Pan American Bank President and CEO Receives Congressional Businessman of the Year Award

Pan American Bank (Los Angeles) (www.PanAmericanBank.us) today announced that Jesse Torres, Pan American Bank President and CEO, received the 32^nd Congressional District’s 2010 Businessman of the Year Award. The Businessman of the Year Award was presented to Mr. Torres by Congresswoman Judy Chu, U.S. Representative for the 32nd District, on Sunday, August 15, 2010 at the Diver-Cities Celebration, an event hosted by Congresswoman Chu to celebrate diversity in the 32^nd Congressional District.

"I am extremely honored and thankful. There are many others in the 32^nd Congressional District that are also deserving of this Award. To have been selected as this year’s Businessman of the Year is overwhelming,” said Pan American Bank CEO Jesse Torres. "It is refreshing and reassuring to know that our Congressional District’s leadership fully supports the diversity that makes the 32^nd Congressional District and our Country so great. We all continue to struggle during this difficult economic period. Despite the struggles, I have always found cooperation and collaboration to be the most effective tools during difficult periods – not division or the ‘blame game.’ I am proud to represent the 32^nd Congressional District and I look forward seeing the 32^nd Congressional District lead by example.”

Apart from the 32^nd Congressional District’s Businessman of the Year Award, Mr. Torres was also the recipient of the 2010 Rotarian of the Year Award presented by the Rotary Club of East Los Angeles, the 2010 Business Leader of the Year Award presented by Service Planning Area 7 (SPA 7), and the 2010 Business-to-Community Award presented by Connect LA.

The 32^nd Congressional District is comprised of the communities of Azusa, Baldwin Park, City Terrace (Unincorporated), Covina, Duarte, East Los Angeles (Unincorporated), El Monte, El Sereno (Los Angeles), Irwindale, Monterey Park, Rosemead, South El Monte and West Covina.

Established in 1964, Pan American Bank (www.PanAmericanBank.us) is California’s oldest Latino-owned bank. Headquartered in East Los Angeles, Pan American Bank serves the needs of the Latino communities in Los Angeles and Santa Ana. Founded by former U.S. Treasurer Romana Acosta Banuelos, the Bank has stayed true to its mission of transforming and empowering Latino communities through banking relationships built on trust, service, respect, communication, and guidance. Pan American Bank's Facebook page can be found at http://bit.ly/pab-facebook. The Bank’s blog is found at http://PanAmericanBank.blogspot.com. Pan American Bank can be followed on Twitter as @PanAmericanBank.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6402793&lang=en