Summit 2010 Program - National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

8th
EIGHTH NATIONAL
SUMMIT OF HISPANIC
STATE LEGISLATORS
Increasing Latino
Competitiveness
in the 21st Century
San Antonio, Texas
November 11-14 2010
Copyright: © 2010 The National Hispanic Caucus of
State Legislators
8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF
HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
Increasing Latino
Competitiveness
in the 21st Century
November 11-14 | San Antonio, Texas
Table of Contents
Mission/Goals ..........................................................
Welcome Letter .......................................................
2010 NHCSL Executive Committee Members .......
2010 NHCSL Business Board of Advisors ..............
Agenda at a Glance .................................................
Detailed Agenda:
Thursday ..................................................
Friday ..... ................................................
Saturday ...................................................
2
3
4
6
9
11
12
13
Speaker Biographies ............................................... 16
John S. Martinez Excellence in Leadership Award ... 36
8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
Mission Statement
The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL)
was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3. The
mission of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
(NHCSL) is to be the foremost organization serving and representing the interests of Hispanic state legislators from all states,
commonwealths and territories of the United States and the
Western Hemisphere. The NHCSL meets its mission by serving as a catalyst for joint action on issues of common concern,
such as housing, immigration, education and healthcare, to all
segments of the Hispanic community. In addition, NHCSL provides a forum for information exchange and member networking; supports leadership training; acts as a liaison with
sister U.S. Hispanic organizations; promotes public and private partnerships with business and labor; and partners with
Hispanic state or provincial legislators and their associations
represented throughout the world. For more information visit
www.nhcsl.org.
Goals and Objectives
2
•
To improve the effectiveness of Hispanic legislators to
positively impact public policy and the quality of life
for all segments of the Hispanic community.
•
To inform and educate legislators, the government and
the public on topics and issues affecting the Hispanic
community including, but not limited to, educational
programs and initiatives, conferences, workshops, symposiums, newsletters, research studies, and personal
contacts.
•
To propose model legislation and administrative actions to
reduce and eliminate obstacles to the achievement of a
better quality of life and advancements in education, health
care, housing, economic development and reciprocity,
criminal justice, employment and job training, and other
critical issues facing the Hispanic community.
•
To advocate for the appointment of Hispanics to positions
of influence in all levels and branches of government that
will positively impact public policy for Hispanics.
•
To advocate the hiring and promotion of Hispanics to
positions of influence in the private sector.
•
To inform, educate, and promote the active participation of Hispanics in the political and electoral process
within their communities and the promotion of their diverse and rich cultures, heritages, and languages.
•
To work toward the achievement of the above goals
through NHCSL initiatives and in cooperation with participating and supportive corporations and businesses,
government agencies, labor and civic organizations
and associations, individuals and other active entities.
8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
Welcome
Dear Colleagues:
Welcome to San Antonio and
NHCSL’s 8th National Summit of
Hispanic State Legislators! We
come to the Southwest to discuss
our community’s most pressing issues, as the country continues to
be gripped by recession and policy challenges in an evolving political environment. This year’s
theme, Latino Competitiveness in
the 21st Century, focuses us on
some of the debates NHCSL has tackled over the past
year and the policy options for strengthening the community for new opportunities.
In particular, in the areas of education, economic development, and health, our membership can be proud
of the work being carried forth by NHCSL, as we continue to take leadership on issues in Washington and in
our states. This Summit will feature valuable activities
focusing on subjects important to the progress of the
Latino community, such as broadband access, representation in politics, and comprehensive immigration
reform.
You will find in this conference several elements of the
organization's work: opportunities to delve into pressing
policy debates; release of new policy documents and
highlights of our work over the past year; and conversations with experts who have agreed to be with us and
to challenge our understanding.
I look forward to our summit, and to taking time with
each of you over our days together.
With regards,
Senator Iris Y. Martinez (IL)
NHCSL President
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2010 NHCSL EXECUTIVE
President
Senator Iris Y. Martinez
Illinois
President Elect
Representative Minnie Gonzalez
Connecticut
Vice President for Public Policy
Representative Mario Goico
Kansas
Vice President for Membership
Representative Pedro Marin
Georgia
Treasurer
Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon
Indiana
Secretary
Senator Juan M. Pichardo
Rhode Island
Immediate Past President
Representative Joseph E. Miro
Delaware
MEMBERS:
Representative Geraldo Alicea
Massachusetts
Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV
New York
Representative Michel Consejo
Vermont
Representative Angel Cruz
Pennsylvania
Representative Nora Espinoza
New Mexico
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8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Senator Floyd Esquibel
Wyoming
Speaker of the House Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon
Puerto Rico
Speaker of the House Ben Lujan
New Mexico
Senator Richard Miranda
Arizona
Senator Antonio Muñoz
Illinois
Representative Dora Olivo
Texas
Assemblyman Felix Ortiz
New York
Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz
Puerto Rico
Senator Ross Romero
Utah
Representative Louis Ruiz
Kansas
Senator Leticia Van de Putte
Texas
Representative Mark Archuleta Wheatley
Utah
Representative Juan Zapata
Florida
NHCSL Executive Director
Elizabeth Burgos
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2010 NHCSL Business
Full Members
Chairman
Emilio González
Vice President, Strategic Alliances
Verizon Communications
Vice Chairman
Sara Johnson Davis
Associate Director, Government Affairs
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Vice President for Corporate Policy
Neftali Garcia
Director of Governmental Affairs
McLane Company, Inc.
Vice President for Membership
Jerry Fuentes
President, Arizona – New Mexico
AT&T Services, Inc.
Secretary
Juan Otero
Senior Director, Government Affairs
Comcast
Members
David Anderson
Director of State Government Affairs
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
Melissa Bishop-Murphy
National Government Relations & Multicultural Affairs
Pfizer Inc.
Susan Gonzáles
Vice President of Comcast Foundation
Comcast Corporation
Nilda Gumbs
Senior Director, State & Local Government Affairs
National Cable & Telecommunications Association
Denise M. Harrod
Vice President, Government Affairs
Compu Credit Corporation
Holly Jacques-Turner
Director, State Government Affairs
Merck & Co., Inc.
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8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
Board of Advisors
Larry Lucas
Associate Vice President, Government Affairs
PhRMA
Jamie J. Oldani
Director, State Government Affairs
Lilly USA LLC
Marco Paredes
Senior Manager for State Government Affairs
AMGEN
Tony Reinhart
Regional Manager of Government Affairs
Ford Motor Company Fund
José Luis Rodríguez
Chief Executive Officer
HITN
Marc Scarduffa
Senior Director/Team Leader, Public & Corporate Affairs
Pfizer, Inc.
Associate Business Members
Rudy Beserra
Vice President, Corporate Latin Affairs
The Coca Cola Company
Catherine A. Caponi
Vice-President, Government Relations
EDMC
Rafael Fernandez, Jr.
