Latinos certainly rejoiced when Carlos M. Gutierrez was nominated as the secretary of commerce by President Bush on Monday, November 29, 2004. It is also exciting news for corporate America and the minority businesses.

The legend of Mr. Gutierrez reflects a story of an immigrant’s realization of his American dream. A son of a Cuban merchant, he was penniless when landed in this land because the Cuban revolution deprived everything of his family. He joined Kellogg Co. of Battle Creek, Mich., by selling cereal out of a van in Mexico City, and became Kellogg's president and chief executive in 1999. His experience shows that Bush's vision of an "ownership society" is real and tangible.

"With Carlos's leadership, we'll help more Americans, especially minorities and women, to start and grow their own small business," Bush said

He won high marks from Wall Street for turning what had been a lackluster company into a top performer in the food business. During his tenure, Kellogg outperformed the market, rising 60 percent. Kellogg’s net sales rose to $8.8 billion last year from $6.2 billion in 1999. Earning per share increased 130 percent.