Ken Wood, Southern Region Vice President, George Miranda, Eastern Region Vice President, Mike Stapleton, Secretary-Treasurer of Joint Council 75 and Mike Scott, Recording Secretary of Joint Council 75, were all honored the Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Florida Chapter’s first gala banquet, held recently in Tampa.

The men—who all have Hispanic ancestry—were recognized for their outstanding leadership and the contributions they’ve made to the Teamsters National Hispanic Caucus and the union as a whole.

“As Teamsters, we have to show people who we are and what we stand for,” said Olga Gonzales, President of the Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Florida Chapter and organizer of the event. “That’s what Ken Wood, George Miranda, Mike Stapleton and Mike Scott have done. They lead by example and encourage our members to be involved.”

During the banquet, Gonzales stressed the importance of community outreach, mentoring and bringing young members into the union—goals which the banquet’s honorees have strongly supported.

“It is very important to mentor. Every local union in our country should have a mentoring program,” Gonzales said. “If you are in a position of knowledge, you need to pass on what you know so that our union will remain strong.”

Aside from honoring Teamster leaders, the Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Florida Chapter was also able to present a check in the amount of $5,000 to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.

Attending the banquet were representatives from the Teamsters National Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus chapters in California, Puerto Rico, New York and New Jersey.