Sofia Gutierrez of Halldin Public Relations Honored As Young Professional of the Year

ROCKLIN – The Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has named Sofia Gutierrez as the organization’s Young Professional of the Year award.

Gutierrez shared the stage with four other honorees, including Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. The Young Professional award recognizes the significant contribution of an outstanding businessperson under 40 years old.

Gutierrez, vice president at Halldin Public Relations in Rocklin, was honored before about 600 attendees at the Chamber’s 42nd annual Business Awards Gala in Sacramento.

As the 2007 recipient of the Chamber’s Volunteer Award, Gutierrez is no stranger to the spotlight; but receiving recognition is not what motivates the young professional. She believes in bringing people together and encouraging individuals to help each other.

At Halldin Public Relations, she provides media relations consulting to a number of clients, including the Universal Technical Institute in Sacramento, Keep Your Home California and U.S. HealthWorks.

“I love media for the same reason I love volunteering: there’s something special about reaching people with a message and bringing them together around a common goal,” said Gutierrez. “Because at the end of the day, it’s really about us being in this together and helping one another.”

Gutierrez comes by these values honestly, attributing much of her success to her family. Even from a young age, her older sister Marisa played a crucial role demonstrating how to find a purpose, push others toward a goal, and how to cheer someone on towards greatness.

Gutierrez’s parents, Asuncion and Maria, also laid a solid foundation of work ethic and values in their home. They constantly discussed and demonstrated the importance of giving their best effort and fully applying themselves in all aspects of life. Both parents were able to be present at the Gala event to see their daughter’s hard work get recognized with the prestigious award.

As a recognized leader in the community, Gutierrez now has the opportunity to pass these traits along to students and young professionals. This is done in part through her volunteer work at numerous organizations.

"Sofia brings a high level of energy and professionalism to everything she does. Whether it's working on behalf of clients or volunteering for the Chamber or the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Sofia gives 110 percent and always delivers a great result," said Bill Halldin, president of Halldin Public Relations.

As a student at Sacramento State, Gutierrez had the opportunity for a paid internship with Halldin PR, leading to her pursuing a career in public relations.  One of her first directives upon being hired was to get involved with the Hispanic Chamber on behalf of Halldin Public Relations— a relationship that still thrives to this day.

Due in part to Gutierrez’s positive internship experiences that resulted in a fulfilling career, her counsel to students and young professionals often includes a challenge to experiment with internships to see if a particular field or job is a good fit.

Now in charge of interns of her own at the firm where she was once an intern, Gutierrez is able to pass along some of the advice she received from her parents and mentors. The Young Professional of the Year’s message to those asking about success is to:

“Find what you’re passionate about, and then go after it with dedication and persistence, and you will be successful,” she says.