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IPRHFF 2024 Honorees

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Iris Chacón

Iris Chacón was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At an early age she demonstrated her inclination for the arts when she began studies in ballet and jazz. She continued her education and attended the University of Puerto Rico.. As a young college student, she launched her professional career in television as a model and dancer. She continued her voice and dancing lessons and after a careful preparation, was launched as a “vedette”, a term used in Europe to define a multi-talented performer. She was the first Hispanic entertainer to ever appear on the front page of the well-known newspaper “The Wall Street Journal”. With her own television show, The Iris Chacón Show, she conquered not only her native Puerto Rico television audience, but the top ratings during prime time television for over fifteen years in such markets as New York, Miami and Chicago.

Her singing talent as well as very peculiar style, gave her two “Gold Record Awards” out of her eight LP’s “La Chacón”, as her fans call her, was the first Latin act ever presented in the famous “Radio City Music Hall” in New York, with sold-out performances for three years in a row. She has also performed at such venues as Madison Square Garden in New York and the Resorts International Hotel in Atlantic City. Throughout her careers she has been invited to many mainstream Anerican talk shows such as the David Letterman Show, The Merv Griffin Show and ‘Geraldo’ (qv. She has also been the issue for many articles in important publications like The Daily News, The Face, Interview, and cover articles for GQ, Cosmopolitan, The Village Voice, The New York Times, Latina Magazine and People en Español, among others. Since 1998 she has hosted her own radio program, “Iris Chacón Live”, in Orlando, Florida, a program geared towards beauty, health, fitness and nutrition.
 
As a public speaker on fitness and nutrition, Iris has traveled all over the states and Latin America. She finished her third season with Gullah Gullah Island , a children television series on the Nickelodeon television network.. Being involved with several non-profit organizations, Iris travels extensively supporting charitable events. Recently, she starred a ten episode mini-series in Puerto Rico La Señorita Ana, a musical drama where she portrays a rich performer, retired after her husband’s sudden death, and now founder of a special school of arts and music.Chacón starred in a few motion pictures such as ‘What is This Man Doing in Your Bed Eva’ and “East Side Story”. Some of her television program footage was featured in the film ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’, starring Madonna. Iris also starred in four Spanish-language serials that aired successfully throughout Latin America and the United States.

Orgullo Award Recipient

David Zayas

is best known for his role as Angel Batista on the Award winning series “Dexter”(Showtime). Selected television work includes “Shut Eye”(HULU), “Gotham” (Fox), “Bloodline” (Netflix), “Blue Bloods” (CBS), “FBI” (CBS), “Pose” (F/X), and “Next” (Fox). He has appeared in the films “The Interpreter”, “16 Blocks”, “Michael Clayton”, “The Expendables”, “Ride”, “Tallulah”, “Annie”, “Body Cam”, and “R#J”. David began his acting career with LAByrinth Theater Company in 1992. Productions include “In Arabia We’d All Be Kings”, “Jesus Hopped the A Train”,  and “Our Lady of 121st Street” all written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. On Broadway, he appeared in the Pulitzer Prize winning “Anna in the Tropics” by Nilo Cruz and directed by Emily Mann. Most recently, he was in the moving Pulitzer Prize winning play “Cost of Living” by Martyna Majok on Broadway for which he was nominated for a Tony award and “Brooklyn Laundry” written and directed by John Patrick Shanley. David is from The Bronx.

Visionary Award Recipient

Aureo Ivan Cardona

Aureo Ivan Cardona was born in Arecibo Puerto Rico and moved to the south Bronx, New York with his parents at the age of two.

He has been at the forefront of community development and empowerment for the last 60 years.

He began his career of service as a young teen, helping those with substance abuse by getting them care and shelter. He then became Chairman of the South Bronx community planning board 1, Democratic district leader for the South Bronx,
Director of the South Bronx model cities youth & cultural program, President of the South Bronx community housing corporation and Founder and chairman of the board of the national Hispanic housing coalition.

He was the founder & President of Las Americas developers Inc.,
Vice president for the National Center for Housing management, President of Crescendo Inc., Vice president horizons investors corp.

His career as a Consultant gave him the opportunity to be a Contract agent for the FBI and department of Justice.

His volunteer services include serving as current Chairman of the Board of the Sports Foundation, but serving on the board since the organizations inception. As if that were not enough, Aureo has found the time to write plays and films. The fires South Bronx musical was produced at Hostos community college. He wrote Up from a little room, his biography. Look to the moon, 9-12, and various short films.

Aureo was also a semi pro football player, he also coached the South Bronx, Chargers, and was baseball player in the Federation league. Aureo has received numerous awards to mention, but one of his most cherished is from the New York  Yankees during Hispanic Heritage Month for his work in the community.