Quiénes somos

La Voz, cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson (The Voice, Hispanic Culture and News from the Hudson Valley), is an award-winning free Spanish language magazine serving the 150,000  Latinos living in the Mid-Hudson Valley across the eight counties we distribute to. Thanks mostly to volunteers, this magazine (that was founded in 2004 as a TLS student project at Bard College by Emily Schmall and Mariel Fiori) is a highly respected local publication, winning awards for its overall design and cultural content from the New York Community Media Alliance and from the Dutchess County Executive. Today, we print and distribute 6,000 copies each month throughout Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Columbia, Sullivan, Putnam, Greene and Rockland counties for an estimated 35,000 readers.
First-generation Hispanic immigrants who speak Spanish at home, and little or no English outside the home, depend on La Voz not only for its informative aspects but also for its artistic attributes. Language barriers can be quite difficult to overcome, especially for individuals living in small towns or rural areas. We introduce readers, who are isolated not only by geography but also by language, to a world of arts and information. La Voz is the only publication of its kind in the area.
The focus of La Voz is to empower its Hudson Valley readers through actionable information. It features columns on health and legal affairs, an English learning worksheet, advice on personal finance, and a resource guide announcing local events and activities. Inspiring stories are also part of the magazine, with interviews and testimonials from immigrants who are achieving their version of the American dream. Short stories (cuentos), opinion pieces, poetry in translation, math puzzles and word games also contribute to the carefully selected content. Form is as important as content (as Marshall McLuhan put it, the medium is the message) and thus design helps make the magazine alluring and accessible. Strong both in content and form, it is no wonder so many readers have praised La Voz over the years and look forward to each new issue.

Some of La Voz recent community involvement includes:
• Co-organizer of the annual Oaxacan La Guelaguetza Festival, that brings 5,000 people to Poughkeepsie’s waterfront park each summer
• Sponsor of four Spanish language performances in Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Kingston of the Vagina Monologues to raise awareness of domestic violence issues in 2012 and 2013, with an overall audience of 700 people
• Co-organizer and sponsor of the First Resource Fair for Latinos in Poughkeepsie in 2012
• Co-organizer and sponsor of the Ulster County Resource Fair in Kingston in 2013 and 2014
• Organizer of panel discussions at Bard College to educate a wider audience on Latino issues
• Maintains a Facebook page with multiple postings each day

Fiori tiene un MBA de NYU, Stern School of Business y una licenciatura en Estudios Españoles y Latinoamericanos e Ibéricos de Bard College. Antes de llegar a los Estados Unidos en 2003, vivió y trabajó durante dos años en España, y previamente en Buenos Aires, su ciudad natal, donde se licenció en periodismo y estudió traducción jurídica y comercial inglés-español en la Universidad Católica de Argentina. Ha trabajado para diferentes grupos de medios de comunicación masivos e independientes en Argentina, España y Estados Unidos como investigadora, escritora, traductora, editora y productora de radio y televisión.
 
Gracias a su apasionado trabajo con La Voz, Fiori ha recibido el premio a las artes ejecutivas del condado de Dutchess en 2010, y La Voz ha recibido cuatro premios Ippies de la New York Community Media Alliance. En marzo de 2012, fue una de las ganadoras del premio 40 menores de 40 estrellas latinas en ascenso de NYS otorgado por la Coalición Hispana de NY. En octubre de 2014, Fiori fue reconocida como mujer emprendedora del año por GET Hudson Valley. La revista Hudson Valley la nombró una de las mujeres empresarias de 2015. En junio de 2016 fue nombrada miembro del Good Work Institute, Hudson Valley; y en noviembre de 2016 recibió el Girl Power Award anual en Newburgh.
 
En agosto de 2017, recibió el Premio Humanitario de la NAACP de Dutchess; y en octubre de 2017 fue nombrada Mujer del Año por la sucursal de AAUW Poughkeepsie y honrada por el Ejecutivo del Condado de Ulster durante el mes de la Herencia Hispana. En 2019, fue nombrada Periodista Residente Hartman en el Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, y recibió el premio de activista comunitaria del Center for Creative Education Arts for a purpose. Ha sido invitada a hablar en varios paneles y conferencias, que incluyen, entre otros, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College, Chronogram y Bard College. En 2020 fue Maestra de Ceremonias del Festival Anual de La Guelaguetza, edición virtual, y de la Asamblea Anual de Mujeres Rurales, entre otros eventos destacados.
 
