Last month, aviation professionals from across the globe gathered in Orlando, Florida (MCO) for the fourth annual Latino Professionals in Aerospace (LPA) Industry Expo to network, grow and celebrate the successes of Latino members of the aviation and aerospace industries.
This year the event theme was RISE – a simple, positive word that encouraged conference attendees to elevate themselves in every opportunity that was presented to them, to take their careers in aviation to new heights and, most importantly, to rise together.
“We are incredibly excited to be here at the fourth annual Latino Professionals in Aerospace expo,” said LPA President Captain Claudia Zapata-Cardone during the opening ceremony expo ribbon cutting. “I want everyone here that wants a job to walk away from here with a job at their dream airline. Put your best foot forward, and let’s celebrate you at every moment that we can.”
After the ribbon was cut, a record number of attendees flooded into the exhibit space to speak with airline recruiters, aviation school representatives, specialized vendors and more. The Envoy booth alone saw a line of aviators that backed up all the way to the main entrance to the expo hall – all in line to learn about the career opportunities available at Envoy.
“Being here with the recruiting team is a full circle moment because I got my job offer here initially two years ago,” said Envoy First Officer Nicolas Carrizosa. “Coming back here now on the recruiting side, I know what it feels like to be in their shoes, and it’s a good feeling to be able to help the next generation.”
Outside the Expo Hall
During the conference, attendees also had a chance to step away from the bustling expo hall to attend a breakfast and informational session hosted by members of Envoy’s Air Operations Recruitment team.
At the breakfast, candidates for our Direct Entry Captain program learned more about the benefits of joining the Envoy team in the left seat and took advantage of some one-on-one time with our recruiters to ask more specific questions about the program and receive feedback on their resumes.
“This opportunity to talk with candidates outside of the busy expo hall in a smaller, quieter space was a great benefit to both the candidates and our team,” said Envoy Manager of Air Operations Recruitment Steve Cates. “Not only could we go into more detail with them over all the great benefits we offer to pilots joining us with previous Part 121.436 experience, we also all got the chance to connect in a setting that made our one-on-one conversations more personalized to each candidate.”
Rising Together
After celebrating their 10th anniversary as a nonprofit organization in 2025, LPA continues to prove that their mission to inspire, mentor and develop the talents of the Hispanic and Latino members of the aerospace industry only grows stronger. The RISE theme this year perfectly encompassed all three pillars of their mission.
“LPA is very important because it gives people like me, first generation immigrants, a home,” said Nico. “You’re part of a bigger organization of people who not only look like you but also have the same interests as you. It makes you part of a community.”
Congratulations to LPA for another successful year of celebrating and growing the organization. We’ll see you in 2027!
