Cecilia Lopez-Bell of Levittown was among the six members of the Hispanic community recognized at the Town of Hempstead's annual celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

In a ceremony held at Hempstead Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 6, Supervisor Kate Murray spoke about the important role Hispanic Americans play in the community.

"I am delighted to have an opportunity to honor six individuals who have made a difference in their workplace and in their neighborhoods," said Murray. "Each of these individuals has made contributions to his or her community that help to make the Town of Hempstead a great place to live, work and raise a family."

Upon receiving the letter notifying her that she would be honored at the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Lopez-Bell said that she was surprised and happy. She said a representative of Mark Bonilla's office nominated her.

"We work on several committees together and apparently he felt that I would be a good candidate," Lopez-Bell said.

In addition to her two children, a sophomore and junior at MacArthur High School, Lopez-Bell and her husband, Joe have lived in Levittown for four years. She thinks it was her contribution to the Hispanic community which prompted her to receive this award.

"I do financial literacy training and small business training," Lopez-Bell stated. "I also do paintings and murals that are in public spaces."

Lopez-Bell is the small business relationship manager for HSBC Bank in Lynbrook and Freeport. She graduated from Adelphi University with dual majors in Financial Management and Human Resource Management and has worked in the banking industry for 16 years. Her role at HSBC specializes in finding the right products to fit the needs of each individual and business. She also possesses a particular affinity to the unique needs of small businesses, minority and women business owners. When asked why she has this inclination, Lopez-Bell quipped, "because I am one."

"I can relate to the frustrations that they face in getting lending," Lopez-Bell stated. "When you're dealing with minority and women-owned businesses there are a lot of free resources but unfortunately they eat up so much of your time and energy that a lot of people get burnt out before they even get started. Part of what I do in working with these kinds of entities is hooking up businesses with businesses."

At the awards ceremony honorees received a plaque while Murray spoke about the integral role Hispanic Americans play in the community.

"The Hispanic community plays a critical role in shaping our future. The success of Hispanic Americans is essential to our development as a town and as a nation," concluded Murray.