NEWARK, NJ — The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders recently honored several local residents as part of its annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, praising their community spirit and diverse contributions to the county.

Held in conjunction with National Hispanic Heritage Month – which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 this year - the freeholders' Sept. 27 ceremony commemorated the "heritage, culture, resilience and spirit of the Hispanic community." This year's honorees included: Samuel Gonzalez of Newark; Yesenia Lopez of East Orange; Carlos Lejnieks of Hoboken; Katilia Vélez of Newark; Lourdes Cortez of Elmwood Park; Jesus Casiano Jr., of Newark; Inés Mercedes Davis-Parks of Newark; Jessenia Zavala of Belleville; Jose Rafael Santiago of Newark; Marcos Sanchez of Newark; Ivette Toledo-Navarro of Newark; and Analilia Mejia of Glen Ridge.

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The following biographies come courtesy of the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Samuel Gonzalez is Chief of Staff to Newark's North Ward Councilman, Anibal Ramos, Jr., and previously served as an Essex County Freeholder. Since 2016, he has also served as Chairman of the North Ward Democratic Committee, and he previously served as its Vice Chair. He has a long history of public service with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, the North Ward Center, Project Pride, and the Roberto Clemente and Rick Cerone Little Leagues. He is married to New Jersey Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, and they are the proud parents of Silver Inaru Ruiz Gonzalez.

In 2002, Yesenia Lopez graduated from Rutgers University Newark where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. In May 2007, she went on to become the first Latina archivist in the State of New Jersey when she received a Master's degree in Library and Information Science with a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Archives and Records Management from Long Island University. She has remained committed to serving her community as a volunteer for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Morris, Bergen, and Passaic Counties and the "To Save Latin America, Reaching Our Dream" Program. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys to Leaders Foundation. Yesenia is engaged and a new homeowner. She is also the proud mother of 5-year-old son Denzel.

Carlos Lejnieks is the Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties and is the immediate-past Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Jersey. Under his leadership, the organization went from serving approximately 100 youth to well over 1,100 youth. He graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Commerce and was an Aspen Fellow. He also holds a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics and an Honorary Doctorate degree from Saint Peter's University. Carlos served on President Barack Obama's Regional Finance Committee, Governor Chris Christie's Education Transition Team, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker's Transition Team.

Katilia Vélez graduated Magna Cum Laude from American University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and is an administrative, non-profit professional with a background in development, advocacy, and activism. She currently serves as the Development Director for Ironbound Community Corporation in Newark, a development and planning organization providing comprehensive programming for the community. She is a trustee for various local and state-wide agencies, including the Friends of the Hispanic Research and Information Center (FoHRIC) and Latinas United for Political Empowerment-Political Action Committee (LUPE-PAC), to name a few. She is married Juan Pablo Cardona, a high school Social Studies teacher and United States Veteran of the Coast Guard, and together they reside in Newark. Since 2005, Lourdes Cortez has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of North Jersey Federal Credit Union (North Jersey Federal), the 9th largest credit union in the State of New Jersey. She has spearheaded growth from $168 million to $233 million in assets. Under her leadership, North Jersey Federal is on track to open more small business accounts than in any other year since the institution opened in 1936. As the first Latina C.E.O. of a credit union in New Jersey, she embraces diversity. She is an active member of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Education Credit Union Council, to name a few. She has volunteered for La Casa De Don Pedro, the March of Dimes, Eva's Village in Paterson, and more.