HispanicBusiness

GOVERNMENT

David V. Aguilar
Chief of Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
As the nation's highest-ranking Border Patrol officer since May 2004, Chief Aguilar directs the enforcement efforts of more than 12,000 Border Patrol agents nationwide, stepping into a post-9/11 atmosphere of heightened security and immense pressure to protect U.S. borders. He is directly responsible for implementing President George W. Bush's newest security initiative -- dubbed Operation Jump Start -- collaborating with National Guard troops to strengthen the border with Mexico. It has resulted in a 20 percent increase in narcotics busts and the discovery of more than 16 underground tunnels this year.

Dan Arvizu
Director-National Renewable Energy Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy

As director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) since 2005, Dr. Arvizu has made it his goal to put the facility on the map when people think about the future of U.S. energy resources. And with the country's energy consumption and reserves persistently in the spotlight, he and his expertise have been thrust into the dialogue on how to power the country while simultaneously reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.

Being the U.S. Department of Energy's primary laboratory for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development, NREL is tasked to help create solutions to the growing U.S. demands for energy. Dr. Arvizu points out that the higher the gross domestic product of a country, the more energy it consumes, and with the U.S. as a top consumer it will be up to America to lead the way in developing solutions to deal with what had always been finite resources. In that vein, Dr. Arvizu's teams are making breakthroughs in wind and solar energy development. While both of these technologies have been available for several years, Dr. Arvizu points out that one of his real challenges is being able to produce them for the mass market at an affordable price.

Dr. Arvizu has been involved in the study of energy efficiency for more than 30 years, both in the public and private sectors. He is also a senior vice-president with Midwest Research Institute, which manages NREL on behalf of the DOE. His impeccable reputation among his colleagues was developed through several high-profile positions, most recently as senior vice-president and CTO of the Federal and Industrial Client Groups with CH2M Hill Companies. He was also an executive with Sandia National Laboratories, where he directed Research Centers for Advanced Energy Technology, Material and Process Sciences, and Technology Commercialization for nearly 20 years.

In 2004, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Arvizu to the National Science Board, which governs the National Science Foundation.

Joe R. Campa Jr.
Master Chief Petty Officer
U.S. Navy
Since joining the service in 1980, U.S. Navy Master Chief Joe Campa Jr. has risen to the top of the ladder, serving as command master chief in Japan, Guam, and Guantanamo Bay. Command Master Chief Campa is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, and this year received his MA in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. He is well decorated with two meritorious service medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, an Army Commendation Medal, and six Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.