Senior Vice President, State Government Relations
Recording Industry Association of America
Alex Franco
Regional State Government Relations Manager – Western &
Southern States
Mead Johnson Nutrition
Susan M. Hess
Director, PR and External Communications
AREVA Inc
Holli Hill
Associate Director
State Government Affairs & Public Policy
Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
Shaylah Nunn
Government Affairs & Multicultural Advocacy
Novo Nordisk Inc.
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
Dane Snowden
Vice President, External & State Affairs
CTIA - The Wireless Association
Jennifer Stoll
Director, State Government Affairs
Allergan
Deborah White
Director of External Relations, US Government Affairs
Kraft Foods
Business Contributing Members
Sally Aiello
Senior Manager Public Affairs and Government Relations
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Elizabeth Brewer, M.S., M.P.H.
Director, State Legislative Affairs/SGA, U.S. Corporate Affairs
Sanofi Aventis
Lupe de la Cruz
Director, Government Affairs
PepsiCo
Suzanne Hutchinson
Executive Vice President
Mortgage Insurance Companies of America
Karla M. Kiriako
Senior Manager, State Government Affairs
U.S Corporate Affairs
Sanofi Aventis
Frank Gómez
Executive Director, External Relations Communications
and Public Affairs
Educational Testing Service
Howie Hodges
Vice President, External Affairs
Government Relations Division
Time Warner Cable
JP Toner
Director, External Affairs
Edison Electric Institute
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8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
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AGENDA AT A GLANCE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11th
(1:30pm – 4:30pm)
Summit Registration
22nd Floor Foyer
(4:00pm – 5:30pm)
BBA Meeting (BBA members only)
Corte Real C
(6:30pm – 9:30pm)
Welcome Reception
La Paloma Riverwalk
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12th
(7:30am – 3:00pm)
Summit Registration
22nd Floor Foyer
(8:00am – 9:00am)
Opening Plenary Breakfast
Corte Real A/B
(9:15am – 10:35am)
Access to Higher Education:
Perspective on Educational Competitiveness
Corte Real D/E
(10:45am – 11:30am)
Building Healthy Communities: Policy Recommendations for Addressing the Latino Obesity Crisis
Corte Real D/E
(12:00pm – 2:15pm)
Immigration Town Hall Luncheon
Corte Real A/B/C
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
(2:30pm – 4:00pm)
Task Force Meetings
Corte Real D/E
(4:15pm – 5:15pm)
Leadership Meeting (Closed Meeting)
Corte Real F
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13th
(7:30am – 12:00pm)
Summit Registration
22nd Floor Foyer
(8:00am – 9:30am)
Lost in Transmission: Communities and the Battle
Over Retransmission Consent
Corte Real A/B/C
(10:00am – 1:00pm)
NHCSL Annual Executive Committee
& BBA Meeting
(Legislators and BBA only)
El Mirador/Condesa
(6:00pm – 11:00pm)
“Noche de Celebración”
Terrace Garden & Salon del Rey
– Mezzanine Floor
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8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF
HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
DETAILED AGENDA
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11th
(1:30pm – 4:30pm)
Summit Registration
22nd Floor Foyer
(4:00pm – 5:30pm)
BBA Meeting (BBA members only)
Corte Real C
(6:30pm – 9:30pm)
Welcome Reception
La Paloma Riverwalk
215 Losoya Street, San Antonio, TX 78205
Transportation departs from lobby @ 6:15pm
Welcome:
• Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (IL), NHCSL President
• Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (TX), Chair of Veterans
Affairs and Military Installations
Special Recognition of Texas Veterans:
Rep. Joe Farias
Rep. Kino Flores
Sen. Juan Hinojosa
Sen. Carlos Uresti
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12th
(7:30am – 3:00pm)
Summit Registration
22nd Floor Foyer
(8:00am – 9:00am)
Opening Plenary Breakfast
Corte Real A/B
Increasing Latino Competitiveness in the
21st Century
A review of NHCSL’s progress and accomplishments
over the past year in several policy areas, including
broadband access and health. Speakers will discuss
the representation of Hispanics in politics and statelevel health policy issues.
Speakers:
• Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (IL), President, NHCSL
•Antonio Gonzalez, President, WCVI
• Sonya Schwartz, Program Director, NASHP
(9:15am – 10:35am)
Access to Higher Education
Corte Real D/E
Perspectives on Educational Competitiveness
A discussion of the issues facing America’s “everyday”
colleges – career colleges, community colleges, and
others who serve the majority of Latino college
students.
Speakers:
• Juan Sepúlveda, Director, White House Initiative on
Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
• Joe Fisher, President, Hallmark College, San Antonio
• Hon. Carmen Lopez (Ret.), Judge, Connecticut
Superior Court
• Monica Jeffs, President, The Art Institute of Austin
Moderator:
Rep. Nora Espinoza (NM), Co-Chair, Education &
Civil Rights Task Force
Support provided by:
• APCSU
• Coalition for Educational Success
• EDMC
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8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
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(10:45am – 11:30am)
Building Healthy Communities
Corte Real D/E
Policy Recommendations for Addressing the
Latino Obesity Crisis
A session focused on the release of the NHCSL
policy paper on obesity. Speakers will discuss the
policy recommendations for states, the federal
government, and communities in tackling obesity.
Speakers:
• Sylvia Melendez Klinger, Founder, Hispanic
Food Communications
• Dr. Danielle Greenberg, Director, Nutrition and
Scientific Affairs, PepsiCo
Moderator:
Rep. Trey Martinez Fisher (TX)
(12:00pm – 2:15pm)
Luncheon
Corte Real A/B/C
STEM Fields Scholarship Recipient
Sebastian De La Rosa
Immigration Town Hall
A panel of experts will discuss America's immigration policy. The impact of current policies and
solutions for remedying associated problems will
be discussed from a variety of viewpoints, ranging
from the Arizona senate to the DREAM walkers.
Speakers:
• Sen. Richard Miranda (AZ), NHCSL Immigration
Task Force Member
• Ali Noorani, Executive Director, The National
Immigration Forum
• Hector Sanchez, Executive Director, LCLAA
• Gaby Pacheco, DREAM Walker
Moderator:
Nuria Sebazco, News Anchor, Univision Television Group
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
(2:30pm – 4:00pm)
Task Force Meetings
Corte Real D/E
Speakers:
• Marie Garcia Melli, National Organizations
Liaison, The Educational Trust
• Sonya Schwartz, Program Director, NASHP
(4:15pm – 5:15pm)
Leadership Meeting (Closed Meeting)
Corte Real F
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13th
(7:30am – 12:00pm)
Summit Registration
22nd Floor Foyer
(8:00am – 9:30am)
Lost in Transmission
Corte Real A/B/C
Communities and the Battle Over Retransmission
Consent
A breakfast discussion on the recurring conflict
over retransmission consent agreements -- how
communities are losing out on programming,
being saddled with higher prices and uncertainty
of program availability, and faced with sudden
"blackouts" by last-minute, "brinkman" negotiations over retransmission consent. The consumer
consequences and policy options will be explored
by experts and consumer advocates.
Speakers:
• David Honig co-founded the Minority Media
and Telecommunications Council
• Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon (IN)
(10:00am – 1:00pm)
NHCSL Annual Executive Committee & BBA Meeting
(Legislators and BBA only)
El Mirador/Condesa
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8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
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(6:00pm – 7:00pm)
Noche de Celebración Reception
Terrace Garden– Mezzanine Level
Support provided by:
• EDMC
•Ford Motor Company
(7:00pm – 11:00pm)
Noche de Celebración
Salon del Rey – Mezzanine Level
Emcee:
Nuria Sebazco, Univison Television Group
Presentation of Colors:
Texas Military Institute
National Anthem:
Cadet, Spencer Romo
Cadet, Elizabeth Spencer
Invocation:
Rep. Dora Olivo (TX)
Award Presentations:
Special Recognition Award
John S. Martinez Excellence in Leadership Award
Recepients:
Rep. Dora Olivo (TX)
Rep. Juan Zapata (FL)
Entertainment:
Las Alteñas & DJ Robert Casas
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
Speaker Biographies
Senator Iris Y. Martinez (IL)
President NHCSL
The Honorable Iris Y. Martinez was
sworn into her first term in the Illinois
State Senate on January 8, 2003, to
represent the people of Illinois’ 20th
Legislative District. Located on
Chicago’s north side, the 20th District
includes some of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods including Albany
Park, Avondale, Belmont, Cragin, Hermosa, Humboldt Park, Logan Square,
and Portage Park.
Senator Martinez is a trailblazer in many respects. Upon her
election in 2002, Senator Martinez became the first Hispanic
woman in Illinois to be elected to the State Senate. In January 2007 she made history once again when Senate President Emil Jones, Jr. named her Assistant Majority Leader, a
position never before held by a Latina. As one of the Illinois
Senate’s top legislators, Senator Martinez currently serves as
Chair of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee and ViceChair of the Senate Pensions and Investments Committee. Senator Martinez is also a member of the Illinois Senate’s
Commerce, Education, Energy and Redistricting Committees.
Senator Martinez is also very significantly involved in the national political arena. In September of 2009 she was elected
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Hispanic
Caucus and in November of 2009 she was elected President of
the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators. She is also
a member of President Obama’s Change Commission.
Throughout her years in the General Assembly, Senator Martinez has worked diligently to protect working families and
their communities. Senator Martinez secured much needed
funding for community agencies such as the Children’s
Place, an agency that works with children and families affected by HIV and AIDS, and Concordia Avondale Community Center, which provides daycare, after-school programs
and a center for seniors. Martinez also has fought for funding for the Gilead Outreach & Referral Center, which connects uninsured families of metropolitan Chicago with
affordable healthcare programs for which they are eligible.
She has consistently sponsored and passed legislation to improve the health and welfare of the neediest residents of her
district and throughout the state, focusing mainly on
women’s health issues.
Through her leadership, several important pieces of legislation signed into law recently have made a direct impact on
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the people of Illinois. Senate Bill 220 which focuses on affordable housing development, House Bill 1744 which seeks
reform of Employment Eligibility Verification Systems, and
Senate Bill 1162 which tackles consumer fraud include a
few of the issues Senator Martinez has addressed. Senator
Martinez remains committed to creating a better Illinois
through fair and equitable legislation.
Martinez was born and raised in Chicago’s West Town /
Humboldt Park community. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Northeastern
Illinois University in 2009. She currently resides in the Albany Park Community and has a daughter, Jacklyn Nicole
Representative Mara Candelaria Reardon (IN)
NHCSL Treasurer
Mara Candelaria Reardon was born in
East Chicago. She is a lifelong resident
of Northwest Indiana. Mara now resides with her husband, Matthew, and
two children, Christian and Victoria, in
Munster. She is a graduate of Indiana
University Northwest and attended
John Marshall Law School.
Mara's experience comes from her work in both the public
and private sectors. Her introduction to public service began
when she worked with U.S. Congressman Peter Visclosky as
a federal projects coordinator, assisting the various communities of the First Congressional District in acquiring federal
funding for projects and grants. This service continued while
working for the State Democratic Party, where she served as
a campaign coordinator for Indiana Senate District 1.
Currently, Mara is executive director of the Lake County
Drug-Free Alliance, where over $300,000 in grant funds are
distributed annually to support community-based initiatives.
Growing up as the daughter of state and local labor leader
Victoria Soto Candelaria and Isabelino "Cande" Candelaria—both community activists—Mara learned that to be
part of a solution, you must be part of the process.
Mara is looking forward to serving all of the residents of Indiana District 12. She believes that realistic tax policies that
will lower our property taxes, allow our communities to utilize their strengths to share the cost of services equally, and
reasonable limitations on spending are the keys to success
for Indiana House District 12.
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
Representative Nora Espinoza (NM)
Co-chair, NHCSL Education and Civil Right Task Force
New Mexico State Representative Nora
Espinoza has been serving the 59th Legislative District since 2007. During her
time in the legislature she has been a
strong proponent for her district; focusing on the issues of education, economic development, family values, and
protecting our children. Throughout her
efforts she has remained committed to the
values on which she was elected; smaller government, lower
taxes, ethics, and accountability to those she represents.
As a former educator, Nora is a strong advocate for the education of our children. During the 2008 legislative session
she reached across the aisle to co-sponsor a bill with Democrat Senator Cynthia Nava which allows our most gifted
students to participate in courses at local colleges and receive credit towards high school graduation. By getting this
bill signed into law, our students now have more options to
choose from in improving their education. Nora also pushed
to increase the drug testing rules on truant school children.
While this bill did not pass, it is an example of the goals
Nora is trying to achieve to increase the educational standards in New Mexico. Because of her efforts in education,
she was appointed to the NCSL Education Committee 20092010. This particular venue allows Representative Espinoza
to hear from education advocates from across the country
and to bring their ideas back home. She was also appointed
to the Southwest MESA Region Advisory Committee which
focuses on achievements in math, engineering and science.
Representative Espinoza is committed to protecting New
Mexico's children from all forms of abuse. Just this past legislative session, she had Haley’s Bill signed into law by the
governor. HB 117, Children in Meth Houses as Child Abuse,
protects children from the use of methamphetamine in their
homes, and now allows for the punishment of those who
keep drug paraphernalia around their children. HB 117 is
vital to law enforcement agencies in cracking down on those
who put our kids in harm's way. "Until we have this growing
drug problem under control, it is imperative that we give law
enforcement the tools needed to prosecute those who harm
our children." HB 117 does just that.
Nora has been an advocate for rural economic development.
