Hispanics Breaking Barriers – Alphabetical Index 1st Series

 

The following list is an alphabetical index to the “Somos Primos” series “Hispanics Breaking Barriers” by Mercy Bautista-Olvera. Each month over a 30-month period, Mercy sought out 5 Latinos who had lead the way in obtaining a position, historically, seldom or never held by a Latino. The 150 biographies are inspiring, each filled with unique family history. These are current heroes, on the job now! Their agency of employment, plus place of birth have been included, to emphasize that as Latinos we are from all over the world and we are in fact, now, fulfilling leadership roles throughout the United States.   

 

 Name                           Title                                  Where                         Place of birth              Somos Primos  issue                                                                                                                                   

Abella, Dr. Alicia

Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics 

White House

Queens , New York  

July 2011

Almonte, Robert R.

U.S Marshal for the Western District of Texas

 

Western District of Texas

El Paso, Texas

July 2010

Alvarez, Cesar L.

Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig        

CEO of Greenberg Traurig

Cuba

October 2010

Aponte, Maria del Carmen

Ambassador to El Salvador ( Central America )

 

El Salvador ( Central America )

 

Puerto Rico

February 2011

Arreaga, Dr. Luis

Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland

Ambassador to Iceland

Guatemala ( Central America )

June 2011

Arriola, Ricky

President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Arts and Humanities

Florida

January 2010

Avalos, Edward M.

Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs  

Agriculture Department 

Las Cruces , New Mexico  

November 2009

Balderas, Hector

New Mexico , State Auditor

New Mexico

Wagon Mound, New Mexico

July 2011

Blanco, Maria

Executive Director on Race, Ethnicity and Diversity (Warren Institute) 

 

Department of Education 

 

Mexico Distrito Federal

March 2009

Borras, Rafael

Under Secretary for Management  

 

Department of Homeland Security

Bronx , New York  

December 2009

Caldera, Louis (Resigned)

Director of White House Military Office in the White House (Resigned):

White House        

El Paso , Texas

January 2009

Camuñez, Michael

Partner in O’Melveny's & Myers Los Angeles Ethics Commission

 

Corporation for National Service Review team    

Las Cruces , New Mexico       

March 2009

Canales, Judith Ann

Administrator for Business, and Cooperative Programs at Rural Development  

 

USDA Administration

Uvalde , Texas

October 2010

Candelaria, Conrad

U.S. Marshal for New Mexico  

New Mexico  

Estancia, New Mexico

October 2010

Canseco, “Quico” Francisco

 

U.S. Representative, Texas , 23rd

Congressional District

 

U.S. Representative Texas, 23rd  District

 

Laredo , Texas

February 2011

Carrión, Adolfo

Director, White House Office of Urban Affairs

 

White House

 

Manhattan , New York

July 2009

Castro, Joaquín

State Representative, Texas

Texas Legislature

San Antonio , Texas

July 2010

Castro, Julián

Mayor of San Antonio , Texas

San Antonio City Councilman

San Antonio , Texas

July 2010

Chacón, Jennifer

Transition Team Immigration Adviser for President Obama’s

Immigration Policy Advisory Group, Washington , D.C.

El Paso , Texas

June 2009

Chávez, Dr. Arturo

Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships  

 

White House

 

San Antonio , Texas

April 2010

Contreras, Janet

Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman  

 

Homeland Security Department

 

Los Angeles , California

April 2011

Cordero, Mario

Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioner,    Federal Maritime Commission

 

Federal Maritime Commission,   Long Beach Board of Harbor

Los Angeles ,

California  

July 2011

Coronado, Dr. Irasema

Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation

 

Environmental Cooperation   

El Paso , Texas

March 2011

Cosme, Keila D

Sixth District Court of Appeals Judge in the state of Ohio  

 

Ohio ’s 12th District Courts of Appeals

Guaynabo , Puerto Rico

September 2010

Cuéllar, Mariano Florentino

Stanford University Professor of Law

 

Immigration Policy Working Group

Tamaulipas , Mexico

February 2009

de Baca, Luis

Ambassador at Large Monitor Human Trafficking State

 

State Department

Huxley , Iowa

August 2009

Demeo, Marisa

Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia  

Washington D.C. Superior Court

Washington D. C.

