November 12 , 2007
By Rebekah Binger
Chairman of the RBA Board of Directors Hector May received this year’s SUNY Rockland Community College Annual Hispanic Heritage Achievement Award. May, who is of Mexican decent, is the President and CEO of Executive Compensation Planners, Inc., a New City based financial planning firm.
“It certainly is well deserved,” said Cliff Wood, RCC President, about May’s award. “You’re always trying to give students role models.”
For May, being a role model is vitally important. “I believe that to influence young people is the ultimate, and to be used as a role model is even greater,” said May.
In his keynote address, May encouraged the audience, made up mostly of young Hispanic students, to value their heritage and appreciate their culture, but not to use it as a crutch. “Heritage is important. I don’t wear it as a badge of courage. I wear it as a part of my personality,” said May. “It’s not to be used as door opener, it is to be used as an opportunity to share your culture. The most important is to know who you are.”
May’s father immigrated to the United States in 1925 from the Yucatan Peninsula with just a high school education. He went to Steven’s Institute of Technology and became an engineer model maker.
May grew up with education as his focus and spent his summers in Mexico. He went on to graduate from City College and work in the financial services industry. In 1983, May started Executive Compensation Planners, Inc. The firm now works with 385 clients and manages approximately $118 million in assets.
May offered students advice on how to achieve such great success. “One student wanted to go into finances,” said May. “I told them you need to get a good education, and be able to practice your profession by being able to market and network.”
Most important to May was getting across to students the idea that, “because they are Hispanics, that doesn’t mean they can’t be successful,” he said. “Be concerned about what you can do to make your mark in life and always be positive.” |
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