Award recognizes outstanding Latinas making a difference in their community.
Betty Manetta, CEO of Argent Associates, was recently awarded the 2019 Ford Mujer Legendria Award in Leadership. The award was part of a ceremony hosted by Ford Motor Company, the Greater Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association and the University of Texas at Arlington’s Crossroads.
Each year, Ford Motor Company selects outstanding Latinas in the United States who are contributing to their communities. Awards are presented to Latinas in Dallas, Houston, Miami, New York and Los Angeles, highlighting their accomplishments in four major categories — Leadership/SMART, Innovation/Green, Community/Safe, and Quality/STEM. These are the same pillars upon which Ford designs and manufactures its vehicles.
Rick Ortiz and the GDHCC nominated Manetta for the Leadership/SMART Award. Manetta, who immigrated from Argentina as a child, founded Argent Associates in 1998. The successful multi-million-dollar business focuses on creating and deploying technology to build smarter mobility and connectivity solutions across a multitude of industries, including driverless vehicles. Manetta is a passionate advocate for the business community and has championed organizations that seek to enhance opportunities for women and minority-owned businesses. Manetta serves on the board of directors for GDHCC, the Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Council – Southwest and Visit Dallas. In addition, she is on the board of Seton Hall University and is an active member of the DFW Hispanic 100. She is active in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives for underserved communities and young women.
“It is truly humbling to be named a legendary woman,” said Manetta. “As we all know, most Latinas are legendary; it’s in our DNA. We’re resourceful and strong and we do amazing things. We’re mothers, wives, teachers, workers, community activists and we’re God loving women. I take my role as a leader in my community very serious. It’s not easy to be a leader because we need to ensure that our words and actions are communicated in such a way that will set the path for other Latinas that follow us.”
The other Latinas recognized alongside Manetta were: Rosemary Hinojosa for Community, Elizabeth Couch for Innovation and Dr. Maria Boccalandro for-Sustainability
This is the sixth year of celebrating Mujeres Legendarias. The honorees from Dallas represent the 22 million outstanding Latinas in the United States who are making a difference in the workplace, their homes, the environment and the community.