Taking part in a series of national, local, and internal company events, Nationwide is celebrating the achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx American champions and cultures as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.  

A federally recognized period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Americans with roots in Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. This year, Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide is recognizing the achievements of national figures and its own Hispanic employees by highlighting stories and events of Hispanic heritage and hope.  

“Hispanic Heritage Month always reminds me not to lose sight of my roots and the influence my culture has had on my life and leadership,” said Nationwide’s Corporate Solutions President J.J. Perez, the executive co-sponsor of Nationwide’s Hispanic employee resource group, National Latino Alliance.  

As part of the Fortune 100 company’s celebration, the company is once again sponsoring the national broadcast of the Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. Airing on PBS stations on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, as well as streaming on www.pbs.org and on the PBS Video app, the awards feature nationally renowned Hispanic artists and leaders who are being recognized for their groundbreaking accomplishments. Now in its 34^th year, the Hispanic Heritage Awards event was created by the White House in 1988 to commemorate the establishment of Hispanic Heritage Month in America. The awards are considered among the highest honors by Latinos for Latinos and are supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions. 

Nationwide has been the exclusive broadcast sponsor of the awards since 2018. This year, the company’s Chief Marketing Officer Ramon Jones will confer this year’s Sports Award upon two-time NFL Coach of the Year, and most recent NFC Coach of the Year, Ron Rivera, head coach of the Washington Football Team. With a combined Puerto Rican and Mexican American heritage, Rivera is only the third Latino head coach in NFL history, and the first-ever Latino head coach to be named Coach of the Year. 

“It is an honor for Nationwide to once again be a part of this celebration of excellence that spans generations and genres within the Hispanic community,” said Jones. “Partnering with the Hispanic Heritage Awards is among the many ways Nationwide supports the success of the Hispanic community in all that they do.” 

During the month, Nationwide also took part in Hispanic Heritage celebrations in its headquarters city of Columbus by sponsoring Festival Latino, an annual event organized by the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts. This year’s event on Sept. 18 included a free, outdoor, and livestreamed concert featuring Latinx music artists. 

Internally, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the National Latino Alliance Employee Resource Group (ERG) hosted sessions on professional and personal development, financial wellness and produced a series of employee video interviews to highlight the stories of heritage and hope of America’s second-largest racial and ethnic population.

Angela Bretz, Chief Diversity and Talent Acquisition Officer says, “We are a company that is not only passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion across our teams and those we serve, but we also put our words into action by investing in relationships and educational programs that benefit people from all walks of life”. 

As an organization that recognizes the value of having a diverse workforce, Nationwide consistently ranks on top workplace award lists.

To learn more about Nationwide’s efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion visit Nationwide's 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility report.