In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the NFL and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation created the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award. This award recognizes the contributions of Hispanic leaders in each NFL Market.
The Atlanta Falcons are pleased to honor Tisha Tallman, President and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as the 2013 NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award recipient. The Falcons will recognize Tallman on September 29 at their Hispanic Heritage game against the New England Patriots.
Ms. Tallman, in addition to her current role as President and CEO, also leads the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Development Center. In 2012, she was appointed to serve as a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Decatur and in 2013 began serving as a District 4 representative on the Council of Municipal Court Judges Executive Committee.
Ms. Tallman has served as a panelist at the Global Peace Business Forum and participated in the transportation infrastructure roundtable discussion at the White House through the White House Business Council American Economic Competitiveness Series. She also attended the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) CEO Summit 2008 in Lima, Peru – a convening of Leaders of economies and senior business figures from across the Asia Pacific and the Americas. Additionally, Tallman was invited by the former President of Mexico Vicente Fox and the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce to be a member of the Commission on North American Social and Economic Prosperity.
Ms. Tallman is the former Southeast Regional Counsel of MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a national Latino non-profit organization. There she coordinated, supervised and lead the litigation, public policy advocacy and community outreach for 11 states. Ms. Tallman was also the Interim D.C. Regional Counsel where she worked on national public policy issues affecting the Latino community. In 2002, under her leadership, the Southeast regional office received the Ohtli Award. The Ohtli Award is the Mexican government's highest honor for a civilian living outside of Mexico who has devoted part of his/her life and professional activities to "forging a new path" abroad for their countrymen and women.
In these capacities, Tallman has appeared on panels, and television and radio shows such as the BBC World Service, National Public Radio, Tavis Smiley, MSNBC, Court TV, Fox Live, and CNN en Español, to discuss a wide range of public policy issues affecting Latinos. She has also been quoted in print outlets such as Time magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the National Journal, and has authored editorials and articles.
Ms. Tallman has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law and a dual degree in Political Science and Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa.
Ms. Tallman has received a number of recognitions for her work including, but not limited to: 2013 Academy of Women Achievers by the YWCA of Greater Atlanta; 2010 Regional Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Authority; A Superwoman of 2010 by the Atlanta Tribune Magazine (March 2010); and 100 Most Influential Atlantans by the Atlanta Business Chronicle (2009).
Ms. Tallman is a native Iowan of Mexican descent and the granddaughter and niece of migrant farm workers. She is the proud mother to daughter, Isabella, who attends Westminster Schools of Atlanta.
Ms. Tallman has chosen MALDEF, Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund – Atlanta Office to receive a $2,000 donation for this honor.
