DFW Hispanic 100 Celebrates 30 Years of impact and over $1 million in grants across North Texas

The organization also honored Dr. Catalina Garcia as the inaugural Mujer de la Década, Dr. Elba Garcia as Latina Living Legend, and Prisma Garcia as ELLA.

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DFW Hispanic 100 celebrated its 30th anniversary of impact and commitment to the local Latino community on Sept. 23 with an awards gala at the Arts District Mansion, where 350 of North Texas's most influential Latina leaders, along with their partners and allies, gathered to celebrate.

The occasion also highlighted the DFW Hispanic 100 Latina Giving Circle’s $1 million in cumulative giving. Since 2019, the Giving Circle has awarded $1,022,200 through 217 grants to North Texas nonprofits supporting Latina women, girls and families. In 2026, the committee reviewed a record 82 applications and awarded $136,200 through 22 grants. The 2026 Giving Circle is led by Co-Chairs Yareli Esteban and Kim Cummings, Grants Chair Diana Aguirre, and a committee of Hispanic 100 members.

“Surpassing $1 million gives us a powerful platform for what comes next. The Latina Giving Circle has demonstrated that women with deep connections to their community can identify trusted organizations and direct resources toward the issues that create lasting opportunity,” said Yareli Esteban, Co-Chair of the DFW Hispanic 100 Latina Giving Circle. “Our goal now is to turn this milestone into momentum, attract greater investment and expand what is possible for Latina women, girls and families across North Texas.”

At the gala, the organization recognized Dr. Catalina Garcia as the inaugural recipient of the Mujer de la Década Award, a new honor presented only at the organization's 10-year anniversaries. The announcement followed the recognition of Dr. Elba Garcia as 2026 Latina Living Legend, and Dallas ISD Trustee, Prisma Garcia, as the 2026 Emerging Latina Leader Award (ELLA) recipient.

A special committee selected Dr. Catalina Garcia from among all past Latina Living Legend honorees. The award recognizes a Living Legend whose continued leadership and contributions distinguish her even within that group. Dr. Garcia, the 2013 Latina Living Legend, was one of the first Hispanic women to graduate from UT Southwestern Medical School and built her career as an anesthesiologist with Baylor Scott & White and principal of Dallas Anesthesiology Group. Her service has continued well beyond medicine: she was elected to the Dallas College Board of Trustees in 2024 and has served on the boards of Head Start of Dallas, KERA, the National Hispanic Council on Aging and DART.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized as La Mujer de la Década by the DFW Hispanic 100. I accept this recognition with gratitude and a continued commitment to opening doors and creating opportunities for the next generation of Latina leaders,” said Dr. Garcia.

Thirty years of service
Founded in 1996 as the Hispanic 50, Hispanic 100 has spent three decades bringing accomplished Latina leaders together to serve North Texas. Two of the organization's three original founders, Delia Reyes, Bertha Outler, and Patricia Asip, served as Honorary Chairs of the celebration. The evening brought together three generations of the Hispanic 100 story: its founders, its Living Legends and its emerging leaders.

"This 30th anniversary honors the vision of our founders and the generations of Latina leaders who have carried it forward,” said Sylvia Sotelo Kidd, president of the DFW Hispanic 100. “As we look to the future, we remain committed to creating opportunities, giving back and elevating the Hispanic community we proudly serve.”

2026 honorees
Dr. Elba Garcia, 2026 Latina Living Legend, became the first Latina elected to the Dallas County Commissioners Court in 2010. She previously served on the Dallas City Council and was the first Latina to serve as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor Pro Tem of Dallas. She has maintained a dental practice since 1998.
Prisma Garcia, 2026 ELLA honoree, represents District 4 on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees and serves as board secretary. A product of Dallas ISD schools, she built her career in corporate and nonprofit philanthropy and co-founded Community Does It - Cuenta Conmigo in southeast Dallas.

About DFW Hispanic 100
Founded in 1996 as the Hispanic 50, Hispanic 100 is a network of Latina leaders in North Texas whose contributions span business, education, the arts, health, public service, and community leadership. The organization advances Latina leadership through mentorship, civic engagement, and philanthropy, including the H100 Latina Giving Circle at Texas Women's Foundation. Learn more at dfwhispanic100.org.

Ruth Villalonga
VILLA Communications
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