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Tony Salazar receives prestigious Raul Yzaguirre President's Award from National Council of La Raza

July 15, 2015 | McCormack Baron Salazar

Kansas City (July 15, 2015) – On July 14, 2015, McCormack Baron Salazar’s West Coast Operations President, Tony Salazar, received the 2015 Raul Yzaguirre President’s Award from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).  Each year NCLR presents the President’s Award to an individual or organization that epitomizes its mission, goals and philosophy to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Founded in the late 1960s during the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights Movement, The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) was an answer to the lack of positive impact the movement held for Hispanic communities throughout the United States. NCLR works through a multitude of affiliates on the state and local level networking to reach Latinos throughout country, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The Award was presented to Mr. Salazar at NCLR’s Annual Conference on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri, the site of this year’s NCLR National Conference and Mr. Salazar’s home town.  Mr. Salazar joins the ranks of other distinguished recipients of the award, including Civil Rights Activist and present Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, the Honorable Raul Yzaguirre (for whom the Award is named), Texas Congressman Rubén Hinojose, and former HUD Secretary, Henry Cisneros.

Mr.  Salazar served as a Board Member for the National Council of La Raza for 19 years in two separate sessions (1980 – 1993) and (2009 – 2015) and for three years (1989 – 1992) served as Board Chair. During his tenure as a Board Member, NCLR went from a fledgling organization operating at a deficit to a national operation with a budget of $50 million a year that impacts the lives of Latinos throughout the country. 

“Tony Salazar is a champion to the Latino Community and has worked tirelessly to ensure NCLR has a sound foundation and a bright future. To those of us who are lucky enough to know him as a colleague and a friend, he is a remarkable, passionate person we can count on for wise advice and support,” said Beatriz Olvera Stotzer, Vice President of New Economics for Women and CEO of New Capital LLC.

Mr. Salazar has been with McCormack Baron Salazar since 1985.  His entire professional career has been dedicated to rebuilding inner-city communities and bringing homes and hope to those communities. After the California earthquakes in the 1990s, he relocated to Los Angeles and presently serves as the President of West Coast Operations for the firm. As a Principal, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company and its affiliates, including real estate development, management, asset management, a renewable and sustainability venture, and the firm’s new business development. 

“Tony has been a dear friend and partner for nearly 35 years,” said McCormack Baron Salazar Chairman and CEO, Richard Baron. “His dedication and tenacity have been a critical part of the success of McCormack Baron Salazar. He has had unparalleled success in working with representatives of state and local government and the foundation community and he has been an invaluable mentor to all of the staff members of the Company. He is most deserving of the Raul Yzaguirre President’s Award.”

About McCormack Baron Salazar: McCormack Baron Salazar (http://www.mccormackbaron.com) is a nationally-acclaimed leader of affordable urban housing development. Since its inception in 1973, the firm has developed over 18,000 units of affordable housing totaling more than $3.2 billion in investment. The firm’s mission is to rebuild neighborhoods in central cities across the United States that have deteriorated through decades of neglect and disinvestment. McCormack Baron Salazar headquarters are located in St. Louis, Missouri, with a satellite office in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Antonio.