NON-PROFIT ‘THE WORLD IS JUST A BOOK AWAY’ APPOINTS LEADING BUSINESSMAN EMILIO DIEZ BARROSO AS NEW CHAIR
TWIJABA WILL END INAUGURAL YEAR PROVIDING OVER 10,000 CHILDREN WITH BOOKS AND LIBRARIES
Los Angeles, CA, USA (November 2009) – Non-profit organization The World Is Just A Book Away (TWIJABA)—which supplies books, and builds libraries and schools for children in developing countries—is honored to announce Emilio Diez Barroso as its new Chairman. Overseeing an impressive Board gathered over the organization’s successful inaugural year and a half by Founder James J. Owens, Diez Barroso’s impressive resume, business acumen and contacts make him a premiere choice to lead the next phase. Chairman and Founder of NALA Investments, LLC, Diez Barroso is recognized as one of the most powerful Latinos by Poder Magazine (2009) and The Hollywood Reporter (2007).
“It is an honor and pleasure to be involved with The World is Just a Book Away,” says Diez Barroso, who is also an avid reader. “I believe in the vision of its founder, James Owens, and what the organization stands for. This is an opportunity to leverage my resources and collaborate with a great group of people with the intention of bringing value through books to the lives of children.”
Diez Barroso’s company is a private investment holding company with operations across various industries including communications, transportation, energy, consumer products, real estate, IT infrastructure, media and entertainment. He has held senior level positions and sat on the board of most NALA owned businesses including most recently NALA Films, a production company that produces and finances feature films, television content, and new media. Diez Barroso was raised in a highly successful business world: his family created the two largest Spanish-language media companies in the world, Televisa (NYSE:TV) and Univision (NYSE:UVN),
He has been recognized with multiple awards in Latin America and currently sits on the board of directors of Summit Entertainment, a worldwide theatrical motion picture production and distribution studio; of MLA Partner Schools, a non-profit organization working to improve schools and empower neighborhoods in some of the most disenfranchised communities in Los Angeles; and Affinity Mobile, LLC, a telecommunications solutions provider, to name a few.
The continued mission of The World Is Just A Book Away (www.JustABookAway.com) is to bring hope—in the form of books, libraries, and schools—to thousands of children in developing countries. The program was launched in Sidoarjo, Indonesia, site of the mudflow disaster that displaced more than 60,000 people and destroyed many schools. By the end of 2009, TWIJABA’s first year: 10,000-plus children will have access to books, 20,000-plus books will be provided, 22 school libraries will be built, and one Mobile library will serve an additional 28 schools.
Diez Barroso, who reads two to four books each month and calls The Alchemist “one of the most impactful books for me”, is looking forward to picking up on Owens’ momentum and accomplishments. “I want to have a positive impact in everything we do, from our internal meetings to our outreach to the communities we touch. I want to help grow the organization into a self-sustained entity with a qualified team executing on every front and secure stable funding sources that allow us to implement long term strategies.”
TWIJABA has attracted a strong and varied list of supporters across business, entertainment and academia. Advisory Board members include Jenny Ming, former President of Old Navy and one of Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business”; Jim Ellis, Dean of the USC Marshall School of Business; and Tim Monich, highly-respected dialect coach of Hollywood. Prominent non-Board supporters include Queen Noor Al-Hussein, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Lois and Buzz Aldrin, Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel Peace Prize), Yo-Yo Ma, Muhammad Yunus, and the late Natasha Richardson.
The non-profit also enjoys the enthusiastic support of students and young professionals, dispelling the idea that being on a Board is restricted to the over 40 age group. TWIJABA’s Board has members in their 30s, and Owens created the “Ambassadors” program as a stepping stone for the younger participants.
With Diez Barroso taking on the day-to-day Chairmanship, Owens is able to focus on the overriding mission of TWIJABA and attend significant events where he is invited to participate, and spread the word about his organization. The first weekend in November, he will attend “Festival of Thinkers” in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which brings thinkers together from across the world to share ideas, foster thinking, and inspire college-age men and women in the region. In March, he attended Education Without Borders 2009 Conference in Dubai, UAE, as a Distinguished Guest and Mentor. Owens, who is assistant professor of clinical management communication at the USC Marshall School of Business Center for Management Communication, is also focused on the completion of his book featuring submissions from more than 70 of the world’s most prominent people about their love of reading and books that inspired them. He plans to donate all the profits from the future book sales to non-profits, including TWIJABA.
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