Thank you for joining us at the 2025 Latino Community Service Awards.
Read About This Year's Awardees and Nominees Below
Denver Public Library celebrated the 2025 Latino Community Service Awards on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the Central Library's Park View event space. The celebration featured a special screening of the Great Colorado Women documentary: “Lena L. Archuleta: Building A Community of Belonging” - Brought to you by The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. This year's ceremony was partially sponsored by AARP Colorado. Learn about each award category and this year's nominees and award recipients below.
Each year, Denver Public Library celebrates the contributions of Latinos shaping our city through art, activism, education, culture, and more with the Latino Community Service Awards. Community members are invited to nominate individuals during a nomination period for the categories shown below. Award winners are then selected by a committee consisting of community members and library staff. The committee is chaired by a member of the Library Commission. A celebration is held with a public ceremony during Hispanic Heritage Month and honors award recipients for their contributions to the community.
2025 Latino Community Service Awards Winners
2025 Eric J. Duran Community Service Award
Erlinda Archuleta (AWARD WINNER)
Erlinda Archuleta is a former teacher, principal, and director for the Colorado Department of Education. She has significantly advanced educational opportunities for underprivileged students and preserved Colorado's Hispanic legacy.
In retirement, she actively volunteers with the Denver Public Library, preserving the history of Denver and Colorado's Hispanic communities, and is an active member of the Congress of Hispanic Educators. She is dedicated to raising awareness of issues affecting older Colorado residents, particularly within the Hispanic community, as reflected in her work on four AARP Committees.
Archuleta has received numerous accolades, including a presidential appointment and the Colorado National Distinguished Principal of the Year Award. As the first in her family to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree, her contributions continue to weave the Hispanic community's stories into Colorado's history.
2025 Lena L. Archuleta Community Service Award
Joanely Ramos (AWARD WINNER)
Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and raised in Keenesburg, Colorado, Joanely Ramos grew up with firsthand knowledge of the challenges migrant families face.
Her advocacy through her work with the United Farm Workers Foundation involved organizing efforts to promote farmworker rights and providing critical language support to ensure workers had access to essential resources. She played a crucial role in organizing efforts, including escorting farmworkers to Washington, D.C., to advocate for policy changes. At the Metropolitan State University of Denver, she has served as Vice President of the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association, where she helped strengthen the university’s Hispanic-Serving Institution designation and spearheaded the creation of over 20 Spanish-language websites.
Joanely is deeply committed to supporting the next generation, mentoring migrant students through the Colorado Department of Education’s Summer Migrant Youth Leadership Institute throughout their educational journeys. Her leadership, compassion, and relentless pursuit of equity continue to uplift Denver’s Latino community and inspire future leaders.
2025 César Chávez Latino Leadership Hall of Fame Award
Antonio Esquibel, Ph.D. (AWARD WINNER)
Dr. Antonio Esquibel is a pioneering educator, activist, and community leader whose lifelong commitment to social justice embodies the legacy of César Chávez. In the late 1960s, he chaired Denver’s United Farm Workers chapter and even undertook a hunger fast in solidarity with farmworkers, setting the tone for decades of advocacy. At Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), he founded the Chicana/o Studies department—one of the first of its kind in Colorado—creating a vital academic home for Latino history and culture. He championed the groundbreaking 2012 policy granting in-state tuition to undocumented Dreamers.
Beyond the university, Dr. Esquibel has been a tireless advocate for civil rights and community empowerment. He helped bring national recognition to the forgotten 1914 Maestas desegregation case, leading to a Colorado State Capitol statue and writing the commemorative corrido performed at its unveiling. His leadership has extended to organizations like Escuela Tlatelolco, founded by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, Servicios de la Raza, and numerous education and civic coalitions—all focused on equity, empowerment, and preserving Chicano heritage.
As an author and scholar, Dr. Esquibel compiled Message to Aztlán: Selected Writings of Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, preserving the voice of one of the Chicano Movement’s greatest leaders for future generations. He has also written extensively on Chicano mobility in higher education and is currently completing his memoir, The Colonia Kid. His life’s work stands as a testament to the values of dignity, equity, and cultural pride that define Latino leadership in Colorado.
The Honorable Rick Garcia (AWARD WINNER)
A lifelong public servant, community advocate, and leader, Rick Garcia’s work at the local, state, and national levels has advanced social justice and expanded opportunities for Latino and underserved communities.
As the first Latino elected to represent Denver’s City Council District 1, he championed initiatives that created the Office of the Independent Monitor, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and new parks and libraries, including the Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales Branch Library for West Colfax. Earlier in his career, he launched Colorado’s first small business incubator in Pueblo and later established a manufacturing incubator in Denver’s Five Points, helping to spur job growth in communities affected by economic hardship. He also co-chaired efforts that established the Colorado Minority Business Office in state statute and co-founded leadership and policy organizations, including the Visiones Latino Leadership program and the Latino Policy and Research Center.
At the federal and state levels, Garcia has continued to shape policy and deliver resources where they are most needed. Appointed by President Barack Obama as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s regional administrator for six western states, he directed multimillion-dollar grants supporting affordable housing, transportation planning, and sustainable community development. More recently, as Executive Director of Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs under Governor Jared Polis, he oversaw more than $1.3 billion in COVID-19 recovery programs that provided rental and mortgage assistance, affordable housing, transitional housing for the homeless, and support for nonprofits across Colorado.