June 2010

Diaz, Judge Albert

Judge for the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond Virginia  

 

4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Richmond, Virginia

New York

August 2010

Díaz, Dr. Miguel Humberto

U.S. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the HOLY SEE  

State Department

Havana , Cuba

April 2010

Diaz, Olivia

U.S. Representative, Nevada , 11th District 

Nevada

Nevada

May 2011

Duran, Crisanta

Colorado State Representative, District HD5

 

 

Colorado State

Denver , Colorado    

January 2011

 

Duran, Dianna J.

Secretary of State, New Mexico   

New Mexico

Tularosa , New Mexico

June 2011

Espaillat, Adriano

U. S. State Senator, New York , 31st District 

New York

Santiago , Dominican Republic

May 2011

Espinel, Victoria A.

U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator  

 

Office of Management and Budget 

 

Richmond , Virginia  

March 2010

Estolano, Cecilia

CEO of CRA/LA Chief Executive Officer

Environmental Protection Agency Review Team

Inglewood , California

February 2009

Fernandez, Albert M.

US Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Cuba

November 2010

Fernandez, John R.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development  

 

Commerce Department

 

Canton , Ohio

September 2009

Fernandez, Jose W.

Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs  

 

State Department  

Cuba

January 2010

Ferrer, (Willy) Wilfredo Antonio

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida  

Southern District of Florida

Miami-Dade , Florida

September 2010

Flores, Bill

U.S. Representative, Texas , 17th congressional District

 

Texas

Cheyenne , Wyoming

January 2011

Garcia, Elba

County Commissioner , Dallas , Texas

Court Precinct 4th

 

Mexico City

December 2010

Garcia, Dr. Eugene E.

Vice President for Education Partnerships  

Department of Education

Grand Junction, Colorado (Mesa County)

May 2009

Garcia, Joe

Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity  

 

Department of Energy

 

Miami Beach , Florida

December 2009

Garcia, Joseph

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor  

 

Colorado  

Lafayette , Indiana   

September 2010

Garcia, Juan M. III

Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs  

 

Defense Department   

St. Louis , Missouri

September 2009

Garcia, Juliet V.  

President of Southmost Community College

Department of Education   

South Texas

January 2009

Garcia, Leroy M. Jr.

Pueblo City Council 3rd District, Pueblo , Colorado

 

Pueblo City Council, Colorado

Pueblo , Colorado

March 2011

Garcia, Rick

Housing Urban Development Regional Director for Colorado     Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Wyoming and Utah

Housing Urban Development Regional

  Pueblo , Colorado

April 2011

Garza, Alexander G.

Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer  

Department of Homeland Security

St. Louis , Missouri  

October 2009

Giron, Angela

State Senate 3rd District,    Colorado

State Senator

Sidney , Nebraska

December 2010

Gomez, Anna

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information     

Commerce Department

(Born in U.S., raised in Bogota, Colombia)

October 2009

Gomez, Gabriella

Assistant Secretary Legislation/Congressional Affairs  

 

Education Department

 

Mexico City?

July 2009

Gonzales, Kenneth J.

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico

District of New Mexico

Española , New Mexico  

June 2010

Gonzalez, Jerry

First Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)

 

Georgia

San Antonio , Texas

July 2011

Hernandez, Ed

California State Senator, District 24th

California

Montebello , California  

January 2011

Hernández, Román

President of the Hispanic National Bar Association 

 

Hispanic National Bar Association  

Weiser, Idaho

January 2010

Herrera, Jaime

U.S. Representative, Washington , 3rd Congressional District

 

Washington State

 

Glendale , California

January 2011

Huerta, Michael

Deputy Administrator   

Transportation Department

San Francisco , California

June 2009

Kihuan, Ruben

State Senator, Nevada , 10th District 

Nevada state Senate

Guadalajara , Jalisco , Mexico

June 2011

Labrador, Raul

U.S. Representative, Idaho , 1st Congressional District

 

