SPEAKERS
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Rear Admiral Charles Rainey
Vice Commander, Navy, Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command
Rear Admiral Rainey was born in Indianapolis and graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering in May 1984. He also holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Indiana University.
Rainey began Naval Flight Officer training at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Fla., and received his wings at Mather Air Force Base, Calif., in 1985. His first assignment was with Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ 1) at NAS Agana, Guam, where he flew in the EP-3E Aries aircraft and was designated a Senior Electronic Warfare Tactical Evaluator and Electronic Warfare Mission commander.
In 1991, he transitioned to the Navy Reserve, and joined the Naval Air Systems Command’s Reserve Program in 1992. Rainey has served in various selected reserve billets. His command assignments include Navy Reserve (NR) Naval Weapons Test Squadron 0376 at NAS Point Mugu, Calif.; NR Naval Air Systems Command 0766 Detachment Alpha, at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; NR Combat Aircraft Survivability and Threat Lethality (CASTL) and NR Strategic Mission Analysis both at NAS Patuxent River, Md. As the commanding officer of NR CASTL he was responsible for the deployment of Joint Combat Assessment Team personnel providing embedded anti-aircraft threat assessment support to rotating Marine Aircraft Wings in Iraq. He was appointed the Director of the Naval Air Systems Command Reserve Program in October 2009 and was assigned as the Vice Commander of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in March 2011.
PANEL 1
Sheila Simmons
NEA
Sheila Simmons is on leave as Director of the Human and Civil Rights Department at the National Education Association (NEA) in Washington, DC to serve as the Director, Priority Schools Campaign, NEA’s national program to address struggling schools across the country. The Priority Schools Campaign is grounded in the organization’s core commitment to a great public school for every student and our belief that the status quo is unacceptable.
Dr. Simmons came to the NEA in 1985 as a Senior Policy Analyst in the area of teaching and learning, focusing on student achievement, teacher quality, and with special emphasis on research, evaluation and assessment. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Fisk University, her Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Management both from the University of Oregon.
Cynthia Swann
NEA
Cynthia Swann serves as Senior Advisor and Director for the Office of Minority Community Outreach at the NEA. During her over seventeen years as an NEA staff member, she has also served in other key departments within the Association beginning with her work in Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel, and in senior executive staff leadership with the NEA Executive Office, Strategic Communications, Scheduling and Advance, International Relations and Governance and Policy.
rior to NEA, Ms. Swann served as an officer of the court in the area of child protective services, and as a parole and probation officer providing supervision for court appointed juvenile and adult offenders assigned for intensive supervision based on severity of crimes and potential for recidivism. This work shaped her perspectives on social and economic injustice, and the role of public education in obliterating the trajectory of our children and students toward despair, crime, and incarceration. She is committed to ensuring that equal high quality educational opportunities are afforded to all children as a basic civil right.
Ruben Murillo
Teacher
Ruben Murillo is the current full time release President of the Clark County Education Association in Las Vegas Nevada, which has 12,000 members. He is currently on a leave of absence as an elementary special education teacher. He was born and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas, and has called Nevada home for the past 30 years. As President of one of the largest National Education Association affiliates, Ruben has worked hard to build a collaborative relationship between the Clark County School District and the Superintendent and School Board Trustees of the Clark County School District , when it comes to school reform.
Edgardo Pacheco
Teacher
Edgardo Pacheco-Resto, born in Corozal, Puerto Rico, holds a Spanish degree from California State University, Fresno, and a Masters in Puerto Rican and Caribbean Literature from the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. He has been a teacher for nine years and currently works at Montbello High School, Denver Public Schools.
PANEL 2
Bill Valdez
Department of Energy.
Bill Valdez is the Director of the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists within the Department of Energy's Office of Science. His responsibilities include developing workforce strategies for the Department's scientific and technical workforce, and creating opportunities for students and educators to participate in the Nation's research enterprise as a means to improving the competitiveness of U.S. industry and overall scientific literacy.
Mr. Valdez was awarded the Presidential Rank Award (meritorious) in 2007, was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2006, and is Vice Chair of the Senior Executive Association's Board of Directors. Mr. Valdez received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas and his Master of Arts in International Economics and Energy Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Fae Korsmo
NSF
Dr. Fae Korsmo works for the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), an agency that supports about 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted in U.S. colleges and universities. Dr. Korsmo has managed grant programs at NSF in social sciences and research infrastructure. She came to NSF from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks where she was Associate Professor of Political Science.
Ismael Martinez
USAID
Ismael Martinez is a 22-year Army veteran who has received extensive training and education in many areas related to civil rights and equal employment opportunity. Upon his retirement from the Army in July 2003, Ismael began his second career in the Federal government as an EEO Specialist for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Currently, Ismael is the Acting Assistant Director for Affirmative Employment and Diversity Programs in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Civil Rights. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for this professional performance.
Ismael is a native of Fajardo, Puerto Rico and holds an A.S. degree in Accounting from Cameron University in Lawton, OK and a B.S. degree in Business and Management from the University of Maryland, University College, in Adelphi, MD. He is also pursuing a M.S. degree in Human Resources Management. Ismael lives in Bowie, MD with his wife and has three daughters.
Loyola Rose Trujillo
DOD
Loyola Rose Trujillo is currently working in the Department of Defense, Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity, as the Director, Civilian Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native Programs. She accepted this position in December 2009. During her career, she has served in various Federal leadership positions such as Assistant Administrator and Director positions. She has been responsible for all aspects of the EEO and Civil Rights Compliance processes covering federal employees and entities receiving federal financial assistance in both the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Small Business Administration. She has also received numerous awards and is an alumnus of the Federal Executive Institute. These varied assignments, with her education (degree in Management and Human Resources with distinction) have created a firm foundation for her growing achievements in public service.