Jeanette Vizguerra (AWARD WINNER)
Jeanette Vizguerra is a nationally recognized immigrant rights leader, organizer, and mother who has dedicated nearly three decades to fighting for social justice in Colorado and beyond. She first came to prominence as a founding member of organizations such as Rights for All People, Dreamers Mothers in Action–Colorado, and the Denver Metro Sanctuary Coalition, where she mobilized communities to defend immigrants from detention and deportation.
In 2017, she gained international attention when she took sanctuary in a Denver church to avoid deportation. Her act of resistance earned her a place on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Throughout her career, she has worked with labor unions, schools, faith groups, and grassroots organizations to protect immigrant families, challenge unjust systems, and inspire bold action across movements.
Her courage and leadership have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2025 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. At her core, Jeanette is not only a fearless activist but also a proud Mexicana, mother of four, grandmother of three, and beloved community member who embodies the spirit of resilience, dignity, and love for her people.
The Eric J. Duran Community Service Award
The award is named for Eric J. Duran, community leader, and former Denver Public Library Commissioner, who worked tirelessly to strengthen and maintain ties between the Hispanic Community and the Denver Public Library.
The recipient will be a person of Latino descent who has made a positive impact on the Denver community, beyond paid employment, to advance community development and/or cultural life through their involvement with the Denver Public Library or another civic institution. The recipient does not have to live in Denver to receive the award; however, their work must impact the Denver community. Nominations encouraged for early to mid career professionals.
Past award recipients are:
- Eric J. Duran (2015)
- Frank Fresquez (2016)
- Antonio Mercado (2017)
- Anthony R. Aragon (2018)
- Diana Chavez (2019)
- Jesse Ogas (2020)
- Gloria Rubio-Cortés (2021)
- Elaine D. Torres (2022)
- Georgina "Gina" Millan (2023)
- Alejandro Flores-Muñoz (2024)
The Lena L. Archuleta Community Service Award
The award is named for Lena L. Archuleta, a longtime educator, civic leader, and former Denver Public Library Commissioner, who worked tirelessly to establish greater ties between the Hispanic Community and the Denver Public Library.
The recipient will be a person of Latino descent who has made a positive impact on the Denver community, beyond paid employment, in the field of education, youth development, early childhood programming, or education policy. This includes formal and informal educators. The recipient does not have to live in Denver to receive the award; however, their work must impact the Denver community. Nominations encouraged for early to mid career professionals.
Past award recipients are:
- Lena L. Archuleta (2002)
- Olibama Lopez Tushar (2003)
- Beverly Martinez (2004)
- Carlos Fresquez (2005)
- Anthony J. Garcia (2006)
- Magdalena Aguayo (2007)
- Rosa Linda Aguirre (2008)
- Clara Ricciardi (2009)
- Florence Hernández-Ramos (2010)
- Rita Flores de Wallace (2011)
- Lucia S. Aandahl (2012)
- Carlota EspinoZa (2013)
- Adelia Trujillo-Cisneros (2014)
- Jamie Torres (2015)
- Pilar Castro-Reino (2016)
- Olga J. Garcia (2017)
- Dr. Michele Trujillo (2018)
- Solicia E. Lopez (2019)
- Angela Cobián (2020)
- Phillip Benitez Gallegos, Jr. (2021)
- Dr. Irene Martinez Jordan (2022)
- Olga Gonzalez (2023)
- Lori Marie Huertas & John Perez Jr. (2024)
The César Chávez Latino Leadership Hall of Fame Award
The award was named for César Chávez, a civil rights activist who was a part of the farm worker and Mexican American civil rights movement. Amid new abuse allegations, the Denver Public Library is working with the Library Commission to determine the future of the community service award.
The award was presented annually to celebrate the induction of an individual into the César Chávez Leadership Hall of Fame. Recipients were Coloradans of Latino descent who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to social justice and have made a significant positive impact on their community through community organizing, direct service, and/or advocacy and public policy.
Past award recipients are:
- Ruben Valdez & Lena L. Archuleta (2002)
- Manuel “Sam” Sandos & Polly Baca (2003)
- Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales & Mary Baca (2004)
- The Honorable Roger Cisneros & Rosemary Rodriguez (2005)
- Senator Ken Salazar & Reverend Lucia Gúzman (2006)
- Secretary Federico Peña & Flora Rodriguez Russel (2007)
- Salvadore (Sal) Carpio Jr. & Patricia Barela Rivera (2008)
- Jim Garcia & Katherine Archuleta (2009)
- Bernard “Bernie” Valdez & Denise Maes (2010)
- Carlos Castañeda & Dr. Patricia Baca (2011)
- Guillermo “Bill” Vidal & Theresa K. Peña (2012)
- Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia & Councilwoman Judy H. Montero (2013)
- Ramon Del Castillo, Ph.D. & Lydia Prado, Ph.D. (2014)
- Don Mares & Angie Rivera-Malpiede (2015)
- Dr. Luis Torres & Marlene De La Rosa (2016)
- Jenny A. Santos & Manuel Ramos (2017)
- Renee Fajardo J.D. & Carlos Santistevan (2018)
- Dr. Priscilla Falcón & Councilwoman Deborah “Debbie” Ortega (2019)
- Emanuel Martinez & Guadalupe “Lupe” Briseño (2020)
- Veronica Barela, Geraldine Irene Gonzales (posthumous inductee)
- Shirley Romero Otero (2021)
- Jordan T. Garcia (2022)
- Ellen Grace Alires-Trujillo & Leo Tanguma (2023)
- D. Atekpatzin Young & Rudolph "Rudy" Gonzales (2024)
The awards committee, at its discretion, can place a nominee into another award category where they are a better fit per the nominee's impact/service to the community.