MALDEF Board Names Ann Marie Tallman as New President and General Counsel

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    LOS ANGELES, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Ann Marie Tallman, a granddaughter
 of Mexican migrant workers who became one of the most influential women in the
 financial services industry, has been elected the new President and General
 Counsel of MALDEF following a nationwide search, succeeding Antonia Hernandez.
 In this position, she is charged with heading the national non-profit
 organization whose mission is to protect and promote the civil rights of the
 40 million Latinos living in the United States.
     (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040412/DCM031 )
     "I'm delighted Ann Marie is joining MALDEF as its next President and
 General Counsel," said MALDEF Chairman Joseph A. Stern.  "She is a compelling
 advocate and effective leader.  She has proven ability to work with people
 from across a spectrum of views and the best person to lead this organization.
 We are excited about her election and the contribution she will make to MALDEF
 and the people it serves."
     Said Tallman:  "I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this
 organization at this time in history when Latinos are making unprecedented
 progress.  But there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done, and
 my life's work has prepared me for this challenge."
     Tallman has been involved with MALDEF over the past 17 years, beginning
 when she enlisted MALDEF's help with public funding equity issues as a second-
 year law student at U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law.  In Colorado, she
 spearheaded statewide Hispanic census outreach and was actively involved in
 reapportionment and political redistricting efforts with MALDEF.  Later, she
 recruited a team of private attorneys to support pro-bono litigation on behalf
 of MALDEF for the purpose of filing voting rights violations lawsuits.
     Since 1998, Tallman has been an active MALDEF board member, and has served
 in leadership capacities as chair of numerous subcommittees.
     For the past 10 years, Tallman has been an executive with Fannie Mae, the
 mortgage financing giant, where she was also known by the name of Ann Marie
 Wheelock.  Most recently, as a Senior Vice President, she was responsible for
 lender relationships in 28 states and was responsible for a nearly ten-fold
 increase in business volume.  In 1998 through 1999, she was president and CEO
 of the non-profit Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington, D.C., where she re-
 engineered the foundation, cultivated collaborative relationships with other
 foundations and non-profit organizations.  While at the Foundation, Tallman
 also launched the Hispanic Heritage Award Foundation's Youth Awards, which in
 just six years awarded nearly $1.1 million in scholarship funds to more than
 400 students in 12 cities.
     Before joining Fannie Mae, Tallman was a Deputy Director for both the City
 and County of Denver, in charge of the Planning and Community Development
 Agency.  There, she advised Mayor Wellington E. Webb on housing and community
 development issues impacting Latino and African-American communities.  At age
 28, she was the youngest member of Mayor Webb's Executive Transition Team.
     Tallman brings additional valuable legal experience to MALDEF.  She began
 her career as an attorney with the Denver law firm of Kutak Rock, where she
 specialized in public finance -- a critical area to MALDEF, which often
 tackles issues in educational equity.  There, she developed a full-service
 legal product addressing concerns relating to a state constitutional amendment
 limiting governmental spending and taxation.
     Tallman is a native of Iowa, as are her parents.  Her Mexican-American
 mother is the child of migrant farm workers, and her father is of German
 descent.  The first in her family to attend college, she received a B.S. in
 psychology and political science, distinction with special honors from the
 University of Iowa, and her juris doctorate from U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall
 School of Law.  From childhood through law school, Tallman has worked full-
 time -- including in the cornfields and the food service industry -- to help
 support her family and earn her way through school.
     MALDEF, founded in 1968 in San Antonio, Texas, has a $6.5 million annual
 budget, is based in Los Angeles and has additional offices in San Antonio,
 Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Sacramento and Washington, D.C.  Its staff of 75
 employees includes 22 attorneys, 10 legislative and policy analysts and
 outreach staff in its Community Education and Leadership Development
 department, including the Parent School Partnership program.  MALDEF focuses
 on the program areas of education, employment, immigrants' rights, political
 access (including voting rights) and public resource equity (fair share of
 government services) and access to justice.
 
