FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Pete Winton, Lee County Administration
               (239) 335-2777

COUNTY EMPLOYEE IS 2003 INDUCTEE INTO LEE HISPANIC HALL OF FAME

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 3, 2003) - The Lee County Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board has selected Silvia Hasak, a case manager with Lee County Human Services, as the sixth inductee into the Lee County Hispanic Hall of Fame.

Hasak's induction ceremony will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 5) in the County Commission Chambers, second floor of the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers. Refreshments will be served and the public is welcome.

The Board selected Hasak "for her unwavering devotion and tireless support to the citizens of Lee County." Hasak is a 12-year county employee and has a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. She is very active in promoting and championing Hispanic issues and causes, has been an active member of the Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board, and has given back to the Hispanic community in her work with Lee County Human Services and its Family Self-Sufficiency Program.

The Lee County Hispanic Hall of Fame annually inducts new members around the time of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from mid-September to mid-October.

Former inductees are: the late Cuauhtemoc Zapata, founder of La Caliente WWCL-1440 AM and an activist for the local Hispanic community (2000); the late Rev. Don Frank and his wife Gerry Frank, the driving forces behind the development of the Pueblo Bonito farmworker community (2001); and Zoila Martinez, a community volunteer, and Luis Aldana, co-owner of Maya Travel, for their dedication in assisting and providing much needed services to Hispanics (2002).

The 12-member Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board of Lee County was established in 1991 and serves as an advisory group to the Board of Lee County Commissioners on Hispanic issues. During Cinco de Mayo, the Board also presents Hispanic Achievement Awards, which recognizes those persons who project a positive image on a daily basis, while overcoming cultural, language, economic, health or other barriers.