LUNCHEON KEYNOTE
Cecilia Munoz
Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, the White House.
Cecilia Muñoz has served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House since January 21, 2009. A longtime civil rights advocate, she worked as Senior Vice President for the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), a nonprofit organization established to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans, overseeing advocacy activities that cover issues of importance to immigrants and minorities.
In 2000, she was named a MacArthur Fellow for her work on civil rights and immigration. Muñoz was born in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of four children. Her parents had moved to the United States from La Paz, Bolivia, so that her father, an automotive engineer, could go to the University of Michigan.
When she was three, the family moved to Livonia, a middle-class, predominantly white Detroit suburb. Muñoz attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As a volunteer, she worked as a tutor to Hispanic American inmates at the state prison in nearby Jackson. She earned undergraduate degrees in English and Latin American studies in 1984. Following graduation, Muñoz continued her education at the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned a master's degree.
PANEL 3
Susan Santana
AT&T
Susan I. Santana serves as Assistant Vice President, Federal Relations for AT&T. In this capacity, Ms. Santana is responsible for representing AT&T’s legislative interests before the U.S. Congress. Prior to AT&T, Ms. Santana served as Government Affairs Counsel for Dell Incorporated.
Prior to going in-house, Ms. Santana developed her career in private practice in several firms, most recently as senior associate in the area of Corporate Diversity Counseling in the Public Policy Group of Holland & Knight. She assisted clients on diversity-related issues such as minority business procurement, workforce diversity, strategic business partnering, community outreach, and government relations.
Before joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Santana served as the Executive Director of the Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation in Washington, DC.
Paul Narvaez
Paul Narvaez’s marketing experience spans the entertainment, publishing, technology, and construction industries. Based in NYC, Think Media Group and its partners provide Social Media Strategies, Mobile Advertising & Marketing and Digital Creative Design including Social Media Pages, Websites, Mobile Applications, and Rich Media Advertising.
ecognized for reaching target consumer markets, Mr. Narvaez and his team have been involved with social media and integrated marketing projects for; Elizabeth Arden, SONY Electronics, EA Sports, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, Seagrams Americas, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, The Source Magazine, Guitar World Magazine, FILA, Reebok, EMI Records, SEARS, Toyota and MTV.
Ray Ruiz
CDR
Ray Ruiz is the CEO of the Commercial & Residential Development and Project Management Company based in San Jose, CA. He is active in corporate and public philanthropy and is the Board Secretary and longest standing Board of Trustee member of the National Hispanic University. Ray has received nmerous awards for his community service, including "Father of the Year 2008" by the Silicon Valley American Diabetes Asociation, and "Outstanding Corporate Board Member" by the National Hispanic Employee Association.
Dalia Almanza-Smith
Dalia started her career in Chicago as a sales manager working for Procter & Gamble and Pitney Bowes. Next she moved in to the publishing world working for numerous national magazines such as Marine Engineering Log, Governing Magazine and National Journal. Today, Dalia has her own marketing company, Hello Xpress, with signature clients such The Social List of Washington and The Washington Post. Dalia is also a partner in a marine renewable energy company, Verdant Power which she will focus her remarks on today. She is a graduate of Michigan State University.
PANEL 4
Alma Crossley
GM
Alma L. Crossley was appointed Director for Diversity Initiatives for GM on January 1, 2011. Her primary responsibility is to favorably position GM as the company of choice for its products and services among diverse communities by promoting, supporting, and leveraging diversity within and outside of General Motors. In her position, Alma will work to establish relationships with key advocacy groups and consult across various GM functions, including Marketing, Sales, Public Relations, Human Resources, Purchasing, and Dealer Network Planning to achieve Diversity business goals. Alma joined GM in 1985 as a General Motors Engineering & Management Institute (GMI) co-op student. She earned her undergraduate degree from GMI in 1990, and received her MBA from the University of Phoenix in 1997.
Manuel Gonzalez
NSHMBA
Manuel ‘Manny’ Gonzalez is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA). Gonzalez recently served as principal with consulting firm Mango Entertainment, and previously as CEO of the Zoological Society of Florida and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and as vice president and general manager of Six Flags Inc. before accepting the position with NSHMBA. He is best known for his ability to increase sales and revenues, streamline operations, and build creative and successful marketing plans.
Carlos Santiago
HCF
Dr. Carlos E. Santiago joined the Hispanic College Fund in October 2010 as the Chief Executive Officer. Before joining HCF, Dr. Santiago served as the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and brings over 30 years of experience in public higher education. Previously, Santiago served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) and functioned as the chief operating officer of the campus.
He is also the author or co-author of five books and has published dozens of articles and book reviews, of which many focus on economic development and the changing socioeconomic status of Latinos in the United States.Dr. Santiago is a native of Puerto Rico.
Pilar Montoya
SHPE
Pilar Montoya is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Prior to joining SHPE, Montoya worked with several non-profits in the development of strategic plans to successfully increase fundraising efforts, operational success and financial growth. These positions included serving as the vice-president of regional outreach for The San Diego Foundation, where she expanded the $500 million granting foundation’s presence regionally, and acting as the director of community affairs for the Neighborhood House Association where she tripled fundraising revenues in one year. Montoya also has extensive experience in the private sector. She was the president and owner of Montoya Communications, Inc., a nationally recognized and award winning public relations and advertising firm.