 
                                   Statement
                               Ann Marie Tallman
                                 April 12, 2004
 
     "It is with great humility and much respect that I assume the
 responsibilities as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund's
 (MALDEF) President and General Counsel.
     "I have dedicated my life to being a catalyst for change by serving the
 Latino community in various capacities that have included creating new
 programs, initiatives and by taking action to improve the quality of life,
 better serve and meet the needs of our community across America.
     "My deep commitment to the community arises from my experiences as a
 child.  I was raised in a union family.  My father was and still is a factory
 worker.  As a child, when my father's union was striking for safe working
 conditions, decent wages or health benefits, I participated in picket line
 activity with him.  Assigned to sandwich-making duty for hungry strikers, I
 remember the feeling I had the very first time people crossed the picket line
 we had formed.  I felt powerless, voiceless, wounded, and profoundly
 disappointed that others could turn their head away from inequitable
 conditions.  But, I was also greatly inspired by those ordinary individuals
 like my father engaged in extraordinary acts of courage taking on unpopular
 issues and causes to improve the quality of life not just for themselves but
 for others.
     "These early life experiences helped define who I am, and the values I
 hold dear -- fairness, dignity and respect for others, and justice.
 Participating in and witnessing difficult, but important change, like the
 change that resulted from union activity or the tireless work I was involved
 in with my mother to improve political access for our Mexican American
 community in Iowa, instilled a firm resolve in me.  If I was ever in a
 position to serve as a voice for those who did not have one, I would be that
 voice.  I would do all I could to improve the circumstances for hard working
 people -- Latino and non-Latino alike.
     "Building upon MALDEF's core work and key competencies, our organization
 will continue to be the national public policy voice for the community and
 will continue to use the law to redress violations of our civil rights.  We
 will work diligently on immigration reform to ensure a vehicle exists to help
 new and recent arrivals regularize their status so they do not have to live in
 the shadows of our society but may be full participants.  In addition, with
 the Latino middle-class growing at an accelerated rate, we will work to
 educate our community about economic empowerment: how to access all types of
 financial services at competitive prices so we can begin to build wealth for
 our future and the future of all our children.
     Finally, because our young people are the leaders of the future and remain
 the largest and fastest growing group of children between ages 1 and 18 years,
 educational equity and quality educational instruction will remain a high
 priority for MALDEF.
     "Our democracy is designed to extend the benefits of our society to all:
 the equality of rights and the empowerment of our people.  MALDEF's work not
 only benefits the Latino community but also ensures that the rights of all
 individuals in the United States are preserved, protected and fully realized.
     "As the organization's new leader, I am committed to building upon
 MALDEF's past successes to continue to make a tangible and indispensable
 difference in and for not only our Latino community but for the broader
 society."
 
 
                                  Quote Sheet
 
                         Ann Marie Tallman Appointment
                                 April 12, 2004
 
     Antonia Hernandez, former MALDEF President and General Counsel and current
 President and CEO of the California Community Foundation:  "Having worked
 closely with Ann Marie since 1989, I have complete confidence in her abilities
 to lead MALDEF.  She is an innovative visionary whose track record proves that
 she will be able to take MALDEF into the future.  I am delighted she was
 willing to take the position; the future is looking bright for MALDEF."
 
     Civil rights litigator Joaquin Avila, MALDEF's former President and
 General Counsel:  "These are challenging times in civil rights due to those
 who fear of growing demographics in the Latino population.  These times call
 for special leaders who can bring together various segments of our community,
 and Ann Marie's experience demonstrates that talent."
 
     Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, Co-Chair of the Executive
 Search Committee:  "Ann Marie has proven her commitment to MALDEF's mission as
 a dedicated member of the board.  She has been an invaluable leader and
 chaired various committees.  We feel very fortunate to have enlisted this very
 talented woman to lead America's most impactful Latino civil rights
 organization."
 
     MALDEF Board Member Don Pierce and Executive Search Committee Co-Chair:
 "Ann Marie has the perfect combination of executive experience and personal
 involvement to lead MALDEF as we navigate the challenges to Latino civil
 rights on the horizon.  While serving as Co-Chair of the Search Committee, I
 was impressed with how many qualified candidates we saw; Ann Marie stands out
 as the best of an outstanding group of people that we interviewed."
 
     Franklin D. Raines, Chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae:  "I am pleased that
 MALDEF has recognized Ann Marie's leadership skills, but also saddened to see
 her leave Fannie Mae.  One of the qualities that define a great leader is the
 ability to turn commitment into action.  Remarkable leaders leverage that
 skill to make a difference inside and outside of their organization.  Ann
 Marie has that quality.
     "With all of her success at Fannie Mae, some of Ann Marie's biggest
 accomplishments stem from her commitment to the community -- particularly her
 work to enrich the lives of young Latinos and Latino immigrants.  She
 understands how taking a small interest in a person greatly enhances their
 chances of success.  I congratulate her for her achievements and wish her
 continued future success."
 