Fiori es presidenta de la Coalición Mano a Mano de la Junta Asesora Hispana del Condado de Ulster, miembro de la Asociación Nacional de Periodistas Hispanos, NAHJ, la Asociación Estadounidense de Mujeres Universitarias, AAUW, y la Asociación Estadounidense de Traductores, ATA. De 2007 a 2013 fue miembro de la junta de Somos la Llave del Futuro, SLF, Inc., una organización sin fines de lucro con sede en el condado de Dutchess que busca construir liderazgo en las comunidades de inmigrantes, y de agosto de 2010 a mayo de 2015 fue miembro de la junta. de Family of Woodstock, Inc. De 2017 a 2020 fue miembro de la junta de Radio Kingston.
 
“Aceptar el status quo no es parte de mi sangre, ni de mi educación ni de mi origen. Necesitamos usar todas las herramientas que poseemos (es decir, educación, redes, tiempo y/o dinero) para ayudar a mejorar la parte del mundo en la que vivimos. En mi caso, lo hago a través de mi pasión por la comunicación ”. Mariel Fiori
 
Mariel Fiori, MBA, is a journalist, translator, educator and an entrepreneur. She co-founded and is the managing editor of the Bard-sponsored La Voz, cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson. Since 2004 the award- winning La Voz is the only Spanish language magazine serving the over 150,000 Latinos living in the Mid-Hudson Valley and Catskill mountains. She co-hosts a daily Spanish language radio news show, La Voz con Mariel Fiori at Radio Kingston WKNY, and weekly Spanish language news radio show La Voz en breve for WVKR, WHDD and WJFF.  

Fiori holds an MBA from NYU, Stern School of Business and a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies from Bard College. Before coming to the United States in 2003, she lived and worked for two years in Spain, and previously in Buenos Aires, her hometown, where she earned a degree in journalism and studied legal and commercial English-Spanish translation at the Catholic University of Argentina. She has worked for different mass media groups and independent media in Argentina, Spain and the United States as a researcher, writer, translator, editor and radio and television producer.

Thanks to her passionate work with La Voz, Fiori has been the recipient of the Dutchess County Executive Arts Award in 2010, and La Voz has received four Ippies awards from the New York Community Media Alliance. In March 2012, she was one of the recipients of the award 40 under 40 rising NYS Latino Stars by the Hispanic Coalition of NY. In October 2014, Fiori was recognized as Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by GET Hudson Valley. Hudson Valley Magazine named her one of the Women in Business 2015. In June 2016 she was named a fellow for the Good Work Institute, Hudson Valley; and in November 2016 she received the annual Girl Power Award in Newburgh. 
 
In August 2017, she received the Humanitarian Award of the NAACP, Dutchess chapter; and in October 2017 she was honored as Woman of the Year by the AAUW Poughkeepsie branch, and honored by Ulster County Executive during Hispanic Heritage month. In 2019, she was named Hartman Journalist in Residence at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and given the Community activist award by the Center for Creative Education Arts for a purpose. She has been invited to speak at a number of panels and conferences, including, but not limited to, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar College, Chronogram, and Bard College. In 2020, she was the Master of Ceremonies of the Annual La Guelaguetza Festival, virtual edition, and of the Annual Rural Women Assembly, among other highlights.

Fiori is the chair of the Ulster County Hispanic Advisory Board Mano a Mano Coalition, member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, NAHJ, the American Association of University Women, AAUW, and the American Translators Association, ATA. From 2007 to 2013 she was a board member of Somos la Llave del Futuro, SLF, Inc., a Dutchess county based non-profit organization which seeks to build leadership in immigrant communities, and from August 2010 to May 2015 she was a board member of Family of Woodstock, Inc. From 2017 to 2020 she was a board member of Radio Kingston. 
 
“Accepting the status quo is not part of my blood, my upbringing or background. We need to use whatever tools we possess (i.e. education, network, time and/or money) to help improve the part of the world where we live. In my case, I do it through my passion for communications.” Mariel Fiori