CHCI TO CELEBRATE EXCEPTIONAL, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CHCI ALUMNI DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS LUNCHEON

The prestigious annual awards are given to notable alumni, across different fields, dedicated to strong civic engagement and leadership in the Latino community. 

Washington, D.C. – August 29, 2024 – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is proud to recognize the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus honoree, Miryam Granthon-Gerdine, and the 2024 CHCI Young Alumnus honoree Arizona State Senator, Flavio Bravo (LD-26), at the organization’s 2024 Leadership Awards Luncheon, to take place during its signature Hispanic Heritage Month activities. The prestigious annual awards are given to distinguished alumni across different fields dedicated to strong civic engagement and leadership in the Latino community.

“I am excited to honor the illustrious careers of Miryam Granthon-Gerdine and Arizona State Senator Flavio Bravo during this year’s Leadership Awards Luncheon,” said CHCI Chair, Rep. Adriano Espaillat. “Miryam’s rich career of public service in health equity is admirable and representative of the leadership Latinos wield in the critical research and policy development space. As the youngest serving state senator in Arizona, who was also recently recognized by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce for his commitment to put policy before party, Senator Flavio is an inspiring public servant to a new generation of ambitious Latino leaders determined to shape policy in the United States. They are both shining beacons of hope and excellence that will help shape the future of Latino communities around the nation.”

“The esteemed alumnus award honorees have made an indelible mark in their communities and CHCI could not be prouder to highlight their work and applaud their careers and continued service in representing the very best of the Latino community,” said Marco A. Davis, CHCI President and CEO. “Both Miryam Granthon-Gerdine and Arizona State Senator Flavio Bravo embody Latino excellence in action and the undeniable truth that Latinos continue to make seismic strides in every industry across the United States.”

“My vision and dream for our Latino community is to continue to be brave,” said Miryam Granthon-Gerdine. “We don’t have to be perfect, and we should always lean towards inclusivity. We are such a diverse Latino community, with different shades of brown among us. Let’s be brave together, try our best and have an open heart to accept those who are different from us. Thank you to CHCI for this incredible honor.”

“Receiving this award is an immense honor for me,” said Arizona State Senator, Flavio Bravo. “In many ways, it was the experiences and people I met through CHCI that opened the door for me to gain a deeper understanding of public policy and begin to think about how it can be utilized to improve the lives of others.”

The Medallion of Excellence for a Distinguished Alumnus was introduced in 2006 and recognizes a CHCI alumnus who has made an outstanding contribution to the Latino community. Annual honorees are competitively selected based on noteworthy professional and community accomplishments.

The 2024 CHCI Medallion of Excellence for a Distinguished Alumnus recipient is Miryam Granthon-Gerdine.

Miryam Granthon-Gerdine, a Social Science Research Analyst in the Bureau of Health Workforce at the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and now CHCI’s 2024 Medallion of Excellence for a Distinguished Alumnus honoree, brings academic training, lived experience, and a passion for serving vulnerable and underserved communities. At HRSA, Miryam currently leads a team of six project officers in managing the $66 million Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) for the Professionals Grant Program. Over her 20-year federal career, Miryam has worked in several HHS agencies and offices, including HRSA; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Office of Minority Heath; the Office of Adolescent Health; the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; and the Office of Priority Populations.

Miryam earned her master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and serves as an advisor to the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions. She has also been an Associate Professor at the school, co-teaching a course on Latino Health Indicators. Prior to accepting the CHCI Fellowship in 1996, Miryam pursued a master’s in social work at Boston University School of Social Work. She’s currently on the Gala Theater  (www.galatheatre.org) Advisory Council. 

The CHCI Young Alumnus Award was introduced in 2018 to recognize a CHCI alumnus who completed their CHCI leadership program within the past fifteen years and exemplifies dedicated civic engagement and leadership. 

The 2024 CHCI Young Alumnus Award recipient is Arizona State Senator Flavio Bravo.

Arizona State Senator, Flavio Bravo and now CHCI’s 2024 Young Alumnus honoree was elected to the Arizona State Legislature in November 2022 and represents the 26th legislative district. He is currently the youngest State Senator in Arizona, serving on the Senate Elections, Judiciary, and Rules committees. Senator Bravo is a proud first-generation college graduate, earning his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago, where he served as student body president. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco and is currently pursuing his MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Senator Bravo lends his knowledge and expertise serving on the Board of Directors for Open Hearts Family Wellness in Central Phoenix and the Kino Border Initiative in Southern Arizona. He also serves on the Board of the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and is the West Region Chair for the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. 

In 2019-2020 he served as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Housing Graduate Fellow in Washington, D.C., focusing on housing and economic policy for Arizona’s seventh congressional district. Senator Bravo was also recently honored as the 2024 Senator of the Year by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the 47th Annual CHCI Awards Gala and the 2024 Leadership Conference. Please email development@chci.org for more information.

Onsite press credentials and interview requests with select honorees, musical talent, participants, and organizational leadership may be available upon request.

ABOUT CHCI

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is the premier Hispanic nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization in the country dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders®. CHCI provides leadership, public service, and policy experiences to outstanding Latino/a/x students and young professionals, and convenes Members of Congress, other public officials, corporate executives, nonprofit advocates, and thought leaders to discuss issues facing the nation and the Hispanic community. Visit CHCI.org and follow us @CHCI on social media.

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