SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet to Address Nation's Latino Policymakers at NALEO 31st Annual Conference in San Diego

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) today announced that the head of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Maria Contreras-Sweet will address the largest gathering of Latino policymakers in the country on Friday, June 27 at the NALEO 31^st Annual Conference.  Considered the nation's annual Latino political convention, the event will take place June 26-28 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego, California.

The keynote remarks will occur as part of the conference's "Latinas in Action: The Emerging Face of Power and Leadership" panel, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Commodore Ballroom of the hotel.  SBA Administrator Contreras-Sweet is the second Latino and only Latina member of President Obama's second term cabinet.  The panel, which focuses on strategies for supporting Latinas as they move up the leadership pipeline, will also feature City of Aventura Commissioner Luz Urbaez Weinberg, Nevada State Assemblymember Lucy Flores, Republican National Committee Deputy Political Director & National Field Director for Hispanic Initiatives Jennifer Korn and California Public Utilities Commissioner Catherine Sandoval.

This year's conference will include nearly 1,000 Latino public officials and supporters from communities across the country.  Conference participants will join Administrator Contreras-Sweet and other leaders for panel discussions on a range of national issues, including immigration reform, education (with an emphasis on STEM), healthcare, voting rights, U.S.-Mexico bi-national issues, water management, pensions and an in-depth overview of the influence of the Latino electorate on the upcoming midterm elections.

The event takes place as Latino voters are expected to increase their decisive influence on elections nationwide this year.  NALEO Educational Fund projects that more than 7.8 million Latino voters will head to the polls this November, an increase of 1.2 million from the 2010 midterm elections.

This year's program will include the presentation of two prestigious awards to national Latino leaders on Saturday, June 28.  Former California State Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny will be recognized by the Government of Mexico with the Premio Ohtli, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual for service to Mexicans living abroad.  Ducheny stated, "It has been a privilege over the years to be able to work with the Embassy and Consuls of Mexico to strengthen the economic, political and social ties between our two neighboring nations with the goal to improve the quality of life for all of our residents, particularly in our border regions."

Former Ford Foundation President Luis Antonio Ubinas will also be presented with the NALEO President's Award by NALEO President and California State Senator Alex Padilla for his outstanding contributions to furthering the organization's mission.  During Ubinas' tenure, the partnership between NALEO Educational Fund and the Ford Foundation deepened providing the organization the critical support to strengthen and enhance its program capacity.

The NALEO conference has emerged as the preeminent forum for our nation's leadership to engage Latino officials and the millions of constituents NALEO members represent.  Other notable speakers include Governor of California Jerry Brown, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Mexico's Ambassador to the United States Eduardo Medina Mora, Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Fox News Anchor Juan Williams, Civil Rights Activist Dolores Huerta, U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard, California Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, California State Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Nora Campos, and California State Senator and California Latino Legislative Caucus Chair Ricardo Lara.

The NALEO 31^st Annual Conference is made possible through the generous support of Presenting Sponsors, Southwest Airlines, Official Airline Sponsor of NALEO Educational Fund, and Toyota.  For information about the conference and registration, please visit the NALEO website at http://www.naleo.org/sandiego2014/.

What: NALEO 31^st Annual Conference

Who: NALEO, the leadership organization of the nation's more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials.

When: June 26 – 28, 2014

Where: Loews Coronado Bay Resort
4000 Coronado Bay Rd
San Diego, CA

Media: Advance registration is required.  For more information or to register, please contact Amanda Bosquez ([email protected]; 202-546-2536) and Paula Valle Castanon ([email protected]; 213-765-9414).

About NALEO
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials is the leadership organization of the nation's more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials.

Contact: Amanda Bosquez, [email protected]
(202) 546-2536 ext. 112, (361) 548-6989 (cell)

Paula Valle Castanon, [email protected]
(213) 747-7606 ext. 4414, (323) 253-6431 (cell)

SOURCE National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)