AZ Hispanic Chamber to honor Deanna Salazar as 2017 Woman of the Year at Black & White Ball and Business Awards

Media Contact: James E. Garcia, jamesg@azhcc.com, 602-460-1374

The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will honor Deanna Salazar of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona as this year’s 2017 Woman of the Year at the 59th Annual Black & White Ball and Business Awards.

The event is the Chamber’s largest annual fundraiser and the state's longest running formal gala. It takes place 6 p.m. to midnight, May 6, at the Arizona Grand Resort, 8000 Grand Parkway in Phoenix.

“Being chosen as Woman of the Year by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber is a tremendous honor, especially coming from an organization so dedicated to serving our community,” said Salazar, Senior Vice President for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona. (Full bio below)

More than 1,200 business and community leaders from across the state are expected to attend the gala. This year’s theme is Frida and Diego: Art, Love and Life, a tribute to the artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Cox Communications is the presenting sponsor. This year’s gala is being held in collaboration with the Heard Museum. The emcees for the event will be 12 News Anchor Vanessa Ruiz and 12 News Reporter Nico Santos.

The AZHCC will present awards to individuals and companies whose achievements have positively contributed to the state’s social progress and economic prosperity. Awards will be presented in the following five categories:

• Woman of the Year: Deanna Salazar, Senior VP and General Counsel, Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona

• Man of the Year: Benito Almanza, Arizona President of Bank of America

• Entrepreneur of the Year: Ernie Garcia, Jr., CEO, Carvana

• Corporation of the Year: Arizona Diamondbacks

• Advocate of the Year: Janet Murguia, President/CEO of National Council of La Raza

• Legacy Award: Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner

For information on purchasing tickets or tables for this event, visit the Signature Events page at www.azhcc.com. To become a sponsor, contact Angela Serda, manager of events, angelas@azhcc.com or 602.294.6081.

*An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

Deanna Salazar Biography

Deanna Salazar serves as Senior Vice President for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, oversees its Legal Division and Human Resources Department.

Prior to joining BCBSAZ in 1999, Salazar was a partner with the Phoenix law firm of Lewis and Roca, Senior Counsel with Wells Fargo Bank, and Senior Counsel with Employee Solutions, a professional employer organization.

Salazar is a member of the Arizona and Colorado state bars. She serves as Chair of the Hispanic Women’s Corporation Board of Directors, and as a member of the Phoenix Art Museum’s Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of Local First Arizona, and CALA (Celebración Artistica de las Americas).

She is a recipient of Valle Del Sol’s Profiles of Success Exemplary Leadership Award and the Los Abogados Community Service Award.

Salazar earned her bachelor’s degree from Adams State College and her juris doctorate degree from Arizona State University College of Law.

About AZHCC

Founded in 1948, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is the premier advocate for the state's Hispanic-owned small businesses and more than 2 million Hispanic consumers and 123,000 Hispanic-owned businesses. Our organization is dedicated to promoting the economic health and prosperity of the state and nation by serving as a vital link to the growing power and influence of Hispanic business owners and consumers in our increasingly diverse global marketplace.

Led by CEO and President Gonzalo A. de la Melena, Jr., the non-profit organization provides products and services in the area of market intelligence, capacity building, advocacy and education for the benefit and success of its members, corporate partners and to actively promote the economic growth and vitality of Arizona.

The Arizona Hispanic Chamber's annual signature events include the Black & White Ball and Business Awards; the release of DATOS: State of Arizona's Hispanic Market; the Business Diversity Summit; Power of the Purse; the Bud Shootout Golf Tournament, along with dozens of workshops, seminars, public forums and business networking activities.

The Chamber also operates the federally funded Phoenix MBDA Center, one of the top-ranked agencies of its kind in the nation. MBDA Centers provide access to contracts and capital for mid-sized companies among the state's Minority Business Enterprises in search of growth and investment opportunities.

For more information, visit www.azhcc.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter