R 050450Z SEP 12

ALCOAST 397/12
COMDTNOTE 1650
SUBJ: LATINA STYLE MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD WINNER
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 021235Z FEB 12/ALCOAST 044/12
1. IT IS MY DISTINCT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THE SELECTION OF LCDR
MARTHA RODRIGUEZ OF CG LANTAREA AS THE 2012 LATINA STYLE MERITORIOUS
SERVICE AWARD WINNER. HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE
RECOGNIZED DURING THE 9TH ANNUAL NATIONAL LATINA STYLE SYMPOSIUM IN
WASHINGTON, DC, 6 SEPTEMBER 2012.
2. LCDR RODRIGUEZ IS A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF NAVAL SERVICES
OFFICERS (ANSO) BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND A RECOGNIZED LEADER AND MENTOR
FOR LATINAS THROUGHOUT THE CG. DURING THE 2011 ANSO CONFERENCE, SHE
PLANNED MENTORING SESSIONS WITH THE COMMANDANT AND MASTER CHIEF PETTY
OFFICER OF THE COAST GUARD FOR TWENTY-FOUR JUNIOR OFFICERS AND
LATINAS. A MAINSTAY OF LCDR RODRIGUEZS MANY COMMUNITY-FOCUSED
ACTIVITIES IS OUTREACH TO LATINA YOUTH TO ENCOURAGE POTENTIAL FUTURE
CG MEMBERS TO STAY IN SCHOOL AND REMAIN PHYSICALLY FIT.
3. A LONG-TIME ADVOCATE OF DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, LCDR
RODRIGUEZ WAS AWARDED A MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL FOR THE GREAT
ADVANCES HER EFFORTS MADE IN THE DIVERSITY OF THE LEGAL PROGRAM. HER
RECRUITING EFFORTS RESULTED IN OUTREACH TO OVER 2500 STUDENTS, WITH
366 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS, AND THE SELECTION OF 34 NEW DIRECT
COMMISSION LAWYERS. OF THE NEWLY SELECTED DIRECT COMMISSION LAWYERS
WHO ENTERED THE CG DURING HER TENURE, 41 PERCENT WERE
UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES, 41 PERCENT WERE FEMALE, AND 17 PERCENT
WERE LATINAS. LCDR RODRIGUEZS NUMEROUS OUTREACH INITIATIVES ENSURED
ROBUST RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF DIVERSE ATTORNEYS AND INTERNS.
4. AN ONGOING HISTORY PROJECT INITIATED BY LCDR RODRIGUEZ IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE CG HISTORIAN IDENTIFIED PREVIOUSLY UNRECOGNIZED
ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE CG LEGAL PROGRAM BY AFRICAN AMERICANS, HISPANICS,
LATINAS, AND OTHERS. THESE FIRSTS WILL NOW BE RECORDED IN CG
HISTORICAL ACCOUNTS.
5. I COMMEND LCDR RODRIGUEZ FOR HER OUTSTANDING SERVICE AND FOR
PROMOTING THE TENETS OF CIVIL/HUMAN RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, AND
HUMAN RELATIONS. COMDT (CG-00H) WILL COORDINATE ATTENDANCE FOR THE
HONOREE IAW REF A, AND IF APPROVED, WILL FUND TRAVEL AND LODGING
EXPENSES FOR HER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL LATINA STYLE
SYMPOSIUM.
6. COMDT (CG-00H) ALSO RECOGNIZES OTHER NOMINEES SPECIFICALLY LT
STEPHANIE YOUNG, YN1 THAINA VASQUEZ, LCDR KATIUSKA PABON, LT MARIA
ROSARIO, LTJG YAHAIRA CERVANTES, LT ERICA KELLY, SK2 ESPERANZA MUNOZ,
AND MS. LORI BEAN FOR NOTEWORTHY CIVIL RIGHTS, DIVERSITY, AND
LEADERSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
7. MORE DETAILS REGARDING LATINA STYLE CAN BE FOUND AT
WWW.LATINASTYLE.COM.
8. CIVIL RIGHTS AWARDS PROGRAMS HELP MAXIMIZE THE COAST GUARDS
OVERALL MISSION EFFECTIVENESS BY FOSTERING A DISCRIMINATION FREE
ENVIRONMENT THROUGH RECOGNITION OF MEMBER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND
CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVIL RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, MINORITY
COMMUNITIES, AND PARTNERSHIP IN EDUCATION (PIE) PROGRAMS. LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE USCG CIVIL RIGHTS VISION, MISSION, AWARDS PROGRAM, AND CG
PIE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/HQ/CG00/CG00H/.
9. MS. TERRI A. DICKERSON, DIRECTOR, CIVIL RIGHTS DIRECTORATE, SENDS.
10. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.