The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) has elected a new president, officers and board members, the group announced.
The president and board leadership were elected at the organization's board of directors meeting June 24 in Orlando, Fla., following the group's 29th annual conference.
The NALEO board of directors unanimously elected Calif. state Sen. Alex Padilla to serve as president of the organization.
"I am humbled and honored that my colleagues have chosen me to lead this organization during such an exciting and historic time for our community," said Padilla. "I thank (outgoing president) Sylvia Garcia for her tireless efforts on behalf of the organization. I look forward to working with her and the rest of our membership as the Latino community prepares to play a decisive role this November."
Other board officers elected during the meeting include Aventura, Fla., city commissioner Luz Urbaez-Weinberg as vice president; Gila, Ariz., Regional Partnership Council member Fernando Shipley as treasurer; and Edinburg, Texas, school board member Robert Pena as secretary.
"I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve the members of our organization and the Latino community during my time in office," said Garcia. "I look forward to continuing to work with the organization and Senator Padilla to help further our mission and empower the Latino community in this country."
The board also elected two new members during its meeting in Orlando. Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez, a member of the Board of Education of the Azusa (Calif.) Unified School District, will serve a single three-year term on the NALEO board. Carmen Pineyro, a trustee for the village of Freeport, N.Y., will also join the board for a three-year term.
NALEO is a leadership organization for more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials.
PR Newswire contributed to this item.
