Briarcliffe College President George Santiago Receives Top-50 Hispanic Leader Award

March 1, 2010

First-Annual Long Island Latino Awards Gala Held by La Fiesta Radio

BETHPAGE, NY – (March 1, 2010) Briarcliffe College president Dr. George Santiago, Jr., was the recipient of a Top 50 Hispanic Leaders of Long Island award during the first-ever Latino Awards Gala held earlier this month by La Fiesta Radio, Long Island’s only Latino radio station.

"Long Island is home to 350,000 Hispanics and La Fiesta is committed to reaching and serving this growing segment of our population," said Dr. Santiago. "It is truly a great honor to be recognized in the company of such distinguished honorees."

Dr. Santiago, the first in his family to achieve a college education, advanced to a master’s and doctorate, eventually dedicating himself to a career in education. At Briarcliffe College, he introduced the Hispanic Scholarship program to support the dreams of higher education among young Latinos. His educational and community outreach and personal commitment to the Hispanic community have been recognized by Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, the Long Island Hispanic Chamber, 100 Hispanic Women, Adelante, and others. He has regularly appeared in the media as an expert source on social and educational matters affecting Hispanic students in the metro New York area.

"Under Dr. Santiago’s leadership, Briarcliffe College is an exemplary educational institution -- providing a whole new generation of New Yorkers with opportunity and prospects for the future," stated John Caracciolo, president of JVC Broadcasting, the owner of La Fiesta radio.

Briarcliffe College President Award Recipient

Established in 2008, La Fiesta WBON 98.5 radio provides a combination of music and talk radio that has enjoyed great popularity with an audience of nearly 400,000 tuning in daily, from Queens to Suffolk County.

According to Vic Latino, Operations Manager for La Fiesta Radio, "The Latino Awards program was established to recognize the contributions from business, education, public service and the arts in celebrating Hispanic heritage."

Other honorees at the First Annual Latino Awards included representatives from major industries as well as Suffolk County Legislator Rick Montano, New York State Assemblyman Philip Ramos and Nassau County GOP Chairman Joe Mondella.

About Briarcliffe College:
A proprietary institution with locations in Bethpage, Patchogue and Queens NY., Briarcliffe College is a four-year career education college offering degree programs in accounting, business administration, criminal justice, graphic design, information technology, management and paralegal studies. The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (267) 284-5000 accredits Briarcliffe College. Briarcliffe College does not guarantee employment or salary. Briarcliffe College is also a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of colleges, universities and schools. For more information, visit www.briarcliffe.edu or www.bcl.edu.

Pictured (left to right):
Dr. George Santiago, Jr., President of Briarcliffe College, and recipient of the Top 50 Hispanic Leaders of Long Island award at the first annual Latino Awards Gala hosted by La Fiesta radio, is joined by La Fiesta Radio Operations Manager Vic Latino. La Fiesta, the only Latino radio station on Long Island, began broadcasting in 2008.