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25 Up & Coming - Hispanic Series:
Ana Valdez
From Dos Mundos Online |
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Photo by
Mark Lozano |
I phoned Ana
Valdez in New Zealand, and though I reached her at a pretty
indecent hour (because of the time difference), she was
extremely gracious.
Valdez, manager of Network Support Roaming Operations for
Sprint, was in New Zealand on business. Citing travel as one
of the many benefits of working for Sprint, Valdez said she
loves to travel.
What’s her favorite place to visit?“ Each place has its own
unique gifts, and I appreciate each place for what it
uniquely offers,” she said.
Her response seems to summarize Valdez’s positive, half-full
cup as opposed to half-empty cup outlook on life. Maybe
that’s in part because she surrounds herself with family and
friends who support her, who “think she’s wonderful.” |
There are a lot of
those folks around, partly because Valdez is so active in
her community. Having served on over 20 boards of directors,
special committees, and government commissions throughout
the region, she was recently elected president of the Kansas
City Chapter of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs
(NSHMBA). Valdez was on the original executive committee
that worked to organize a local NSHMBA chapter.
Other community involvement includes chairing the Midwest
Center Latino Leadership Institute at University of
Missouri-Kansas City and the Fund Raising Committee of the
Greater Kansas City Hispanic Scholarship Fund. She served on
the Nomination Committee for the Girl Scouts Mid-Continent
Council, the LULAC National Education Service Center
Advisory Board, the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development
Fund, and the FOCUS Kansas City Steering Committee. She was
secretary/treasurer for Associate Youth Services and
executive vice president of Kansas City Consensus – to name
just a few.
Characterizing herself as a lifelong learner, Valdez earned
a master’s in business administration from Avila University,
a master’s in education from Kansas State University, and
bachelor’s in business administration from Rockhurst
University. She also attended Universidad Veracruzana
Institute of Languages in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, where
she studied Spanish.
“I’m learning Spanish, which I now speak poorly, through
high school, post graduate study, and self-imposed study,”
she admitted.
The youngest “and cutest” of four children, Valdez grew up
in Kansas City, Kan., where she attended All Saints Catholic
School and J.C. Harmon High School. Her three older siblings
still reside in the metropolitan area near Valdez’s home on
the Plaza.
From outward appearances and by contemporary standards,
Valdez has it all. By her own standards, she does, too.
Her definition of success is being happy and loving and
being loved, and she is, and she does.
“My favorite book is The Velveteen Rabbit, because it tells
the story of a toy that came to life because someone truly
loved it. The story inspires hope and recognizes that we all
need to love and be loved to truly be alive,” she said.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Does Kansas City matter?
“Yes! Not as a fashion or high culture Mecca, but Kansas
City’s evolution has always been key to the trends of growth
for the country, from the migration patterns of the early
pioneers and settlers to the intricate lattice of our
railroad network. Even today, we offer that advantage to
interstate commerce. We occupy the prime location to offer
the rest of the country a passport to opportunities linking
three diversely different countries.”
Who’s the next mayor?
“Whoever it is will have to be well-versed in all areas and
people of the city. Our next set of mayors across the metro
will need to have a tangible presence in the Latin
community. She or he will need to understand the social,
economic, intellectual, physical and cultural needs, which
our community brings to the table to serve and to be served.
Across the area in both Kansas and Missouri, we need to help
the mayors achieve the goals of the entire community.”
If not Kansas City, what other city
would you like to live in?
“I’ve given that a lot of thought, and I can’t think of
another location that I would enjoy more than my hometown of
Kansas City. My great-grandmother walked here from Michoacan,
Mexico nearly 100 years ago to start a new life. How could I
walk away from a city that’s given my family and me so much
over these 100 years?”
What’s your worst flaw?
“Self doubt.”
What’s your hidden passion?
“To visit and explore all the continents in the world.”
What’s your biggest vice?
“Chocolate!”
What’s your favorite part of the
city?
“The Country Club Plaza. It’s the only place in the Midwest
that offers the magnificent architecture of colonial Spain.
As a little girl, I accompanied my grandmother to the Plaza
to shop for special events like baptisms, weddings, or
funerals. The buildings glistened and presented an almost
magical appearance to me. It still holds that magic for me
after all these years.”
Tell us a secret.
“I’m pretty much an open book…I’m either too honest or too
dumb to keep a secret.” |
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