The former television news anchor is owner/principal of Minerva Pérez Media, LLC, a Sugar Land, Texas-based video production firm. She also is executive producer and partner of "Latina Voices: Smart Talk," a syndicated, multimedia (television/online/social media) program she created in 2008 and the first English-language talk show of its kind to focus on universal topics from a Latina perspective. Pérez is the author of the memoir, "I Gotta Story: My 30 Years in TV News."
"Minerva brings to our board more than 30 years of journalism experience, as well as a frontline perspective of how media issues affect Latinas and our Latino community," said Alex Nogales, NMHC president and chief executive officer. "Her extensive community involvement in California and Texas will add a vital dimension to our grassroots advocacy efforts."
Pérez joins five other Latinas serving on NHMC's national board: Board Vice Chair Marta Garcia of New York City; Lisette Arsuaga, co-president and partner of California-based Davila Multicultural Insights; former Deputy Assistant Secretary Sylvia V. Baca of the U.S. Department of the Interior; Charon D'Aiello Sandoval, former affirmative action program director at California State University, Los Angeles; and Los Angeles writer/producer Ligiah Villalobos.
Pérez began her broadcasting career in Texas, first at KURV-AM in Edinburg and then at KGBT-FM in Harlingen. She entered television news at KGBT-TV, also in Harlingen, before working in Austin, Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio. Pérez later became the first Latina news anchor at Houston's KTRK-TV and the first Mexican-American news anchorwoman on the "News at Ten Weekend Edition" at KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.
She has won two Golden Mike awards, a Cesar Award, a Los Angeles Press Club award, and three Emmy nominations, as well as several Associated Press journalism awards.
A native of South Texas' Rio Grande Valley, Pérez earned a degree in mass communications and Spanish from the University of Texas at Pan American, now University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Pérez has served on the boards of directors of or in leadership positions with several leading organizations, including the Advisory Council of the Women's Resource Center of Greater Houston, Harris County Children's Assessment Center, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals, Mayor's Council on Literacy: The Houston Read Commission, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is the media watchdog for the Latino community, ensuring that we are fairly and consistently represented in news and entertainment and that our voices are heard over the airwaves and on the internet.
We exist to challenge executives and influencers throughout the entertainment and news industry to eliminate barriers for Latinos to express themselves and be heard through every type of medium. NHMC works to bring decision-makers to the table to open new opportunities for Latinos to create, contribute and consume programming that is inclusive, free from bias and hate rhetoric, affordable and culturally relevant.
Receive real-time updates on Facebook, Twitter @NHMC and Instagram @NHMC_org.
(This post taken from a release sent to me by the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC))
