Meet these 14 Hispanic women who are making a big difference in South Florida

One of them became the first Latina elected to the Palm Beach County School Board.

Another represents only 2 percent of Latino pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the United States.

And another, known as a “madrina de los seguros,” or an “insurance godmother,” co-founded a business that now spans the state of Florida.

Those are just three of the 14 women recognized at a luncheon Friday afternoon, the 21st edition of the Hispanic Women of Distinction ceremony. Dr. Erwin M. Vasquez, a Venezuelan cardiologist, started the event to empower and celebrate Latinas and Hispanics in South Florida in 2001.

After he died about a decade ago, his wife, Elaine Miceli Vasquez, took on the organizing. Throughout the years, the network of female professionals has grown, and its members have built strong relationships.

“It’s what the dream was,” said Miceli Vasquez. “It wasn’t supposed to be just a big party, but also a sisterhood.”

The event also raises funds for a free clinic Dr. Vasquez founded, the Light of the World Clinic in Oakland Park, and another charity each year. This year, the Florida Children’s Theatre in Davie received about $25,000 and the clinic got about $10,000, Miceli Vasquez said.

The women come from any Spanish-speaking country and from any generation. Past honorees nominate the new honorees — they submitted 75 names this year — and then three secret judges pick the winners.

About 900 guests gathered at the Signature Grand venue in Davie and enjoyed a presentation of traditional Flamenco dancers. About 50 past honorees walked the runway set in the middle of the ballroom, connecting with high-fives and throwing fist pumps in the air. This year’s honorees also modeled down the runway, bouquets of flowers in hand.

Two honorees stand out among the 14: Arlette Gomez, a third-year law student at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale who was named this year’s up-and-comer, and Ana Veiga Milton, this year’s pioneer of the year.

Veiga Milton, an engineer and lawyer, serves as the president of the José Milton Foundation, the chair of Jackson Health Foundation, a trustee at the University of Miami and the president of the UM Citizens Board. She couldn’t attend because her husband surprised her with a trip to Italy, so her sister, Monica Vega, received the award for her.

The other 12 general honorees for the 2022 class were:

Odalys Arevalo: one of two founders and managing partners of Sunshine Life & Health Advisors, an insurance agency also known as “Las Madrinas de los Seguros,” or “The Insurance Godmothers,” with offices in Orlando, Tampa and Miami.

Alexandria Ayala: the first Latina, a Puerto Rican, elected to the Palm Beach County School Board, representing District 2, which covers West Palm Beach, Greenacres, Palm Springs, Cloud Lake, Lake Worth, Lake Clarke Shores and Haverhill.

Dunia Cuneo: owner of Doral Human Resources Consulting, a company that offers management, human resource, and training services.

Sylvia Daunert: professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. She manages the Daunert Lab, which works with bionanotechnology, bioanalytical chemistry, molecular biology, and bioengineering.

Jessica Joseph: manager of philanthropy and public relations at Catholic Hospice, an Archdiocese of Miami organization that provides services care for seniors in 38 facilities across Miami-Dade and Broward.

Naelys Luna: dean and professor of the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. She studies substance use disorders, spirituality and mental health outcomes in minorities (especially Hispanics), among other areas.

Ayenza A. Matthews: wellness director for Heal The Planet, a nonprofit organization in Fort Lauderdale trying to improve the quality of life of the Planet Earth and its inhabitants.

Monica Payares-Lizano: pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Susy Diaz Piesco: executive director of the Middle School of the Arts Foundation, raising money for the Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, as well as a member of the city council of Greenacres in Palm Beach County.

Karina de Oliveira Rodrigues: an assistant county attorney at the Broward County Attorney’s Office.

Vanessa Seltzer: director of philanthropy at Arc Broward, a nonprofit based in Sunrise that provides services to children and adults with autism, Down syndrome, and other developmental disabilities.

Patricia Trejo: program planner for Hispanic/Latino Studies at the Palm Beach County School District and the president of the Florida Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents.