The Dallas-Fort Worth Professional Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE-DFW) was the first professional chapter to be established in the organization. Fernando Laclette, an engineer for Rockwall International, joined SHPE in 1976 in southern California and became a member of the SHPE Board of Directors. Fernando was transferred to Dallas, Texas in 1979, and soon experienced a longing for the association with SHPE. He spread the message of the mission and purpose of SHPE to his fellow Hispanic engineers at Rockwall International, and built a network with Hispanic engineers at General Dynamics in Fort Worth. Fernando Laclette, and co-founder Alberto Gutierrez, organized Hispanic engineers from Dallas and Fort Worth into a professional association, developed the constitution and bylaws, and petitioned SHPE to be recognized as the first ever Professional Chapter in 1981. SHPE-DFW was instrumental in setting up student chapters at Southern Methodist University (SMU), University of Oklahoma (OU), and the University of Texas at Austin (UT). For his outstanding contributions in the fields of engineering and science to the Hispanic community, Fernando Laclette was presented with the Jaime Oaxaca Award in 1986. MISSION: SHPE changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development. Vision VISION: SHPE's vision is a world where Hispanics are highly valued and influential as the leading innovators, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. CAREERS: SHPE's Career Center is the leading online career center, the career hub for Hispanic STEM professionals, serving more than 36,000 members. It’s where candidates go to find the right science, technology, engineering and math jobs and where employers go to find highly-qualified STEM talent. Visit https://careercenter.shpe.org/ to view jobs.