Cristal Montañez

Her work was instrumental in the success of the Women's Empowerment through Honey Bee Farming "Plan Bee Project" and its global impact and recognition, including the prestigious BBC / Newsweek Magazine 2008 World Challenge Competition Global Award, Clinton Global Initiative Featured Commitment, and the Jefferson Awards Youth Service Challenge in 2012.

Cristal is the former Executive Director of Hashoo Foundation USA (2006-2018), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization based in Houston, Texas, founded by the Hashwani Family and headquarters in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Cristal worked in conjunction with other organizations to mobilize the Venezuelan and international communities in protest against violations of human rights, freedom of speech and fraudulent elections in Venezuela. Also, she was elected president of the International Venezuelan Council for Democracy (IVCD 2003-2008), an organization dedicated to advancing democratic values and institutions, preserving Venezuela's tradition of free and fair elections, and promoting accountability in government in accordance to the principles established in the Democratic Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS).

In 2002, in the midst of the Venezuelan crisis under the Hugo Chavez’s administration, she joined the Resistencia Civil de Venezolanos en el Exterior (RECIVEX 2002-2008) and served as the International Coordinator. She followed the work of Dr. Gene Sharp founder of the Albert Einstein Institute. Cristal has collaborated with Gene Sharp, his Executive Director Jamila Raqib and his team in the promotion and distribution of writings and translations on the technique of nonviolent struggle to thousands of activists, including their application to help organize the civic society.

Her volunteer work and associations have included national and international organizations. As members of National Charity (NCL) Blue Bonnet Chapter. She served on both the Advisory and the Regional Board of Directors of UNICEF in Houston (2000-2008). Working with Hashoo Foundation, Cristal has led several emergency relief initiatives in respond to natural disasters in Pakistan, including the historical 2010 floods which displaced more than 22 million people.

While serving on the Greater Houston American Red Cross Marketing and Communication Committee (2000-2004), Cristal and her son Hank created the Bear Hugs for Houston as a response to Tropical Storm Allison and was actively involved in the Montgomery County Task Force (2001-2005) formed to rehabilitate the County after Allison. Bear Hugs for Venezuela distributed 65,000+ teddy bears in 2000; Bear Hugs for Tropical Storm Allison distributed 2,743 teddy bears at the Greater Houston American Red Cross shelter, and Bear Hugs for Ghana distributed 400+ teddy bears in 2001; Bear Hugs for Jamaica distributed 100+ teddy bears in 2007; Bear Hugs for Venezuela distributed 50 teddy bears to the children of political prisoners, and Bear Hugs for Pakistan distributed 50 teddy bears to children with special needs in 2008; Bear Hugs for Houston distributed 200+ teddy bears and care packages to children refugees from Burma, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Colombia and Congo in 2012; Bear Hugs for Miami distributed 50 teddy bears to Venezuelan immigrants in 2013; Bear Hugs for Houston distributed 100 teddy bears to Powerful Women International and Texas Executive Women mentees, and 50 teddy bears to Big Little JC organization in 2014; Bear Hugs for Venezuela distributed 43 care packages with teddy bears to children at the Hospital San Juan de Dios in 2016; Bear Hugs for Houston for Hurricane Harvey distributed needed gifts to 25 families and 100 teddy bears to their children during the recovery efforts in 2017; Bear Hugs for Venezuela distributed 100 teddy bears and care packages to children in Amigos del Niño con Cancer, Hogar Bambi Venezuela and other organizations

Cristal participated in the marketing and development of various global campaigns and created founded the Bear Hugs for Venezuela Program - a U.S. Fund for UNICEF- sponsored, community-based volunteer donation program benefiting the children who were victims of the devastating floods in Venezuela of December 1999. The program provided more than 65,000 “teddy bears” to help lessen some of the psychological trauma caused by this disaster.

Cristal is the former Miss Venezuela 1977. She represented her country, Venezuela in the Miss Universe pageant held in Dominican Republic but failed to make it to the top five. There she met personalities such as President Joaquin Balaguer, Diana Ross, and designer Roberto Cavalli, among others.

Cristal began her career as a model with the Astor Baby Blue of Lois Jeans campaign, which gave her national exposure. Her face appeared in dozens of magazines in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico. She traveled with Miss Universe, Janelle Commissiong, to the Colombian cities of Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena, Manizales and Cucuta to launch the Pat Primo, Catalina, and Max Factor’s 1977 Fall Collection to raise funds to benefit the Cancer Association.

Cristal del Mar Montañez Arocha is a pageant titleholder, was born in Caracas, Venezuela on February 8, 1960. She is the Miss Venezuela titleholder for 1977, and was the official representative of Venezuela to the Miss Universe 1977 pageant held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on July 16, 1977, when she classified in the Top 12 semifinalists.