Hispanic Excellence: Standouts in News, Sports & Entertainment

SUNRISE, Fla. -- In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Florida Panthers will be recognizing South Florida community members making a difference in various different fields through a "Celebration of Hispanic Excellence" content series.
From Hispanic business owners and educators to creators, healthcare workers, media members, activists and more, the "Celebration of Hispanic Excellence" will recognize individuals nominated by their peers, colleagues and families for the positive impact they are making in South Florida and beyond.
Honorees' stories and achievements will be highlighted continuously throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, digitally at FloridaPanthers.com and via Panthers social media platforms @FlaPanthers and @FlaPanthersCARE.
During this series, the Panthers have celebrated honorees in the field of
education
,
business & nonprofit
, and
service, health & wellness
.
Concluding the final week of "Celebration of Hispanic Excellence," the Panthers are proud to highlight seven honorees in the field of news, sports and entertainment.

Samantha Del Valle

Tropical Park Operations Manager & Miami Dolphins Youth Programs Staff
Samantha Del Valle is heavily involved in the South Florida community. As one of the managers of Tropical Park, she oversees one of the largest parks and recreation facilities in South Florida. She also works with the Miami Dolphins under the Youth Programs division. Consistently devoted to the community around her, Samantha is involved in curating special events, athletic games, and other community happenings. Samantha has also volunteered for 6+ years at her local youth football organization, The Kendall Hammocks Warriors, as a youth football coach and social media specialist. Samantha is always motivated and keeps an upbeat attitude with whomever she is working with or for. She is selfless in her intentions to serve the community. She is always ready to lend a helping hand and actively tries to include everyone around her.

Andrew Duke

Manager, Suites & Premium Membership Services, Florida Panthers
Andrew Duke has worked in the sports industry for 11 years, nine seasons with the Miami Dolphins and two with the Florida Panthers. As a manger, he is able to pass on his years of hands-on experience to his teammates. Andrew's passion and dedication to his clients is inspiring. As a sports fan himself, he understands the emotional connections fans have to their teams. It's also special working in South Florida with a large Hispanic population and Andrew is able to communicate with those fans that need extra assistance in their primary language. One goal for Andrew working in the NHL for the Florida Panthers is to open more doors to the Hispanic community to come out and learn and enjoy hockey.

Brittany Flores

Regional President, Live Nation
A South Florida native, Brittany Flores started as an intern with Live Nation in 2010. She, along with her team, has produced, promoted and overseen close to 1,000 concerts in over 50 venues annually throughout Florida and Puerto Rico. A few highlights for Brittany have been playing an integral role in opening Daily's Place Boutique in Jacksonville alongside the NFL team (Jacksonville Jaguars) as well as the recent ground breaking and Partnership with the NHL team (Florida Panthers) on War Memorial in downtown Fort Lauderdale (a 4,000 cap state of the art Ballroom set to open in 2023). Flores also recently partnered with Jazz in the Gardens, a one-of-a-kind event, with the city of Miami Gardens. The highly anticipated event hosts 3 days of music, food and community participation at the Hard Rock stadium, with one of her favorites being the Women's Impact Luncheon. Prior to her impact on the live music scene in Florida at Live Nation, she toured around the world with the band MUSE.

Adriana Sandoval

Director, Community Engagement & Foundation, Inter Miami CF
Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras from Cuban and Costa Rican parents, Adriana came to the U.S. when she was 10 and is a Miami native. After pursuing a career abroad in Madrid and Honduras for many years, Adriana started to Miami in 2020 and joined Inter Miami CF during their inaugural year as a Marketing and Community Manager. She was in the community aiding with COVID-19 relief efforts at the height of the pandemic and helped launch many of the Club's community initiatives during the first two seasons, including the Literacy Program which helps bring Scholastic Book Fairs at Title 1 schools in Broward and Miami-Dade and the Thanksgiving efforts, "Serving Those Who Serve Us" which focuses on active duty and reserve military members. In 2022, Adriana was named the Director of Community Engagement and Foundation for the Club. She recently led the public launch of the Inter Miami CF Foundation.

Octavio Sequera

Senior Editor, NHL.com/es
For over 18 years, Octavio Sequera has worked as a sportscaster and writer covering various major tournaments and events. Among them: Major League Baseball World Series, World Baseball Classic, NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, NFL Super Bowls, NASCAR Sprint Cup, The FIFA World Cup, and the Summer Olympic Games. His work has allowed him to provide coverage for some of the most prestigious media outlets. In 2014, he became only the seventh sportswriter from Venezuela to be named to the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Octavio has an unbelievable contagious positive personality. He would travel from Cleveland to Florida to work select Panthers games because of his passion for hockey and growing the audience. His passionate goal calls electrify the game as he continues to be an inspiration to the next generation and his help in expanding Hispanic outreach within South Florida.

Carlos Solano

Artist
Carlos Solano is an artist who specializes in spray paint, acrylics, and acrylic inks. Born and raised in the South Bronx, New York, Carlos is of Puerto Rican and Colombian descent with strong connections to the Latin cultures and communities of New York City and South Florida. Carlos first began creating art as a child. His mother was and continues to be his biggest inspiration as an artist. She was a self-taught seamstress who specialized in costume design. Her work ethic and commitment to her craft gave him the foundation and courage to pursue his own art. Carlos studied illustration and computer animation at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. He worked professionally as a graphic designer from 2003 - 2020 and began painting and creating murals in 2008. Carlos is striving to leave a positive mark in history with his art. Music, nature and spirituality all play a part in his message as an artist. His two beautiful daughters and wife give him the positive energy and motivation he needs to keep pursuing his dream.

Carlos Suarez

Founder/Publisher, Venice Magazine
Carlos Suarez is the publisher of Venice and Panther's Magazine. He is also the founder of the annual Rose Festival, the Seaglass Experience. A graduate of the Art Institute, Carlos spent his early advertising career shaping the visions of well-known brands like Cadillac, Marriott, Honda, and McDonald's. As a publisher, he's led creative teams at prominent lifestyle publications like Ocean Drive, LaLa, Cultured, Vegas, Bal Harbour, WYNN, Trump, Paradise, MTV's Juice, Super Bowl Magazine, Ocean Drive Espanol and Atlanta's PEACH Magazine. Carlos has worked with many famous faces over the years including Giselle Bundchen, Adriana Lima, Kevin Bacon, and Elizabeth Hurley, along with photographers like Ellen von Unwerth and David LaChapelle. Carlos lives in South Florida with his wife and two daughters, and he never misses a Panthers game.