better understand the needs of the 5.5 million English learners in the nation’s public schools.

Yvette Donado, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of ETS, will attend the Latina Style symposium and host a luncheon for the teacher ambassadors. “We all know that parents must play a greater role in their children’s education,” she said. “For several years now, PSA has demonstrated the effectiveness of its model.  We salute the Teacher Ambassadors and thank Latina Style for recognizing them.”

About Parents Step Ahead
Parents Step Ahead is a Texas-based initiative with the vision of becoming national and setting the standard as the leading program to increase parental involvement. Our mission is to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children. Parents Step Ahead works in partnership with school districts, corporations and community organizations to offer a series of school-based programs for parents. To learn more about Parents Step Ahead, please visit our website at www.parentsstepahead.org.

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org.

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Parents Step Ahead Announces 2012 “Parent of the Year” Gala Co-Chairs

Dallas, TX–August 22, 2012– Parents Step Ahead announces Ofelia Melendrez-Kumpf, from McDonald’s USA, LLC, and Marie Quintana, from The Quintana Group LLC, will serve as co-chairs for the organization’s 7^th Annual “Parent of the Year” Gala. The Gala will be held Friday, December 7, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Dallas Market Center in Dallas, TX.

Each year, the organization honors parents who have taken a proactive approach in their child’s educational and professional development. Parents are nominated by their child’s school based on Parent Step Ahead program participation and two essays; one written by the parent on his/her involvement and the second written by the child about why their parent should be named “Parent of the Year.”

“It is a great honor to have such two passionate and dynamic community leaders serve as co-chairs for this year’s event.” said Lupita Colmenero, founder and chair of Parents Step Ahead. “Ofelia and Marie have been great supporters of Parents Step Ahead and truly comprehend the importance of our mission to empower parents to help their children achieve their dreams.”

Ofelia Melendrez-Kumpf

Ofelia Melendrez-Kumpf serves as U.S. Vice-President and General Manager of McDonald’s Greater Southwest Region.  In this position, she oversees the marketing, finance, real estate development, operations, franchising, training and human resources functions for over 750 restaurants. Ofelia joined McDonald’s in 1992 as part of the Los Angeles Region Internship program, developed to attract minority women into the field of Operations.  Ofelia has held various managerial and regional positions within the company in the U.S. and in Latin America. Throughout her McDonald’s career she has been an active member and proponent of the diversity networks and has been recognized for her commitment and work. Ofelia currently serves on the board of the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, TX.

Marie Quintana

Marie Quintana is president and CEO of The Quintana Group LLC, a full-service management consulting firm working with leading companies and brands to define, refine, and implement business strategies to maximize sales results. Previously, Marie served as the Senior Vice President of PepsiCo Multicultural Sales, leading the sales activation of ethnic programs. She also developed strategies to enhance consumer loyalty and strengthen community partnerships with PepsiCo’s strategic customers. Among her many affiliations, Marie serves on the board of the Network of Executive Women for Consumer Products and Retail and Chairs the Corporate Advisory Board for LATINA Style.  She has been named one of the Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer, and is featured in the book The New Woman Rules.

For information regarding the “Parent of the Year” Gala, please contact Valerie Reyes-Braun at (214) 357-2186 or at Valerie@parentsstepahead.org. Please visit www.parentsstepahead.org for updated information.

About Parents Step Ahead
Parents Step Ahead is a 501-C3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to recognize, educate, enable and empower parents to take a proactive role in the educational and personal development of their children.” The organization works in partnership with corporations and community organizations to offer a series of programs for parents to demonstrate the importance of parental involvement. Programs are free and include dinner, childcare, and the raffle of prizes and culminate with the raffle of a desktop computer.

Contact:
Gypsy Gavia
Programs & Communications Coordinator
(214) 357-2186
Gypsy@parentsstepahead.org