First major Hispanic leadership conference held in Polk County

LAKELAND, Fla. — The first ever major Hispanic leadership conference took place in Polk County Saturday at Southeastern University, known as the Latin American Transformation Conference.

This conference first kicked off in Tampa back in 2022. Since then, it’s been held in Houston and Atlanta.

This year, the conference organizers decided to host it in Polk County because of its rapid growth in the Hispanic community.

The conference brought together local leaders like Haines City commissioner Omar Arroyo, Polk County commissioner Martha Santiago and Teresa Martinez, the editor of Viva Polk.

Mariela Romero is the founder of the conference. She says this conference is a stepping stone for many Hispanics looking to pave their way in leadership.

“(It is) a space where Latinos could find the tools so they could respond to crisis,” Romero said. “They can reinvent their lives. They could have a mindset of growth and not just of survival.”

Each speaker shared a bit of their journey in the U.S. and the impact they hope to have on the local Hispanic residents.

Some of the topics dicussed were navigating imposter syndrome, the power of being bilingual and more.