     Henry Cisneros, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and
 current Chairman and CEO, American CityVista:  "I have known and worked with
 Ann Marie for many years.  I know how dedicated she is to advancing the
 interest of Latinos by designing new educational programs and much needed
 financial services.  Through her efforts, she has made a tangible difference
 in enriching the lives of thousands of Latinos and helping them realize their
 American dream of citizenship and homeownership."
 
                                   Biography
 
                               Ann Marie Tallman
                     President and General Counsel, MALDEF
 
     Ann Marie Tallman has been involved with MALDEF over the past 17 years.
 Since 1998, she has been an active MALDEF board member, and has served in
 leadership capacities as chair of numerous subcommittees.  She first worked
 with MALDEF in 1987 as a second-year law student at U.C. Berkeley's Boalt
 School of Law, when she enlisted the organization's help in ensuring equitable
 access for public funding.  In 1990, as executive director for the Colorado
 Hispanic League, she spearheaded statewide Hispanic census outreach and was
 actively involved in reapportionment and political redistricting efforts with
 MALDEF.  Later, she recruited a team of private attorneys to support pro-bono
 litigation on behalf of MALDEF for the purpose of filing voting rights
 violations lawsuits.
     Since 1994, Tallman has been an executive with the mortgage lending giant
 Fannie Mae, where she was also known by the name of Ann Marie Wheelock.  Most
 recently, she was Senior Vice President of Fannie Mae's Single Family Mortgage
 Business - Western Business Center in Pasadena, Calif., responsible for all 25
 western states, plus Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, leading 112 employees and
 managing a $17 million budget.  During her tenure, she was responsible for a
 nearly ten-fold increase in business volume from $59 billion in 1999 to $575
 billion in 2003.
     In 1998-99, she was president and CEO of the non-profit Fannie Mae
 Foundation in Washington, D.C., where she oversaw five offices with 100
 employees and a $400 million endowment.  There, she re-engineered the
 foundation and cultivated collaborative relationships with other foundations
 and non-profit organizations.  While at the Foundation, Tallman launched the
 Hispanic Heritage Award Foundation's Youth Awards, which in just six years
 awarded nearly $1.1 million in scholarship funds to more than 400 students in
 12 cities.  She also designed and developed along with the National
 Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) a bilingual
 guide entitled "How to Become a Citizen; How to Become a Homeowner."
     Before joining Fannie Mae, Tallman was a Deputy Director for both the City
 and County of Denver, in charge of the Planning and Community Development
 Agency.  There, she advised Mayor Wellington E. Webb on housing and community
 development issues impacting Latino and African-American communities.  At age
 28, she was the youngest member of Mayor Webb's Executive Transition Team.
 While in Denver, Tallman was a volunteer tutor and Big Sister in a
 predominately Latino neighborhood at a local elementary school:  Every week
 for nearly three years, she tutored children and took them on self-arranged
 field trips to various cultural venues in the city.
     Tallman brings additional valuable legal experience to MALDEF.  She began
 her career as an attorney with the Denver law firm of Kutak Rock, where she
 specialized in public finance -- a critical area to MALDEF, which often
 tackles issues in educational equity.  There, she developed a full-service
 legal product addressing concerns relating to a state constitutional amendment
 limiting governmental spending and taxation.
     While a practicing attorney, Tallman was a Founding Board Member of
 Hispanic PAC USA, a federal political action committee dedicated to raising
 money for and supporting local and national Hispanic candidates running for
 political office.
     Tallman is a native of Iowa, as are her parents.  Her Mexican-American
 mother is the child of migrant farm workers, and her father is of German
 descent.  The first in her family to attend college, she received a B.S. in
 psychology and political science, distinction with special honors from the
 University of Iowa, and her juris doctorate from U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall
 School of Law and has attended executive programs at the JFK School of
 Government at Harvard University, the Wharton School at University of
 Pennsylvania and The Aspen Institute.  From childhood through law school,
 Tallman has worked full-time -- including in the cornfields and the food
 service industry -- to help support her family and earn her way through
 school.
 
     MALDEF, founded in 1968 in San Antonio, Texas, has a $6.5 million annual
 budget, is based in Los Angeles and has additional offices in San Antonio,
 Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Sacramento and Washington, D.C.  Its staff of 75
 employees includes 22 attorneys, 10 legislative and policy analysts and
 outreach staff in its Community Education and Leadership Development
 department, including the Parent School Partnership program.  MALDEF focuses
 on the program areas of education, employment, immigrants' rights, political
 access (including voting rights) and public resource equity (fair share of
 government services) and access to justice.
 
 

SOURCE  Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund