By Adina Moloman
Sources: www.examiner.com, www.leadsandiego.org
The Charles Nathanson Memorial Award for Cross-Border Region Building (San Diego – Baja California) is a special award to recognize binational visionary leaders, which are dedicating their work in finding joint solutions to cross-border issues.
Last year winners of The Charles Nathanson Memorial Award for Cross-Border Region Building were Jose Galicot Behar and Alejandro Bustamante, well known business leaders and promoters of the event “Tijuana Innovadora”.
This year Hugo Eduardo Torres was the recipient of the Charles Nathanson Memorial Award for Cross-Border Region Building at the 10th Annual Visionary Awards. The ceremony took place in San Diego this May 24, in the presence of top leaders from both sides of the border.
Hugo Eduardo Torres is a Former Two-time Mayor of Rosarito, Baja California (his first term was in 1995-1998 and the second term between 2007 and 2010). In this second term he gave a special attention to security issues, when he organized the entire police department and replaced 60% of the force and invested in higher training standards.
This award is life time recognition of being active in bi-national and regional issues, where most of them are touristic and civic achievements.
Among his achievements: he was the first elected President of the Tourism and Convention Committee, founded the Grupo Madrugadores citizen’s group, formed the Comite Pro-Municipio de Rosarito which over a 12 year course under his leadership led to the incorporation of the City of Rosarito and independence from Tijuana; he has an active involvement in working with expatriates and migrants returned at the Tijuana Border Crossing; and also donated a facility for the establishment of the Rosarito Boys and Girls Club.
Other than his touristic and civic achievements he has a strong active presence at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and at the San Diego Association of Governments.