In 2008 she introduced an appropriation bill, HB 353,
specifically designed to create and implement economic development projects in rural communities. While the bill was
ultimately defeated, it is one of many legislative initiatives
she will continue to fight for. It is imperative the legislature
supports our rural communities, for it is these communities
that geographically make up the largest part of our state.
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Joe Fisher
President, Hallmark College
Joe Fisher has spent the past 20 years
committed to the development of excellence in Higher Education. That
passion has focused on defining the
role of the Career College sector in
higher education and creating methods for producing excellence in the
future workforce. Joe has served as
President of Hallmark College in San
Antonio, TX since 1999, and spent the
prior 9 years as President of the National Aviation Academy. He has worked closely with all
segments of accreditation both Regional and National and
has been a frequent speaker on the subject of accreditation at the State and Federal level.
In 2007/2008 Joe served as the liaison between five national accrediting bodies, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Governor Rick Perry’s office in the
development of new regulation which provided for the
recognition of those accreditors by the Coordinating
Board. These efforts are expected to contribute 30,000 40,000 additional associate and bachelor degree graduates in the State of Texas by 2015 representing a major
contribution to the State’s “Closing the Gap” initiative. In
November of 2008 Joe assisted in preparing testimony for
the Governors committee on the Global Competitiveness
of Texas Higher Education.
Joe’s work in higher education includes service as Chairman
of Career Colleges and Schools of Texas (CCST), Chair of
Governmental Affairs – CCST, Chair of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board committee – CCST, Treasurer of Aviation Technician Education Council, and committee
positions with the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools (SACS) and Career College Association.
Marie Garcia Melli
National Organizations Liaison, The Education Trust
Marie works with many national organizations to expand
and intensify the impact of The Education Trust’s advocacy
efforts. She previously served as a field deputy and then as
chief of staff to David Tokofsky, a board member of the
Los Angeles Unified School District. Marie also served as
an AmeriCorps*VISTA/Outreach Coordinator with JobStarts Inc. She has a bachelor’s in political science and international relations from the University of Southern
California.
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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
Antonio Gonzalez
President, William C. Velasquez Institute
Antonio Gonzalez is President of the
William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI)
a paramount national Latino public policy and research organization. Gonzalez assumed the presidency of WCVI in
1994, after working in various capacities for WCVI founding President Willie
Velasquez as well as his successor Andrew Hernandez during 1984-94.
Gonzalez is the paramount expert on
Latino voter mobilization. As such, he assumed the presidency of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project,
a non-partisan voter mobilization entity, also in 1994.
Through Gonzalez leadership, WCVI has become the industry leader in Latino voting tendencies and characteristics
through its national phone and exit-polling program. Gonzalez put WCVI on the map as the first national Latino organization to include transnational policies on the U.S.
Latino Agenda.
Key Gonzalez transnational initiatives included:
• Sending delegations to observe the Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, South African, Mexican, and Venezuelan electoral
processes in 1990 and 1991, 1994, 1997, and 2006;
• Leading the Latino Consensus on NAFTA movement that
led to the creation of the three billion dollar North American
Development Bank in 1993;
• Promoting greater dialogue between the U.S. and Cuba; and
• Conducting international learning seminars for Latino
leaders to study policy
innovations in Europe and South America.
Gonzalez has also helped the Latino agenda evolve through
his pioneering work in blending traditional working class immigrant Latino priorities (those of a “minority”) with broader
agenda priorities most notably climate change and urban
greening (those of an emerging “majority”). This transitional
process dubbed “from tofu to chile verde” has captured the
imagination of Latino leadership across the U.S. and had its
first expression in November 2005 with a California Latino
Summit on the Environment.
Currently, Gonzalez is leading a community-based collaborative with local government to help revitalize the Los Angeles River through development of parks, open space,
affordable housing and schools along its banks in the urban
core of Los Angeles. In 2005-06 through a Visiting Scholar
program at the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Gon-
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zalez began work on a book on the future of Latinos. During his stay at Packard Gonzalez conceptualized the “National Latino Congreso”.
Gonzalez initiated this gathering together with partners representing a cross-section of Latino organizations and leadership in September 2006 and again in October 2007.
Wildly successful, the National Latino Congreso has begun
a process of renovation, revitalization, and unification of
Latino leadership at all levels, whose fruits will be greater
success in achieving public policy change.
Gonzalez has lectured and written on U.S. Latino voting behavior, as well as Latino participation in U.S.-Latin America
policy. He currently appears as a regular commentator on
the Public Radio International's Tavis Smiley Show and hosts
his own weekly radio show on Pacifica ’s KPFK in Los Angeles called “Strategy Session”. Most recently, Time Magazine named Gonzalez in August 2005 one of the 25 Most
Influential Hispanics in America.
Gonzalez has traveled extensively in Latin America and Europe, and is fluent in Spanish. A graduate in U. S. History of
the University of Texas, San Antonio in 1981, he also conducted undergraduate coursework at UC San Diego during
1975-77 and Masters course work in Latin American History
at U.C. Berkeley in 1981-82.
Danielle Greenberg, Ph.D.
Director, Nutrition and Scientific Affairs, PepsiCo
Danielle Greenberg Ph.D. FACN is currently part of the PepsiCo Nutrition Organization as Director Nutrition and
Scientific Affairs. Previously at Pepsi
she was part of the Public Affairs and
Science and Regulatory Affairs groups.
She has been responsible for communications both internally and externally
in the areas of nutrition and scientific
affairs. Dr. Greenberg began her career
as an academic researcher. She was an Associate Professor
in the Department of Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College. Her area of research was on the physiology of
obesity with specific focuses on the how dietary fats lead to
satiety, the role of fat intake in obesity, the satiating potency
of dietary fats, the control of food intake by brain gut peptides, and neural processes mediating food intake. Prior to
joining PepsiCo she worked for Nutrition 21, a science-driven nutritional products company.
Dr. Greenberg is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and a Fellow of The Obesity Society. She received her
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Doctor of Philosophy, and Masters of Philosophy in Biological
Psychology from The City University of New York, and her
Bachelor of Science in Biology from Columbia University. She
wants to help educate consumers on how to make choices for
healthy foods and beverages that can include treat foods.
PhD, Biological Psychology, City University of New York
MPhil, Biological Psychology, City University of New York
BS, Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
Fellow of the American College of Nutrition
Fellow of the Obesity Society
David Honig
Co-Founder, Minority Media and Telecommunications
Council
David Honig co-founded the Minority
Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) in 1986. MMTC has represented over 70 minority, civil rights
and religious national organizations in
selected proceedings before the FCC.
It operates the nation's only full service, minority owned media and telecom brokerage as well as radio and
television stations it uses to train minorities and women in broadcasting.
Mr. Honig is MMTC’s President and Executive Director.
Since 1983, Mr. Honig has also been engaged in the private practice of communications and civil rights law, representing national organizations, broadcasters and
broadcast applicants.