Idaho , Congressional 1st District

Carolina , Puerto Rico

January 2011

 

 

Lago, Marisa

Assistant Secretary for International Markets and Development  

 

Treasury Department

Brooklyn , New York

April 2010

Limon, Noerena

Staff Assistant, Presidential Personnel  

White House

Chino , California

February 2010

Lobo, Richard M

Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau, Broadcasting Board of Governors, and Commerce

Broadcasting Board of Governors

Tampa , Florida

November 2010

Lomellin, Carmen

Permanent U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States as an Ambassador

 

Organization of American States  Representative

Hammond , Indiana  

April 2010

Lopez, Marco

Chief of Staff , U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of the Commissioner in Nogales , Arizona  

Office of the Commissioner

Sonora , Mexico

February 2011

Lopez, P. David

General Counsel of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission    

 

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Phoenix , Arizona     

June 2010

Luján, Ben Ray

U.S. Congress Representative for New Mexico

Representative for New Mexico

Santa Fe , New Mexico

November 2010

Magagna, Joan

Deputy Executive for National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) 

 

Justice and Civil RightsTeam

 

March 2009

Manzano-Diaz, Sara

Director of the Women’s Bureau  

Labor Department   

Harlem , New York City

December 2009

Marquez, Mercedes

Assistant Secretary Community Planning Development      

Department  of Housing and Urban Development

San Francisco , California

August 2009

Martinez , “Kathy” Kathleen

Assistant Secretary Disability Employment Policy  

 

Labor Department 

 

Oakland , California  

 

August 2009

Martinez, Mark

U.S. Marshal for the District of Nebraska

District of Nebraska

Omaha , Nebraska

July 2010

Martinez, Susana

Governor, New Mexico  

Governor of New Mexico

El Paso , Texas

December 2010

Martinez, Vilma S.

U.S. Ambassador to Argentina

Argentina ( South America ) 

San Antonio , Texas

September 2009

Mayorkas, Alejandro

Director of the Security Immigration Agency 

 

Justice and Civil Rights Team   

Havana , Cuba

April 2009

Melendez de Santa Ana, Thelma

Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education  

Department of Education

Mexico

September 2009

Mendez, Victor M.

Arizona Transportation Director  

Transportation  Department

Phoenix , Arizona

April 2009

Molina, Mario

Chemist and 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Recipient

Executive Office of the President Team  

Mexico City

March 2009

Montoya,  Elizabeth

Chief of Staff for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (Appointed)

 

Personnel Management   

Santa Fe , New Mexico   

December 2009

Mora, Dr. Frank O.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs

 

Western Hemisphere Affairs

Boston , Massachusetts (grew up in Cuba ) 

August 2010

Morales, Jeffrey M.

Department of Transportation  

Department of Transportation Team

San Diego , California  

May 2009

Moreno , Ignacia

Assistant Attorney General for Environmental and Natural Resources  

Justice Department

Cartagena , Colombia ( South America )

November 2009

Moreno , Dr.   Jonathan   

Professor of Medical Ethics, and the History and Sociology of Science

 

Medical Ethics

Poughkeepsie , New York

June 2009

Mundaca, Michael

Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy  

Treasury Department

Staten Island , New York  

November 2009

Muñoz, Cecilia

Vice President of National Council of La Raza

White House      

Detroit , Michigan

January 2009

Muñoz, George

Attorney and Certified Accountant

Export/Import-OPIC Review Team 

Brownsville , Texas

April 2009

Muñoz, Colonel Peter  

U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Michigan    

District of Michigan   

Detroit , Michigan

July 2010

Muro, Steve L.

Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs

Veterans Affairs 

Lima , Peru ( South America )

November 2010

Navarro, Gloria

U. S. District Judge for Nevada

District Judge for Nevada

Las Vegas , Nevada

September 2010

Nazario, Carmen

Assistant Secretary for Children and  Families Agency

 

Department of Health and Human Resources

Boyanón, Puerto Rico

November 2009

Ocampo, Lizet

Legislative Assistant, Office of Legislative Affairs  

White House

 

Maxwell , California

February 2010

Ochoa, Eduardo

Department of Education’s Office of Post Secondary Education  

 

 

Education Department

Buenos Aires , Argentina ( South America )

June 2010

Olavarria, Esther

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy    

 

Department of Homeland Security

Cuba

March 2010

Ortiz, Carmen Milagros

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts

District of Massachusetts

New York City

August 2010

Osuña, Juan

Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review 

Justice Department

Colombia ( South America )

March 2011

Otero, Maria

Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs  

State for Democracy and Global Affairs 

La Paz , Bolivia ( South America )

October 2009

Padron, Dr. Eduardo

Chair of White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

 

 

White House Initiative on Educational

Cuba

February 2011

Pascual, Carlos

Ambassador of Mexico

Mexico

 

Cuba

October 2009

Pastor, Ed

U.S. Representative District 4th   Arizona

Representative District 4th Arizona

Claypool , Arizona

April 2011

Pastor, Laura

U.S. Representative of the Phoenix City Council, District 7th

 

City Council

Phoenix , Arizona

April 2011

Peña, Federico

President Obama Advisory Board Panel

Advisory Board Panel

Laredo , Texas

February 2009

Perea-Henze, Raul  M.D.

Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning  

 

Veterans Affairs Department

Mexico

March 2010

Perez, Tom

Assist the Justice and Civil Rights Team  

Justice and Civil Rights Team

Buffalo , New York

March 2009

Pino, Lisa

Deputy Administrator for United States  

 

 

Department of Agriculture

New York

March 2010

Pleitez, Emanuel

Selected to work with the   Economics and International Trade Team  

Economics and International Trade Team 

East Los Angeles

April 2009

Ramirez, Edith

Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission  

Federal Trade Commission Department

Southern California

June 2010

Ramirez, Robert

State Representative, Colorado 29th District   
 

 

Colorado

New Jersey

June 2011

Ramirez, Victor R.

U.S. Maryland State Senator, 47th District, Prince George ’s County 

 

Maryland State

San Salvador , El Salvador ( Central America )

May 2011

Ramos, Dan

Director of the Executive Office of Immigration Review 

Ohio state Representative for the 56th District

Oberlin , Ohio

March 2011

Renteria-Szelwach, Dr. Celia  

Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans  

Department of Veterans Affairs

Los Angeles , California

May 2011   

Restrepo, Dan

Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the National Security Council  

National Security Council, Western Hemisphere Affairs

Washington D.C.

April 2010

Reyna, Judge Jimmie V.

Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)

 

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)

 

Tucumcari , New Mexico

May 2011

Reynoso, Judge Cruz

Assistant  with the Transition Team for President-elect Obama

Justice and Civil Rights Team

Brea , California

February 2009

Richardson, Bill

New Mexico Governor

(Resigned)

New Mexico

Pasadena , California

January 2009

Riojas, Jose  

Brigadier General (Retired)   

Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security and Preparedness,   

Veterans Affairs Department

Kansas City , Missouri

July 2009

Rios, Gumataotao, Rosa 

United States Treasurer

Treasury Department

Hayward , California . 

July 2009

Rivera, Ray

Department of Health and Human Services Team

Health and Human Services Team

Albuquerque , New Mexico

April 2009

Romero, Ramona

General Counsel , U.S. Department of Agriculture

Department of Agriculture

Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic

April 2011

Romo, Lawrence “Larry”

Director of the Selective Service System   

Selective Service System 

 

 

San Antonio , Texas

January 2010

Rubio, Marco

Senator, Florida    

Florida

Miami , Florida

December 2010

Saenz, Tom A.

General Counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF)

 

Los Angeles , California

Los Angeles , California

July 2011

Salazar, Ken

U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Interior Department

Alamoza , Colorado

February 2009

Sanchez, Francisco “Frank” J.

