Miss America State Winners Serve as CITGO Ambassadors

HOUSTON -- CITGO Petroleum Corp. is teaming up with the Miss America Organization to promote awareness of key issues in local communities, including education and social investment, energy assistance, environmental protection and conservation, and health.

The Miss America state representatives serve as role models in their communities and 16 of them are now strong ambassadors for the CITGO brand, supporting events at locally owned CITGO-branded locations in their respective states, according to the company.

CITGO is working with state winners: Amanda Mason (Miss New York);  Kaitlyn Tarpey (Miss Connecticut);  Amy Crain (Miss Arkansas);  Terrin Thomas (Miss Indiana); Haley Williams (Miss Michigan); Paula Mae Kuiper (Miss Wisconsin);  Brittany Smith (Miss Illinois); Shelby Thompson (Miss Tennessee); Cara McCollum (Miss New Jersey); Amanda Narciso (Miss Massachusetts); Annie Rosellini (Miss Pennsylvania); Desiree Williams (Miss Virginia); Christina Denny (Miss Maryland); Samantha Russo (Miss New Hampshire); Kristin Korda (Miss Maine); and Myrrhanda Jones (Miss Florida).

"The Miss America Organization is the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women and also has a focus on community service and volunteering," said Alan Flagg, CITGO's general manager of marketing. "The goals of the program and the platforms of each state representative are well aligned with the social responsibility principles of CITGO, so working with the winners to reach out to local communities is a perfect match."

This is not the first time CITGO and its network of local marketers and retailers have worked with Miss America state winners, according to the company. Past events include the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival with Miss Virginia; anti-bullying presentations at Long Island schools with Miss New York; a CITGO Customer Appreciation Day in Kingston with Miss New York; a benefit for the Racine County Food Bank with Miss Wisconsin; and an appearance at the Racine Fourth Fest Fireworks with Miss Wisconsin, Miss Racine, Miss Kenosha and Miss Milwaukee.

"Because each of the nearly 6,000 CITGO-branded stations is independently owned, CITGO understands how important it is that these local businesses are connected to their communities," added Flagg. "Working with these wonderful young ladies helps provide that connection, while also providing platforms to discuss important issues such as education and healthy lifestyles."

Houston-based CITGO Petroleum Corp. is owned by PDV America Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.