Mr. Honig is a member of the bars of the D.C. Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia,
the D.C. Circuit and Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has litigated twenty federal appeals in four courts, and participated in over 90 FCC
rulemaking proceedings and hundreds of adjudicatory cases.
From 1975 to 1985, Mr. Honig taught communications policy, research and law at the School of Communications,
Howard University. Mr. Honig served as an adjunct lecturer
at Catholic University's Columbus School of Law in 1988,
teaching the advanced seminar in International Regulation of
Communications. He taught Civil Rights Litigation at the
University of Miami School of Law in 1996. Mr. Honig has
published numerous journal articles, monographs and empirical research studies on international and domestic communications issues. He is the author of law review articles
on group defamation, minority broadcast station ownership,
and municipal services discrimination.
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Mr. Honig served as a U.S. Delegate to the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference in Geneva, where he helped
write the ITU's rules governing AM radio. He has chaired
working groups of the FCC's Advisory Committee on Radio
Broadcasting and Advisory Committee on Broadcast Satellite
Service Planning. In 2003, he was named by (then) FCC
Chairman Michael Powell to serve on the FCC Advisory
Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital
Age, on which he serves as Chair of the Constitutional Issues
Subcommittee.
Mr. Honig’s current professional and public service work includes service as Special Counsel for Civil Rights for the
Florida State Conference of Branches of the NAACP, and as
founding General Counsel of the Broadband Opportunity
Coalition, an association of the nation’s leading civil rights
organizations that promotes universal broadband adoption,
literacy and minority business participation.
The National Law Journal has named Mr. Honig one of the
thirty most influential communications lawyers. He has received the National Bar Association's Presidential Award, the
National Association of Minorities in Communications’
Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award, the International Black Broadcasters Association’s Visionary
Award, and the National Association of Minority Media Executives’ Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mr. Honig received a B.A. degree in mathematics from Oberlin College in 1971 and an M.S. Degree in Systems Analysis
from the University of Rochester in 1974. He earned his J.D.
cum laude in 1983 from Georgetown University Law Center.
His hobby is restoring Checker autos (best known as New
York cabs.) He has a 20 year-old daughter, Josephine.
MONICA JEFFS
PRESIDENT, THE ART INSTITUTE OF AUSTIN
Monica Jeffs is President of The Art Institute of Austin. President Jeffs brings
a student centered philosophy to The
Art Institute of Austin as she strives to
administer a school that educates, develops and enriches sought-after, professional and creative graduates
through practical, career-oriented education. Prior to being appointed President, Ms. Jeffs began her career with
The Art Institute of California-Orange
County in 2000 as an Assistant Director of Admissions. In
2001 she was promoted to Associate Director of Admissions
and in 2004 was again promoted to Director of Admissions.
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In October of 2005 Monica was promoted to Senior Director of
Admissions for The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire.
Her professional background also includes two years as
Webmaster for Grapevine Networking and three years for
the worldwide distributor of Micro Commuting Products, Ingram Micro. President Jeffs has a Bachelors degree from California State University of Fullerton in Business
Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. She is currently working towards her Master of Business Administration at Argosy University.
HON. CARMEN L. LOPEZ, JUDGE (RET)
Connecticut Superior Court
Carmen L. Lopez served twelve years as
a judge of the Connecticut Superior Court,
having been appointed to the position in
1996 and retiring in 2008. Prior to joining
the Superior Court, Judge Lopez managed
a general law practice in Bridgeport. During her appointment to the Bench, Judge
Lopez presided over criminal, civil and juvenile matters.
Judge Lopez’s tenure on the bench was marked by leadership
of initiatives aimed at enhancing the judicial system’s ability
to address and prevent problems affecting families and youth.
While assigned to the criminal division of the Waterbury Judicial District, she helped establish a special domestic violence docket that utilized a multi-disciplinary team oriented
approach emphasizing counseling, as well as accountability
in the disposition of these cases. In a subsequent assignment
in the Waterbury Juvenile Court, she led a community collaborative that made significant inroads in reducing the city’s high
truancy rate. Judge Lopez also coordinated the Connecticut judicial system’s participation in a federal program designed to
improve its ability to serve court-involved girls and young
women. While assigned to the Child Protection Session of the
Superior Court, a specialized docket dedicated to the trials of
termination of parental rights cases as well hearings on the
emergency removal of children, in addition to trial work, she
was responsible for coordinating an innovative pre-trial program utilizing Professors Wexler and Winnick’s concept of
Therapeutic Jurisprudence, that is, the study of the role of the
law as a therapeutic agent. She has authored a chapter discussing this program which has been included in a book edited by Professors Wexler and Winnick entitled, “Judging in
Therapeutic Key: Therapeutic Jurisprudence and the Courts.”
During her time on the Court, Judge Lopez was committed
to using the judicial system to address the needs of court-in-
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volved children and youth. This commitment provided the
impetus to organize the first Juvenile Court Law Day event,
which brought together numerous community and national
leaders. As a member of the National Council of Family and
Juvenile Court Judges, she participated in organizing its first
National Summit on Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence. In 2001, Judge Lopez was invited to participate in the
“Reclaiming Futures Judicial Leadership Summit, a national
program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2003, Judge Lopez was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Council of Family and Juvenile Court
Judges, a position she held until 2006. Judge Lopez was also
a member of the planning committee for the Children’s Defense Fund’s “Cradle to Prison” Initiative.
She is currently a member of the Amigos de Clemente, an organization of Roberto Clemente fans. In 2000, Judge Lopez
received the Judge John T. Downey Award given by the Connecticut Court-Appointed Special Advocate Organization.
She is also the recipient of the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association’s Certificate of Merit, presented on Law Day 2001.
A native of Puerto Rico, Judge Lopez has had a long-standing involvement with the Latino community throughout the
State of Connecticut.
Representative Trey Martinez Fischer (TX)
A champion for the hard working families of District 116, in the heart of San
Antonio, State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer is in his fifth term in the
Texas House of Representatives. Rep.
Martinez Fischer is the Chairman of the
Mexican American Legislative Caucus
(MALC), the largest Latino Caucus in
the Country. He is the Vice Chairman of
the Insurance Committee and also
serves on Natural Resources and Local and Consent Calendars Committee. Rep. Martinez Fischer has been recognized
by his peers and professional associations in each of the sessions he has served.
Under his leadership MALC was called the "body to watch"
by The Economist. He has also been covered by the Associated Press, statewide publications, major newspapers,
MSNBC and even ESPN.
Recognizing his leadership within the Latino community,
President Obama invited Rep. Martinez Fischer to the White
House to attend a reception honoring Associate Justice of
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the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor-- an honor given to
only 2 other Texan elected officials.
Rep. Martinez Fischer attended St. Luke's Catholic School
and graduated from Oliver Wendell Holmes High School,
which inducted him into its Hall of Fame. In 1993, he earned
a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of
Texas at San Antonio. In 1994, Rep. Martinez Fischer was
selected to study as a National Urban Fellow earning him a
Master's of Public Administration from the Baruch College of
Public Affairs. In 1998, he earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence
from the University of Texas School of Law.
