Acroarte to honour Frank Rainieri and José Miguel Bonetti

The Dominican Association of Art Journalists will honour businessmen Frank Rainieri and José Miguel Bonetti Dubreil at the 15th Acroarte Journalist Merit Award Gala in Santo Domingo on Tuesday, September 1.

The ceremony will also recognise daily newspaper director José P. Monegro and the Profesor Otto Rivera National School of Broadcasting for their contributions to journalism, communication, culture, education, the arts, and social development across the Dominican Republic.

The upcoming 15th edition of the annual awards gala will be formally dedicated to veteran journalist Juan T. H. Acroarte, known formally as the Asociación de Cronistas de Arte, is the professional guild that represents entertainment and cultural journalists in the Caribbean nation.

Marivell Contreras, the president of Acroarte, said the awards represent a commitment to Dominican society, to communication and journalism professionals, and to public and business figures and institutions that contribute to the cultural and professional growth of the country.

Leadership in tourism and corporate responsibility

Frank Rainieri is the chairman and founder of Grupo Puntacana, as well as the president of the Fundación Grupo Puntacana. Grupo Puntacana is the resort and infrastructure company that developed the Punta Cana tourist destination in eastern Dominican Republic.

The Fundación Grupo Puntacana operates as a non-profit organisation dedicated to developing and executing corporate social responsibility and environmental preservation programmes that produce a positive cultural impact. Rainieri served for 50 years as president and chief executive officer of the company he founded.

His long business career and sustained contributions to tourism, culture, and community development have earned him numerous national and international recognitions over his career.

Decades of service to Dominican journalism

Acroarte will also distinguish José P. Monegro, the director of the daily newspaper El Día, for a career built inside newsrooms and characterised by professional training, journalistic rigor, and a commitment to quality Dominican journalism.

Monegro began his journalism career in 1989 when he joined the daily newspaper Listín Diario as a reporter at the age of 18. Listín Diario, founded in the late 19th century, is one of the oldest and most influential newspapers in the Dominican Republic.

Since starting at the publication, Monegro performed various duties within the profession, working as a reporter, editor of the newspaper's digital platform, and head of information. Following the death of veteran newspaper director Molina Morillo in June 2017, Monegro assumed the leadership of El Día.

Media transformation and cultural impact

Dominican businessman José Miguel Bonetti Dubreil will receive recognition for a career spanning more than three decades that has extended beyond the corporate sphere into sports, television, cinema, and social responsibility.

In the media sector, Bonetti played a key role during a transformative era for Dominican television, first leading Telemax, subsequently overseeing television productions for Telecentro, and heading network Antena Latina.

His work within the audiovisual industry extended to feature film production as well as health initiatives, notably supporting the fight against cancer through the Fundación Caminantes por la vida.

Sixty years of broadcasting education

The Profesor Otto Rivera National School of Broadcasting, known in Spanish as the Escuela Nacional de Locución Profesor Otto Rivera, will be distinguished for its six decades of contribution to training voice and communication professionals in the country.

Founded on November 1, 1965, the institution was one of the pioneers in professional broadcasting instruction in the Dominican Republic. Across its 60 year history, the school has accompanied the evolution of radio, television, and media platforms while training generations of broadcasters.

Event sponsors and award history

The 15th Acroarte Journalist Merit Award Gala is officially sponsored by Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, the country's main brewery, and Banco Popular Dominicano, one of the nation's leading commercial banks.

Additional financial and institutional backing for the ceremony is provided by World Televisión, Radio Televisión Dominicana (RTVD), Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica Dominicana (ETED), Logomarca, Banco de Reservas, Departamento Aeroportuario, Hotel Catalonia, and Farmacia GBC.

Created in 2012 during the presidency of former Acroarte head Máximo Jiménez, the Journalist Merit Award aims to honour figures whose work has contributed to defending, spreading, and strengthening artistic and cultural expressions across the country.

Honouring veteran journalists and regional branches

During the ceremony, journalist Juan T. H. will receive recognition for his career alongside four other prominent Acroarte members who will be honoured for their professional contributions.

These honourees include former Acroarte president and current Advisory Council member Alexis Beltré Ramírez, as well as regional branch representatives Yamira Taveras from Santiago, Mayra La Paz from Miami, and Rammy Pérez from New York.

Acroarte stated that the ceremony reaffirms its commitment to recognizing careers that advance journalism, art, culture, and communication in the Dominican Republic, while strengthening the memory and legacy of those who have made a lasting mark in these fields.