NYG David Begnaud AMABLE 2017
The calamitous devastation caused by Hurricane Maria has been gut wrenching to Puerto Rico’s Diaspora living around the world.  While many of us were frantic to connect with our loved ones, communications were virtually nonexistent except for the coverage provided by journalist, David Begnaud of CBS News.
Somehow, Mr. Begnaud was able to broadcast in the middle of the storm, in it’s chaotic and dangerous aftermath and currently, as the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico anemically progress. His coverage has both soothed our worried minds and, stirred the outrage Puerto Ricans stateside are now using to galvanize Congress into action on behalf of our beleaguered island.
In an effort to express gratitude to David Begnaud for his dedication to this natural disaster event and, for empathetically remaining deeply immersed in Puerto Rico’s plight, it was my honor to offer this recognition. In response, David kindly stated the following:
“I wanted to offer my heartfelt thanks for this award. All of us at CBS News are grateful to you for following our coverage. As you know, the story of Hurricane Maria is far from over, and the recovery is still in its early stages. Puerto Rico is so important to us all—and it’s a story we will continue to follow. Our reporting was a lifeline to many Puerto Ricans after the storm, and I am grateful to everyone we met who allowed us to tell their story. This story has matured me in a way that no other story ever has before. We will be back. And we will continue to shine a light on the island and its wonderful people. So thank you again. I am truly humbled by this recognition.” 
Gracias, David Begnaud and CBS News for all your dedicated coverage of Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria. You’ve shown great respect to our people and we are forever grateful.