By Miguel Vieira FORCV Columnist

BOSTON - Adalberto Teixeira, the current Deputy Director of the City of Boston's Human Services Department and co-founder and host of Radio Nha Terra is the winner of the 2007 Cape Verdean man of the year award. First launched by FORCV.com in 2006, the Cape Verdean man of the year award is yearly given to an accomplished man of Cape Verdean descent who promotes advocates and strives to empower the Cape Verdean community in America and in its other global diasporic communities.

Out of a total of 392 tallied votes, split by ten other nominees, Mr. Teixeira got 144 votes or 37 percent. Moises Rodrigues, another nominee for the award and director of community services for the city of Brockton, got the second most votes with a total of 84 votes or 21 percent, almost less than half of Mr. Teixeira's total. Other better known nominees such as Cape Verde's Prime Minister, José Maria Neves and Brockton TV and radio Host Valdir Alves (Cabovideo and Porton di Nos Ilha, respectively) got substantially less votes than Mr.Teixeira - 27 votes for Mr. Neves and 25 votes for Mr. Alves. The remaining nominees all had minimal amount of votes.The complete results of the poll are available here: Who’s the Cape Verdean Man of the Year?

An Award Befitting an Impressive Resume

By giving Mr. Teixiera a majority of their votes, the voters expressed their appreciation for Mr. Teixeira's sustained campaign for the betterment of the Cape Verdean community for more than three decades. A native from the island of Fogo, Mr. Teixeira has been an active community advocate ever since arriving to the US in 1976. Through his impressive accomplishments, Mr. Teixeira has made himself, his family, and by extension the Cape Verdean community, proud.

A Bachelor of Science in Community Planning and Human Services and Master of Science in Public Affairs from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, are among two of many of Mr. Teixeira's notable achievements. Also, Mr. Teixeira is proud of been a member of the United States Air force reserve from 1979 to 1985. These noted accomplishments make him a worthy honoree - the 2007 Cape Verdean man of the year.

On a social level, having co-founded the Radio Nha Terra with the late slain Jorge Fidalgo in 1986 and subsequently hosting the first Boston-based Cape Verdean radio show is one added example of Mr. Teixeira's tireless efforts to help better the Cape Verdean community via exposing it to the important realm of media.

Furthermore, in 1987, Mr. Teixeira founded the Cape Verde Independence Celebration Committee, which has ever since held Cape Verde's Independence Day celebrations in Boston's City Hall Plaza for over 20 years. Additionally, in 1988, Mr. Teixeira was appointed the first-ever Cape Verdean Liaison and Neighborhood Coordinator under the former Mayor Ray Flynn and continued to work in that role under the current Mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino.

In 1991, Mr. Teixeira was appointed to a 4-year term as a member of the City of Boston's Human Rights Commission. In 1995, he co-founded St. Patrick's Youth Soccer Program with Padre Pio. In 1996, he was recognized by the McCormack Institute, and was named the recipient of their Community Service Award. And in 2006, his efforts were acknowledged by kentura.com by being crowned as the "Community Leader of the Year."

Teixeira's Source of Strength

Mr.Teixeira appreciated having been crowned the 2006 "Community Leader of the Year" as much as he greatly appreciates being voted as the 2007 Cape Verdean man of the Year. Nevertheless, on a final and important note, Mr. Teixeira appreciates all the more the support and love he gets from his other half and the source of his strength, his beautiful wife Rosalina Teixeira, whom he has been married to for 26 years and has blessed him with two wonderful children, Sofia and Cesaltino.