Leading local Latina wins national award
- Rita Sherrie
- 20 sept 2018
- 2 Min. de lectura
On Sept. 13, a well-known local luminary was honored here by a national advocacy and service organization for Hispanic employees in the federal sector. National Image Inc. presented Freda Mendez-Smith with the Image de Kansas City Woman of the Year award. The national organization’s president and CEO Veronica Vasquez presented the award, a framed certificate in a ceremony at the Adams Mark Hotel and Conference Center.
First given over 10 years ago, “the award is presented to a woman who works to support the mission of National Image Inc. and who serves as a role model for other women,” says Micaela Terronez, a director of the organization.
Education and Latina issues have been Mendez-Smith’s primary focus over the years, read her Image de Kansas City award nomination. She’s been consistently active in the Hispanic community since 1981 and appreciates the importance of knowing one’s history and culture, furthering education and building a network.
Born and raised in Leavenworth, Mendez-Smith came to Kansas City after high school to continue her education. In 1980, she became a member of Image de Kansas City, her first membership in a Hispanic organization.
“I wasn’t connected to the Hispanic community until then,” she says.
A former employee of the IRS, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Westside Housing Organization, Mendez-Smith is probably best-known for hosting a weekly program, La Comunidad for 15 years (1981-1996), on American Cablevision. She was executive producer as well as on-air host.
Like many entrepreneurs, Mendez-Smith also owned a business, COM-ART Awards. She designed and produced a line of custom etched glass awards.
In the 32 years that Mendez-Smith has been involved with MANA de Kansas City, she’s held every office and chaired conferences and twice held a seat on the national MANA board. She’s president of LULAC Council 9607 and chairs the Hispanic Advisory Board at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
She’s a past president of the UMKC Women’s Council and serves on the GAF selection committee. She’s also involved with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and belongs to Image de Kansas City and the Kansas City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. For three years, Mendez-Smith chaired Fiesta Hispana.
“The people I meet volunteering really keep me going,” she says. “I think when you volunteer, you get back a lot more than you give.”
She stresses the importance of Hispanic youngsters seeing people who look like them in powerful positions and influential professions.
“I like to plant seeds,” she says.
Mendez-Smith and her husband, Richard have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. Richard attended the Sep. 13 awards ceremony that took place during National Image Inc.’s 46th annual national training program.
Mendez-Smith was one of five women nominated for the Woman of the Year award. She was selected on Sep. 5 by a panel of active members representing the National Image Inc. organization, Terronez says.
The award recognizes Mendez-Smith’s longstanding advocacy and support of Hispanics and her efforts to empower Latinas.
She says, “I encourage Latinas to be active in their community, and I would ask that all Latinos vote on Nov. 6.”