Rep. Martinez Fischer is a practicing attorney in San Antonio
and is married to San Antonio attorney Elizabeth Provencio.
Rep. Martinez Fischer recently welcomed his daughter
Francesca Maria Provencio Fischer in January.
Sylvia E. Meléndez-Klinger, MS, RD, LDN, CPT
Founder, Hispanic Food Communications
Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, is
founder of Hispanic Food Communications, a food communications and culinary consulting company based in
Hinsdale, IL. A Hispanic native who is
a leading expert in cross-cultural Hispanic cuisine as it relates to nutrition
and health, Sylvia speaks both English
and Spanish fluently. Sylvia has an impressive record and knowledge of Hispanic foods and culture. She uses her in-depth culinary and
cultural expertise to introduce new strategies for wellness to
an increasingly health-conscious Hispanic population. Here
are a few samples of Sylvia’s work:
Sylvia leverages tasteful Latin cuisine to promote a fit and
healthful lifestyle for Hispanics, who face mounting health
problems today. Sylvia is a contributor to the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" and "Go Red por tu Corazon".
Sylvia is currently working with SHARE (Stroke Health and
Risk Education), a program co-sponsored by the University
of Michigan, the Diocese of Corpus Christi, TX and the
American Stroke Association to educate the Mexican-American
community about the role of nutrition in reducing stroke risk.
Sylvia has appeared on NBC, ABC, Fox News, CNN Spanish,
Univision, Telemundo, America Teve, TV Azteca, and Telefutura. She has made many guest appearances on Despierta
America and Telemundo Chicago News, and numerous Hispanic cable stations. She has been a guest nutritionist on
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Hispanic radio talk shows and popular publications, including Latina Magazine, Siempre Mujer, Vanidades, Latino
Social and Hispanic Business South Florida.
Sylvia’s professional affiliations include active membership
in the American Dietetic Association, Illinois Dietetic Association and Latino Hispanic Dietetic Association network
group (LAHIDAN), as well as Dietitians in Business & Communications, Nutrition Entrepreneurs and Food and Culinary
Professionals Practice Groups. She is an active member of
the Chicago and Illinois Dietetic Associations and a member
of the Grain Foods Foundation Advisory Board.
Sylvia earned a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics and nutrition from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California in
1984 and her Master of Science in public administration from
DePaul University in Chicago in 1993. She is a registered dietitian of the American Dietetic Association and a licensed dietitian. In 1994, the Chicago Dietetic Association presented her
with the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year award. Sylvia
received the Outstanding Dietitian of the Year in January 2009
by the Illinois Dietetic Association - West Suburban Chapter.
Senator Richard Miranda (AZ)
Cochair, Arizona Legislative Latino Caucus
Senator Richard Miranda comes from a
farm-worker family of 11 brothers and
sisters. The family has given our community four attorneys, a State Representative
and a State Senator. Richard Miranda
grew up in the Marcos de Niza Housing
Projects of downtown Phoenix.
After receiving his diploma from North
Phoenix High School in 1974, Richard
Miranda went on to work in a variety of government and
business settings. His work ranged from assistant to the
Mayor of Phoenix to a legal manager of the Miranda Law
Firm. Richard is also heavily involved in many community
service projects and organizations, including Friendly
House, the Boys and Girls Club of America and the Mountain Park Community Healthcare Center. Additionally, he
served as Director of the Cesar E. Chavez Museum and as a
former Board member for the Mexican Cultural Center.
This stewardship gave him the support of District 13 and he was
honored with the approval of his constituents in his successful
bid for the House of Representatives in 1998. During his service from 1998 to 2002, he promoted legislation to improve
housing, health, and education in underserved communities.
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In January of 2002, Richard Miranda began his tenure in the
Senate he became Democratic Whip in 2005 and served as
a ranking Democrat on several committees. He currently
serves on the Senate Commerce, Finance and Judiciary committees. He is also past Chairman of the Arizona Legislative
Latino Caucus. He was declared Legislator of the Year in
2003 by the Arizona Chiropractors Association and the Arizona Association of Community Health Centers in 2004. In
October of 2006, he was the recipient of the Distinguished
Achievement Award from the Mary Lou Foulton College of
Education at Arizona State University. During his tenure in
both Houses of the Arizona Legislature, Richard Miranda has
consistently worked to improve the quality of life for the constituents of his district and of all Arizonans.
He serves as Migrant Health Director for the Arizona Association
of Community Health Centers where he is dedicated to promoting access to primary health care. Additionally, he works as
Executive Director for the Centro Adelante Campesino in Surprise, where he manages educational programs for children.
Ali Noorani
Executive Director, National Immigration Forum
Ali Noorani has devoted his young career
to engaging unlikely allies, organizing
new coalitions and developing expertise in the pursuit of justice and opportunity for families and communities. As
a key figure among a new generation
of national leaders, he continues this
mission as Executive Director of the
National Immigration Forum.
Since 2008, Noorani has worked to expand the Forum’s
work and increase its impact as an advocate for the value of
immigrants and immigration. One of his top priorities is
strengthening the Forum’s relationship with increasingly
powerful and dynamic communities and constituencies that
make up the immigrant rights movement.
As a result of this effort, the Forum serves as the managing
organization of the Reform Immigration FOR America
campaign, a vast coalition of over 1000 labor, business,
faith, civil rights and community organizations. Mr.
Noorani serves as Chair. Working with key local and national partner organizations, the Forum built a campaign
infrastructure that placed organizers in 39 states, , engaged
over 650,000 activists, and convened the March FOR
America, a colossal and historic event that drew 200,000
to the National Mall on March 21, 2010.
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Under Noorani’s leadership, the Forum has emerged as a
powerful and key advocate on numerous pieces of immigration legislation and developed sought-after expertise on
border and appropriations issues. Further, the organization’s
relationships with the Departments of Homeland Security,
Justice, State, and Labor impact key administrative decisions
affecting immigrants and immigration. Noorani has also
managed fundamental changes to the institution including
a 210% budget increase in less than 2 years. Noorani led
the Forum through a transition process to prepare the organization for the future – a future where the Forum leads a
national effort to emphasize the overwhelming value of immigrants to the United States. With a keen eye for accountability and good business practice, Noorani secured
accreditations from the Better Business Bureau and Four Star
Charity Navigator.
Noorani provides a principled and reasoned voice on immigration policy and politics, and has appeared on Fox
News, CNN, MSNBC, NBC News, ABC News, and various
radio and local news programs. He has been quoted on the
pages of most of the nation’s major dailies and has developed relationships with key reporters across the country.
Prior to joining the Forum, Noorani was Executive Director
of the MA Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
(MIRA), an organization he joined in November 2003.
