Edward James Olmos: Acting, producing, and too many community activist projects to mention, keep Mr. Olmos busy throughout the year. Considered by many to be the voice of Latin America in Hollywood and around the country, he uses his own voice to express the concerns and needs of those no one else hears. It’s hard to remember a time when he was not front and center in American culture. Although he had already made many movies including Blade Runner with Harrison Ford and Wolfen with Albert Finney, as well as appearing on television shows such as Kojak, Hawaii Five-O, Starsky and Hutch, and Hill Street Blues, it wasn’t until he accepted the role of Lieutenant Martin Castillo on the ultra cool  Miami Vice in 1984 that he was catapulted into America’s consciousness. Once he was thrust center stage, Edward James Olmos decided to use his voice for many causes beyond his own career.

A few years before Miami Vice came along, Edward appeared as El Pachuco in Luis Valdez’s play Zoot Suit for which he earned a Tony Award nomination. He portrayed El Pachuco a second time for the movie version. The Tony Award nomination was one of the first honors to come his way. He won several awards including an Emmy for his work on Miami Vice. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his 1987 appearance as Jaime Escalante in the critically acclaimed movie, Stand and Deliver. 

A man with great social awareness, Edward James Olmos has become extremely active in many causes. He visits reservations, prisons, high schools, and colleges giving motivational speeches. For his efforts after the 1992 L.A. riot, he was awarded the John Anson Ford Award by the Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations. The NAACP has honored him for his leadership towards racial unity. Born of an immigrant father and a Mexican-American mother, he grew up in East L.A. Baseball was his first love, but by the time he was fifteen, he had his own rock and roll band, The Pacific Ocean. In 1975 Eddie decided to try his hand at acting and won a role in the movie aloha, bobbie and rose. Credited as Eddie Olmos with a character name of Chicano One, it was the first step in what was to become a remarkable career.

Dennis Hernandez is a practicing attorney for the law firm of Luna & Glushon in Los Angeles, California. Dennis practices in the following areas of law: Business Litigation; Intellectual Property; First Amendment Law; Entertainment Law; Licensing; Education Law; and Arbitration. Dennis has degrees in economics and history from Loyola Marymount University where he received his B.A. in 1975. He continued his legal studies at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an editor of the American Criminal Law Review and graduated in 1981 and was was admitted to the bar that same year. He has over twenty years of experience as a litigator and business attorney. He specializes in general business litigation, media and intellectual property and ethics and public law. Mr. Hernandez’ experience includes serving as General Counsel for a Silicon Valley software company and as counsel for a major entertainment company. He also has experience representing school districts and other public entities. Mr Hernandez is a certified mediator and regularly serves in court-appointed mediation.

Dr. Jesus Nieto is the Founder & Executive Director of Heritage of America Educational & Cultural Foundation, (nonprofit organization), Bakersfield, CA. This organization has developed cultural and educational programs, television specials (these programs have been viewed in several large U.S. cities, national Mexican television, and national Brazilian television), concerts, educational conferences, and seminars in participation with a variety of community organizations, educational institutions and countries (Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, China, Indonesia).  Heritage developed the China-Pacific Rim Project with programs involving cultural, educational, and business activities with China and other Asian countries. Heritage now has representatives in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, and Tianjin City, China.

Dr Nieto developed and taught the Bakersfield Program for the University of San Diego as well as courses for the Division of Continuation Education of USD for the Cross Cultural, Language and Academic Development Certificate Program as required by the State Department of Education for the State of California for all public schools.  He developed the following courses: Education X558Z Cultural Diversity And Its’ Impact on Education; Education X558X First And Second Language Development And Structure For The Classroom Teacher; Education X558Y Theories And Methods In English Language Development And Content For The Classroom Teacher.

Kirk Whisler is the president of Western Publication Research, Inc., a corporation that includes WPR Publishing, a book publishing company; Western Publication Research that does Hispanic readership studies and other research; and Latino Print Network, an advertising sales program representing over 300 Hispanic publications. From 1992 till 1996 Whisler served as publisher of MEXICO Events & Destinations Magazine. Between 1986 and 1992 Kirk was publisher of NEVADA Magazine and from 1977 to 1986 Kirk was publisher of SOMOS and CAMINOS Magazines.  

Since its founding in 1983, WPR Publishing has been the leading publisher of Latino directories, publishing on an annual basis books like The Hispanic Scholarship Directory, The National Hispanic Media Directory and The NAHP Media Kit & Resource Book. Western Publication Research has completed more than 320 readership studies on Hispanic publications over the past 25 years. The publications that Latino Print Network represents total over 16 million circulation and reach 52% of the Latino households in the U.S. on a weekly basis.  

In 1982 Kirk was honored to be the founding president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications, the largest trade association of its kind with over 220 member publications and a combined circulation of more than 14 million. Kirk also serves on a variety of national and local boards including Latino Literacy Now, Verified Audit Circulation’s Board of Governors, National Hispanic Press Foundation and the National Latino Media Council. Kirk is also a member of the Advertising Research Foundation and National Association of Consumer Shows amongst other organizations.  

Kathy Diaz served as Festival Director during the festival's formative years. Kathy has her own radio show called Canto Tropical on KPFK 90.7 where she is known as "La Rumbera." Kathy has writtien for Billboard Magazine, CASHBOX, Hispanic, and various community newspapers and served as Editor at CAMINOS Magazine. 

Jim Sullivan has been working in a variety of Latino community oriented positions since 1978 when he became an advertising representative for SOMOS Magazine (with Kirk Whisler serving as Publisher). Jim serve as advertising Director for CAMINOS Magazine from 1980 to 1986 when he moved to New York City to help start Entrada Reps, the first sales representation firm for the National Association of Hispanic Publications. From 1987 to 1991 he lived in Houston where he helped found and manage Fiesta Guia, a Spanish language TV guide. In his position as Executive Director of Latino Literacy Now he is charged with keeping the non-profit heading in the right direction. 

Jim helped plan the very first Book Festival in 1997 and has been to all but two of the 44 festivals held since, serving as Sales Director for many years before taking over as Festival Director. He returned to New York City in 2001 to help establish the Festival with national advertisers and in 2002 moved again to Houston to start the Houston Latino Book & Family Festival.

Jim now calls Carlsbad, California home. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona and a Vietnam Veteran (and former professional dart player).