Matrix New World Engineering Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Olga Abinader, Director of Environmental Review and Land Use Planning, shares her heritage with children in the community.
- Newark, NJ (1888PressRelease) October 08, 2021 - Matrix New World Engineering (Matrix) celebrated and participated in Hispanic Heritage Month. On Saturday, October 2, Olga Abinader, Director of Environmental Review and Land Use Planning, led an event at Andes Public Library, 242 Main St, Andes, NY.
This event, hosted by Women for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (WIDE), presented multicultural workshops for children aged 5 through 12. Abinader shared her love and knowledge of Hispanic culture through stories, activities and music. For more information on this event, please contact: www.wideny.org
The 2020 U.S. Census showed that Hispanics and Latinos make up a fast-growing, multiracial group: In 2020, 62.1 million people identified as Hispanic or Latino — 18% of the U.S. population. That number had grown 23% since 2010. Comparatively, the U.S. population not of Hispanic or Latino origin grew just 4.3%, census data shows. Between 2010 and 2020, just over half of the total U.S. population growth — 51.1% — was due to growth among Hispanics or Latinos, per the Census Bureau.
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
No stranger to giving back, Matrix donates both time and money to a number of causes and its communities, supporting the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
According to Jayne Warne, PE, President, “We are thrilled Olga participated in this event and shared her love and talents with children in Hispanic and multicultural communities. She broadens the Matrix footprint as a woman-owned company engaged in female empowerment and the importance of diversity.”
About Olga Abinader
Abinader was born in the Dominican Republic and emigrated with her parents and two siblings to Salem, Massachusetts as a child. Her family maintained strong connections to their Caribbean heritage by speaking only Spanish at home. As a fully bilingual English and Spanish speaker, Abinader translated for family and friends who had limited English skills. In 1999, Abinader assumed a leadership role in the “La Union Latina” organization, established in 1987 at Salem High School to celebrate Latin-American culture and traditions. In 2007, Hispanic Business Inc. recognized Abinader as one of four Winner’s Circle Scholars at the Hispanic Business’ annual Woman of the Year Awards event. According to Hispanic Business, Inc., [t]he four 2007 Winner’s Circle Scholarship recipients personify the next generation of accomplished Hispanic women whom we salute each year at Hispanic Business magazine’s Woman of the Year event. They are achievers in diverse courses of study, and hail from across the United States.
Abinader brings a wide range of management, public sector, and environmental review process expertise to the team. As the former Director of the Environmental Assessment and Review Division with the New York City Department of City Planning, Abinader oversaw expert professionals in the preparation and review of the Division’s growing project portfolio, which included hundreds of active City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) applications to support the transit-oriented growth, housing production and affordability, economic development and resilient and sustainable communities across the five boroughs of New York City.
Abinader supervised technical staff and signed determinations of significance for numerous key administration projects, including the Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan draft EIS, the Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning draft EIS, the Beach 67th Street Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS) and the Wildflower Studios EAS, to only name a few. Abinader and her team also provided extensive environmental review support to sister agencies across New York City. Her expertise and experience will help strengthen Matrix’s knowledge and relationships, while further propelling Matrix into a leadership role in the region’s environmental review and planning fields.
Abinader was a member of the 2020 CEQR Technical Manual Steering Committee on behalf of the New York City Department of City Planning. She supervised DCP staff in charge of coordinating CEQR Technical Manual revisions through a multi-agency review process that included NYCDEP, NYCDPR, the NYCSCA, NYCDOT, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Law Department.
Abinader received her Master of Urban Planning from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Urban Studies from Brown University.
To speak with Matrix, please contact Amy Delman, Amy Delman Public Relations, LLC, 201.563.4614 or amydelmanpr ( @ ) verizon dot net dot
About Matrix New World Engineering
Matrix New World Engineering is a company of engineering and science experts who focus on some of the nation’s most pressing long-term challenges, including climate change, resiliency, ecological restoration, contamination studies, water supply, disaster response, and urban revitalization. Matrix believes solving environmental challenges through careful planning and engineering is becoming an indispensable measure of success.
Matrix is a growing woman-owned business with offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, and Louisiana coupled with project experience throughout the United States and the Caribbean. For more information on the firm, please contact: Jayne Warne, President 800.747.MATRIX, jwarne ( @ ) mnwe dot com
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