Under his leadership, MIRA’s membership and agenda grew
significantly, and he positioned the organization to play a
major leadership role in New England. Before taking the
helm at MIRA, Noorani served as the Director of Public
Health for the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center and
Codman Square Health Center, two large community health
centers in Boston. Prior to that, Noorani worked for the City
of Boston coordinating funding and technical assistance to
regional environmental justice projects.
Born in California, Noorani is the son of Pakistani immigrants
and one of the few immigration leaders of Muslim heritage.
He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and
received his Master’s in Public Health from Boston University. Recently, he received the Alfred L. Frechette Award from
the Massachusetts Public Health Association for exceptional
leadership in promoting social justice and he received the
2007 Boston University Young Alumni Award.
Mr. Noorani serves on the boards of the Campaign for
Community Change, Families USA, and Foundation for an
Open America.
Established in 1982, the Forum is the nation’s premier proimmigrant advocacy and policy organization and has been
at the center of every major immigration debate over the past
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25 years. The Forum’s mission is to advocate for the value of
immigrants and immigration to America. The Forum uses its
communications, advocacy and policy expertise to create a
better, more welcoming America that treats all newcomers
fairly and respects the rights of all.
Gaby Pacheco
DREAM Walker - Florida
Gaby Pacheco is an undocumented
student leader from Florida who wants
to be a special needs teacher. After
she spoke out publicly about her immigration status, her family was detained. She walked 1,500 miles for
the DREAM Act on what was dubbed
the Trail of DREAMs. Despite the fact
the the only country she knows as her
home refuses to recognize her existence, Gaby is not bitter or hateful. In fact, upon meeting the
notorious nativist Sheriff Joe Arpaio, she hugged him. Gaby
loves this country.
Hector E. Sanchez
Executive Director, LCLAA
Hector E. Sanchez is the Executive Director of LCLAA (Labor Council for
Latin American Advancement). For
more than ten years, Sanchez has promoted the rights of working Latino
families with his writing, advocacy
work, public events and presentations, grass roots outreach, and media
appearances. He’s become an indefatigable voice in highlighting systematic injustices against Latinos. Prior to
coming to LCLAA, Sanchez was the DC-Mexico Policy Education Director at Global Exchange and he served as the
Policy and Community Liaison for the Education Trust. He
was also a professor of US-Mexico Relations at the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez. Sanchez’s opinions
and letters have been published by NPR, The Washington
Post, The Economist, Huffington Post, Common Dreams,
Open Left and several Spanish-language media outlets. He
frequently debates Latino issues on TV outlets such as
CNN, ABC, Univision, Telemundo, Telesur, among others.
He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Political Science
from the University of Texas. Recently Diverse magazine
featured Sanchez as one of the 25 up-and-coming leaders
“whom are carrying the diversity mantle forward in an
avowed commitment to progress.”
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Nuria Sebazco
News Anchor, Univision Television Group
Nuria Sebazco was born on May 27,
in Vineland, New Jersey. She completed course work the University of
Puerto Rico in Arecibo and then
transferred to the University of
Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus
where she received her BA in Public
Communications.
In 1997, she began working as a
production assistant for the athletic
program, NBA Jam that aired on TeleOnce. That same
year she began to work as field producer for Noticias
Extra, an investigative news program. In March of 2000,
she joined the team of reporters from Las Noticias in Fin
de Semana edition. Currently Nuria is co-host of Tu
Mañana. Some of her passions include reading, music
and history.
Sonya Schwartz, Program Director
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
Sonya Schwartz is the Acting Project
Director and Community Director of
the State Health Implementation
Network (SHINE). Currently in development, SHINE is a web 2.0 platform that will host a community of
people working at the state level to
implement federal health reform legislation. The platform will monitor,
report on, and ultimately motivate a
more robust and effective approach
to implementation of health reform at the state level. As
Acting Project Director, Sonya oversees the entire SHINE
project that includes a website build, expert content-creation, community engagement, marketing and branding,
and staff management.
As Community Director, Sonya focuses on plans and activities to engage and inspire a robust community of state
officials and other stakeholders working to implement
federal health reform legislation. As an analyst, attorney, advocate, and manager, Sonya has worked to improve state and federal programs for low-income people
for more than a decade. She helped to expand access to
health care and nutrition benefits for low-income populations such as immigrants and people living with HIV
and AIDS.
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Since joining NASHP in the fall of 2005, Sonya has conceptualized, conducted research, and written papers, issue
briefs and presentations on a broad range of health reform
issues. Her areas of particular expertise include state and
federal efforts to improve access to health insurance for
the uninsured, efforts to expand Medicaid, and regulation
of the private health insurance market. At NASHP, Sonya
has monitored and analyzed reforms at the state and federal level and worked closely with state and federal officials and their staff who are working to solve complicated
health care problems.
Sonya also speaks regularly on a range of health reform topics to state and national stakeholders and the media. She
holds a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law Program in Public Interest Law and Policy and a B.A. in Political Science
and Italian from Middlebury College.
Juan Sepúlveda, Director
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence
for Hispanic Americans
Juan Sepúlveda was appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on
May 19, 2009, to the position of director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans. In this capacity, he is responsible for directing the efforts of the
White House Initiative in engaging Hispanic students, parents, families, organizations, and anyone working in or
with the education system in communities nationwide as active participants in improving the academic achievement of Hispanic Americans.
For the last 20 years, Sepúlveda has been a senior executive, strategist, and advocate in the nonprofit and philanthropic communities, with a focus in community
development, capacity building, and transformational
management. Prior to assuming his current position at the
Department, Sepúlveda was president of The Common Enterprise (TCE), which he founded in 1995 as an outgrowth
of a national Rockefeller Foundation initiative to help
build stronger communities across America by making
nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, governments,
businesses, and communities more effective as they tackled significant critical social issues in more than 35 states
and nationally.
Under the auspices of the Pew Charitable Trusts, Sepúlveda
was selected in 1997 as one of a dozen team members to
help run the first-ever Bipartisan Congressional Retreat for
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the 105th Congress, working with Members to develop
more civil and productive collaborative efforts. Their work
resulted in the Hershey Accords, which implemented new
Congressional working rules and regulations.
Having grown up in a working class Mexican-American
neighborhood in Topeka, Kan., Sepúlveda has been involved
in community organizing and politics since the age of 16,
when he was the first high school student hired to work for
the Kansas Secretary of State.
Sepúlveda received a bachelor’s degree in government from
Harvard University. The third Latino ever to be awarded a
Rhodes scholarship, he graduated with a combined degree in politics, philosophy, and economics from the
Queens College of Oxford University. He received a J.D.
from Stanford University and has been admitted to the
Texas Bar.
Senator Leticia Van de Putte (TX)
Chair, Veteran Affairs and Military Installations
Senator Leticia Van de Putte, a pharmacist for more than 31 years, represents a large portion of San Antonio
and Bexar County. A former five-term
state representative, she is now serving her fifth term as a Texas State Senator for District 26.
