Meet some of
Latina
Tampa Bay ’ s
Movers N Shakers
March is National Woman ’ s History Month !
In this issue of Latin Times Magazine we celebrate this special time by introducing you to 9 wonderful and talented Latinas that live right here in the Tampa Bay area . These women are out there everyday paving our paths . Strong , intelligent and beautiful Latina women !
Frances DeLeon
T h i s charismatic Puertorican beauty is the pride and joy of Able Mortgage . Her friendly and beautiful smile invites you in to experience her fantastic energetic personality .
Driven with persistence and passion her motive for business is to “ make dreams come true ”. To Frances the word “ no ” and “ impossible ” cease to exist . If there ’ s a way to make it happen , she will find it , and that ’ s how she has become one of the favorite mortgage executives in the Hispanic community . At Able Mortgage , she ’ s learned and flourished as a professional , leading her to obtain the position of Latin Division Director and also become the first and only Latin woman in Able Mortgage to obtain the Top Producer trophy .
As an individual , she is full of confidence , elegance and class . Proudly announces to the world that she ’ s 40 years old , and boldly remarks that being beautiful at 20 is an accident of nature , but to be beautiful at 40 is because you ’ ve earned it . She is a lover of music , art and beauty . But at the same time she ’ s quite the “ Tomboy ”. She loves sports from football and basketball to pool and poker , you name it . But what fascinates her most is Scuba Diving . Just to hear her talk about the ocean is an experience . She describes the under ocean world as some mystical magical place that she calls home , and often dreams of escaping down to the Reef . Frances also enjoys cooking for family and friends , and anyone that has tasted her food can understand why the marriage proposals continue rolling in . Her specialty ? Frances can make a serious and mean “ Arroz con Gandules ”, “ Roast Garlic Pork ”, and “ Mofongo !”
As an Entrepreneur and Business Woman she is fearless and never afraid to take chances . She holds a degree in Fine Arts of Interior Design and Architecture and since her early beginnings has owned several businesses including an Interior Design firm and a chain of wireless communication stores . For the past 4 years Frances has enjoyed a career in mortgages as she quotes that “ The Real
Estate Industry fills her life like no other .” Within this industry , she enjoys one of her passions “ Architecture ”, the chance to make a lucrative living , and most of all the pleasure of helping others to achieve the American Dream . To her there ’ s no greater satisfaction than to come to the closing table and see a client getting the keys of their first home .
Her next venture is partnering with a local builder to build affordable homes for the low income working man , providing affordable financing .
At the end of the day Frances considers her children her greatest accomplishments , beautiful daughter Nixxa Vanessa 8 , and Adorable son Miguel Angel , Jr . 2 . She considers herself blessed to be the woman she is today and to Learn , Love and Experience life believing that anything is possible .
Celia Rentería Szelwach
CC e l i a
Rentería Szelwach , a 2003 Tampa Bay Business Journal Women in Business Winner , has been designing and delivering high performance training processes and Organizational Development ( OD ) solutions for government , academic , and corporate entities for over 17 years . She earned her B . S . from the United States Military Academy at West Point and her M . B . A in International Trade from the University of Sarasota .
Celia ’ s career began at Fort Bragg , North Carolina where she became a senior paratrooper , earned numerous commendations for her leadership and training programs and achieved the rank of Captain in the U . S . Army Transportation Corps . Upon completion of her military commitment , Celia served as a Production & Logistics Supervisor , OD Facilitator , and HR Manager for world-class beverage manufacturer , Tropicana Products .
In 2000 , Celia founded her company Creative Collaborations Consulting , specializing in organizational development , change management , leadership coaching , and multicultural business development . Celia partners with large corporations and speaks for associations and international conferences . Her clients include : TAP Pharmaceutical Products , Nielsen Media Research , Tropicana Products , Marine Max , Hide Away Storage Services , PGT Industries , Seminole Electric Cooperative , Boca Ciega High School , and Honeywell . As a freelance writer , Celia writes the monthly corporate diversity column for Tampa Bay ’ s Maddux Business Report , business columns for U Manatee Magazine and Latin Times , and “ The Career Chronicles ” for www . Tampabayin . com . In 2006 , she published Who Packs Your Presenter ’ s Parachute ? with a supporting website www . yourpresentersparachute . com featuring tips and tools for salesmanship , personal impact , and presentations to groups .
Celia has completed all but her dissertation ( ABD ) requirements for her doctorate in business administration with Argosy University and is preparing her dissertation on leadership success factors . She received the 2004 President ’ s Merit Award from the Girl Scouts Gulf Coast and helped launch the Women ’ s Leadership Initiative of United Way Manatee County as Founding Member and Marketing Chairperson in 2005 . In 2006 , Sarasota-Manatee Business Magazine recognized her with their inaugural “ People to Watch ” Award , and she was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) Advisory Committee on Women Veterans .
She ’ s a member of several Hispanic associations including : National Society of Hispanic MBAs ( NSHMBA ); Hispanic Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs ( HYPE ); Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce ( TBHCC ); Latino Community Network ( LCN ) of Manatee County ; and the Hispanic Business Women ’ s Alliance ( HBWA )
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