The organizers of Hispanicize Event, the annual Latino trends event for advertising, social media, film and music, announced today that former U.S. HUD Secretary Julián Castro will serve as keynote speaker of its annual Positive Impact Awards program at the 2018 Hispanicize Event taking place in Miami April 17 -19, 2018.

Now in its fifth year, the Positive Impact Awards is the premier VIP gala event during Hispanicize week celebrating community heroes who have done extraordinary work and championed issues in their communities and nationwide.

Through his lifelong commitment to public service, Secretary Julián Castro embodies the spirit of the Positive Impact Awards. As former U.S. HUD Secretary, it was Castro’s mission to ensure that the department offered everyone new opportunities to thrive in their communities, regardless of their social or economic standing. Previously, Castro served as the Mayor of the City of San Antonio, during which he demonstrated his commitment to improving quality of life through the creation and implementation of SA2020, a community-wide visioning effort that sought to improve housing, health, and environment for the residents of San Antonio with the goal of becoming a world class city by the goal date of 2020. Castro also invested in the future of the community through educational programs, including College Cafe, which offers college guidance to San Antonio Students, and expanded the offering of Pre-K education in the city.