Senator Van de Putte is a strong advocate for children, veterans, and quality
public education. She currently serves
as Chair of the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations
Committee, and serves as a member of the Senate Committees on Education, State Affairs, and Business and Commerce. She is also the Chair of the Texas Senate
Democratic Caucus.
She has been honored by many national civic and community organizations for her tireless advocacy on behalf
of the people she represents, including: the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials'
(NALEO) "Edward R. Roybal Award;" the Vietnam Veterans
of America's "Legislator of the Year Award;" and the Center for Policy Alternative's "Arthur S. Fleming Leadership
Award." Following the 81st Legislative Session, she was
chosen as one of Texas Insider's Top Ten Legislators for her
work on behalf of veterans and their families. She was
also selected by Texas Watch for their Legislative Honor
Roll for her work on behalf of Texas consumers and
homeowners.
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Nationally, Senator Van de Putte served as co-chair of the 2008
Democratic National Convention, joining the ranks of Texas
women, such as Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards. She has
been actively involved in the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), serving as President from 2006 to 2007. Senator Van de Putte is a member of the National Hispanic Caucus
of State Legislators, where she served as President from 2003
to 2005. She also currently serves on the American Legacy
Foundation Board, which oversees the settlements of 46 states
with the tobacco industry, and she is the subject of a book written by Dr. Sharon Navarro titled, "Latina Legislator: Leticia Van
de Putte and the Road to Leadership."
Senator Van de Putte received her Bachelor of Science from
the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, and she
is a 1973 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas. She was also a Kellogg Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1993.
Senator Van de Putte currently lives in San Antonio with her
husband of 33 years, Pete, and has six children: Nichole,
Vanessa, Henry, Gregory, Isabella, and Paul. She is also the
proud grandmother of two adorable grandsons, Julian Claiborne and Jove Sebastian Stiles.
STEM Fields Scholarship
Sebastian De La Rosa
(Texas Recipient for 2010)
The STEM Targeted Majors Scholarship Fund was established by
NHCSL to ensure that more Hispanic college students achieve
educational success and enhance entry to underrepresented
fields. Participating states include California, Florida,
Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas. The recipients will also be given an opportunity to obtain
an internship.
Thanks and appreciation to the Verizon Foundation
for making this initiative possible.
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Recipient
Honorable Dora Olivo, Texas State
Representative
Representative Dora Olivo has been a
member of the Texas House of Representatives since 1997 and represents
one of the State’s most diverse districts.
District 27 encompasses about half of
the fast-growing Fort Bend County. Education, childcare, economic development, mental health,
senior citizen issues and workforce and job-training are
areas of special interest to her.
Representative Olivo serves under a pledge to make government work by bringing it closer to the people. She has
devoted her time and efforts as a legislator to breaking down
the barriers that too often deter, from the decision-making
process, the citizens who pay for the system.
A grass-roots activist and advocate for her community, Representative Olivo takes pride in more than 34 years of service to her community and the state of Texas. She possesses
a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. Representative Olivo received her Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1981 from the
University of Houston and has a private law practice in Richmond, Texas. She is a former school teacher who worked in
both the Corpus Christi Independent School District and the
Lamar Consolidated Independent School District for a total
of 10 years. In 1977, she founded the radio talk show Lo
Nuestro on KFRD in Rosenberg and hosted the program for
15 years.
Representative Olivo is a member on the Border and Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Education Committees. Representative Olivo also serves as the Legal
Counsel for the Legislative Study Group, an official Caucus of the Texas House of Representatives. Representative
Olivo is also a member of the National Association of
Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Education Leadership Initiative (NELI), which assists the nation's
Latino elected and appointed officials with technical assistance, training, and networking opportunities designed
to increase their governance skills and effectiveness as education policymakers and advocates. She also serves on
the Executive Committee of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL).
INCREASING LATINO COMPETITIVENESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
35
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
November 11-14
John S. Martinez Excellence in Leadership Award
Recipient
State Representative Juan C. Zapata
Representative Zapata was elected to
the Florida House of Representatives in
November of 2002 and has been reelected subsequently. He represents
District 119, which includes the cities
of Florida City, Homestead, and Sweetwater as well as the communities of
West Kendall, Horse Country, Country Walk and Redland. He
currently serves as Chairman of the Florida Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. He also serves on the
Criminal & Civil Justice Appropriations Committee, Health
Care Services Policy Committee, Health & Family Services Policy
Council, Military & Local Affairs, Policy Committee, & Select Committee on the Seminole Indian Compact Review. Rep. Zapata also
serves as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation.
In the Florida Legislature, he has fought to increase access to
higher education, improve nutritional standards in K-12
schools, protect the rights of condominium owners, ensure
high standards for medical professionals and non-profit hospitals,
and has passed legislation promoting agricultural business and
tourism. He has been a champion for international trade and
biotechnology. In 2003, he united his colleagues in establishing the Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus, where he served
as Chairman from 2005 until 2007. The Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus has given over $125,000 in scholarships.
In his district, he has worked alongside his community to help
schools, local businesses, and homeowners associations in activities ranging from book bag drives, food distributions, and
charity events. He also championed reading efforts and along
with other educational stakeholders established Read 2 Succeed, a non-profit organization, which hosts afterschool tutoring programs in order to help parents and teachers develop
reading programs and activities.
His election to the Florida Legislature is the latest of a series of
public service positions that include having been elected to the
West Kendall Community Council, which he serves as Chairman
as well as Chairman of the West Kendall Municipal Advisory Board.
He has been appointed and has served on numerous boards, such
as the Miami Dade Planning Advisory Board, the Equal Opportunity Board, Board and the City of Miami Youth Advisory Board.
On a national level, he serves as Chairman for the board of
National Association of Latino Elected Officials Educational
Fund, and Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs. He is currently
Chair of the Labor and Economic Development Committee of
NCSL and sits on the Executive Committee for NHCSL.
36
8TH NATIONAL SUMMIT OF HISPANIC STATE LEGISLATORS
The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL)
is the preeminent organization representing the interests of
300 Hispanic state legislators from all states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. Founded in
1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3, NHCSL is a catalyst and advocate for joint action on issues of common
concern, such as health, education, immigration, homeownership and economic development to all segments of
the Hispanic community. NHCSL also works to design and
implement policies and procedures that will impact the
quality of life for Hispanic communities; serves as a
forum for information exchange and member networking;
an institute for leadership training; a liaison with sister U.S.
Hispanic organizations; a promoter of public/private partnerships with business and labor; and a partner with Hispanic state and provincial legislators and their associations
representing Central and South America.
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 404
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-434-8070
Fax: 202-434-8072
www.nhcsl.org
Copyright: © 2010 The National Hispanic Caucus of
State Legislators
8th
EIGHTH NATIONAL
SUMMIT OF HISPANIC
STATE LEGISLATORS
Sponsors