Under Secretary for International Trade    

 

 

Commerce  Department  

Tampa , Florida

July 2009

Sanchez, John

Lieutenant Governor , New Mexico

 

 

New Mexico

New Mexico

March 2011

Sandoval, Brian

Governor, Nevada  

Nevada  

Redding , California

December 2010

Santana, Harvey

State Representative, Michigan 10th District

Michigan

Detroit , Michigan

June 2011

Sepulveda, John U.

Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration    

Department of  Veterans Affairs

New York City , New York

August 2009

Sepulveda, Juan Antonio Jr.

White House Director, Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Americans

White House Director on Education

San Antonio , Texas

September 2009

Silva, Peter S.

Assistant Administrator for Water Programs  

Environmental Protection Agency

Brawley , California

August 2009

Solis, Hilda

Secretary of Labor

Labor Department   

Los Angeles , California

January 2009

Soto, Thomas

Managing Partner and co-founder of Craton Equity Partners

Executive Office of the President Team

Pomona , California

May 2009

Souza Briggs, Xavier

Associate Director for General Government Programs

Development of Health and Human Services Team   

Miami , Florida

May 2009

Souza, Pete

Chief White House Photographer (Appointed)

White House photographer

Dartmouth , Massachusetts

March 2010

Sutley, Nancy

Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles for Energy and Environment   

White House     

Argentina (South America) raised in Queens , New York

June 2009

Torres-Gil, Fernando

Vice Chair of the National Council on Disability 

National Council on Disability 

Salinas , California

February 2011

Trasviña, John D.

Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Mexican  

 

Department of Housing and Urban Development

   

San Francisco , California

June 2009

 

 

Treviño, Tammye

Administrator for Housing and Community Facilities Programs in USDA's Rural Development Agency

 

 

USDA's Rural Development Agency

Pearsall , Texas

August 2010

Triay, Ines

Assistant Secretary Environmental Management

 

Energy Department

 

Cuba

September 2009

Trujillo, Kenneth

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Security  and Exchange Commission Team

 

May 2009

Valencia, Stephanie

Associate Director, Office of Public Engagement

 

White House  

Las Cruces , New Mexico

February 2010

Valenzuela, Arturo

Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs      

State Department   

Concepcion , Chile ( South America )

November 2009

Vargas, Colonel Felix C.

Chairman , U.S. Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs  

 

 

Committee on Veterans Business Affairs

Eagle Lake , Texas

December 2009

Vasquez, Elias Provincio

Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Texas at El Paso and the  first Hispanic male in U. S. history with a Doctoral Degree in Nursing

 

University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso , Texas

February 2010

Vasquez, Victor

Deputy Secretary for Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture  

Agriculture Department 

Texas

September 2010

Vera, Hernan D.

President and Chief Executive Officer in the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute

Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute

 

November 2010

Verdugo, Georgina

Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights

 

Health and Human Services Department

 

August 2010 

Yaver, Yasmin

Associate Director for Government Affairs, Transportation       

 

White House          

 

Highland Park , New Jersey

February 2010

Yzaguirre, Raul H.

U. S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic  

Dominican Republic

Government

San Juan , Texas

January 2010

Zack, Stephen N.

Judge in Howard County District  

County District in Maryland

Detroit , Michigan

October 2010

Zwaig, Ricardo

Maryland Judge in Howard District County

Howard County District in Maryland

Argentina ( South America )

October 2010

 

In spite of considerable effort to gather the birthplace for each person, we were not able to find the birthplace of the following individuals.  If you have information for any of these individuals below, we would really appreciate receiving it: 
 
Gomez, Anna (born in U.S., doesn’t mentioned place of birth, raised in Bogota, Colombia)
Gomez, Gabriella (unsure if birth was Mexico City)
Magagna, Joan
Trujillo, Kenneth
Vera, Hernan D. (Immigrant parents from Argentina (South America)
Verdugo, Georgina  

 

01/17/2014 06:07 AM