Speaker Series – Felix Acevedo and Edwin Negroni

The presentations will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at 7 PM at the Canoe Club, located in Hammonton Lake Park.

Admission is FREE, and the PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED to attend. No HSH membership required!

Felix Acevedo will kick off the evening with the story of conquering many obstacles seeking opportunity and a better life for he and his family, leaving their native Puerto Rico in the 1950’s. Seven years old, and speaking no English on his arrival in Hammonton, he was one of the first of his generation to emigrate. A 1970 graduate of Hammonton High School, he worked at Rich’s Army-Navy Store, then 13-14 years at Kessler Clothing. He was then one of the first Latino Puerto Ricans to work in the casino revival in Atlantic City, and also ran for Hammonton School Board to promote inclusiveness. For the past 26 years, Felix has worked as a New Jersey USDA Inspector in fruits and vegetables, egg, and milk production. He and his wife, a long-time Hammonton School District employee, have two children.

Edwin Negroni will then speak to the important ongoing mission of the PRCA in Hammonton. Active in the organization since 2001, he is well versed in its challenges and many accomplishments. He is the son of a migrant worker, who as a child, attended numerous schools in the States and Puerto Rico and became very fluent in both English and his native Spanish. He pursued a technical career becoming a Master Electrician and currently serves as a New Jersey State Electrical Inspector in Camden. He and his wife of 29 years have three daughters, all of whom attended Stockton University.

Both gentlemen will speak on the eve of the PRCA of Hammonton’s Puerto Rican Festival 2022, which will be held on Sunday, August 28, 2022, and then again from Friday, September 2nd through Sunday September 4th at the Puerto Rican Civic Center at 367 Old Forks Rd.