The mission of the Latin American Association (LAA) is to empower Latinos to adapt, integrate, and thrive. Our vision is ‘Opportunity for All.’ Founded in 1972 to serve Atlanta’s then-emerging Latino population, the LAA has grown to become the region’s leading agency representing Latino issues. The 45-year history and community-based mission of the LAA renders the organization truly unique in its work and capabilities. The LAA is the most comprehensive, most trusted and only fully-bilingual agency in the region dedicated exclusively to the needs and concerns of the Latino community. Impacting over 50,000 individuals each year, focus areas include Education, Economic Empowerment, Immigration, Family Well-Being and Culture & Engagement. The LAA works to eliminate disparities for Latinos and empower them to achieve self-sufficiency through a combination of direct services that remove barriers to success for Latino individuals and families and advocacy that advances systemic solutions to the root causes of these issues. The LAA’s board of directors is a diverse and very engaged group of 18 members representing top Atlanta companies and agencies including The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Power, State Farm, Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, Wells Fargo, Invest Atlanta among other companies and agencies. Board members possess skill sets that support key organizational components such as finance, strategic planning, technology, communications, legal and IT. The board of directors features 8 active subcommittees including the executive, investment, finance, advocacy and board development committees.