HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - (May 18, 2006) - KOCE-TV Emmy-Award winning producer Sandra Robbie has been named to the first LATINO OC 100 list. The list honors the important contributions made by people and organizations in the Latino community of Orange County. Sandra is the KOCE-TV Community Outreach Producer.

“It was a nice surprise because I see it as a symbol of the progress made in Orange County, especially in light of all the immigration protests that are going on at the same time,” said Robbie. “This list demonstrates how Latinos have contributed to the growth and vitality of Orange County.”

The plan is to honor 100 people and organizations each year, for the next five years, who make a difference in the Orange County. A yearly book will be published highlighting the backgrounds of such honorees as Robbie, and will then be distributed to schools, colleges and universities in Orange County. “Sandra Robbie is a visionary, a person who has passion for culture, and goes out on a line to make sure our history is told,” said Ruben Alvarez, founder of the LATINO OC 100, and well-known leader in the Latino community. “She is one of the Top 100 because of her commitment to this community and I think it is wonderful that she is being honored on the first list.”

Robbie says that while growing up, she didn’t see images of Hispanics being worthwhile, hardworking, and generating benefits to her communities. It was the opposite for her. She says she feels it is important for everybody to see members of their communities as being valuable, and that it is such an important message for everybody in America to have about every group that is here. Robbie will be honored with her fellow recipients at a reception scheduled for the evening of May 23, at the Newport Marriot in Newport Beach, Calif. At the end of the five year plan, a formal gala will gather all 500 recipients and their guests to honor their accomplishments.

Robbie was a Latina working as an intern at KOCE-TV when she got the idea to produce a documentary exploring this local case and its far-reaching implications, “Mendez v. Westminster: For All the Children / Para Todos los Ninos.” This KOCE-TV documentary won an Emmy and a Golden Mike award.

To date, Robbie has been an OC NAACP 2003 Citizen of Distinction recipient and an OC MANA honoree for her work with the media. She’s also been awarded the Mexican American Bar Association of LA County’s Cruz Reynoso Award. Robbie serves both as co-host of KOCE-TV’s series “Help Me Grow,” host for “Cruisin’ the OC” segments on “Inside OC” with Rick Reiff, and as KOCE’s Community Outreach Producer, working to develop new programming that truly reflects Orange County. She has traveled all over the nation lecturing about “Mendez v. Westminster: For All the Children,” and speaking to heads of state, key educational leaders and the President of the United States

About KOCE-TV
KOCE-TV, one of the most watched PBS stations in America, has an estimated 4.5 million viewers* each month, and offers a mix of both local and national programs. In addition, KOCE Classroom serves more than half-a-million K-14 students. The winner of hundreds of awards including Emmys and Community Service Awards, KOCE continues to be a leading resource for education, culture and local issues in Southern California. For more information, please visit www.koce.org.

* This figure was calculated by KOCE's program consultant and is based upon information obtained via PubTV Online.