The Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC) hosted its 40th annual gala at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on Friday, June 3. Founded in 1976, the GWHCC (formerly the Ibero American Chamber) is a membership driven organization that supports the economic development of the Washington, DC metropolitan region by facilitating the success of Latino and other minority-owned businesses and the communities they serve through networking, advocacy, education, and access to capital. With construction companies making up 27 percent of the Latino owned businesses in the Washington region, the theme of this year’s gala was Honoring Hispanic Businesses in Construction. Gala guests included, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and other elected officials and personalities from the region. The keynote speaker of the event was Mr. David Velazquez, President & CEO of Pepco Holdings. A number of awards were given to people in the construction industry, including award for Leader in Construction to Mr. Pedro Alfonso from Dynamic Concepts Inc., Innovator Award to Mr. Jose Ortiz from Allstate Floors, and a Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Alberto Gomez of Prince Construction.
