HispanicBusiness

More than ever, Hispanics are in a position to govern.

In a striking sign of the times, Hispanic mayors are now leading two of nation's 10 largest cities -- Los Angeles and San Antonio.

What's more, the number of Hispanic elected officials in the United States has mushroomed since 1996 from about 3,700 to 5,600 -- a 50 percent increase.

With this phenomenon as an overarching theme, this year's annual National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) conference is set to kick off on Thursday in Los Angeles. The NALEO conference, which is the nation's largest gathering of Latino elected and appointed officials, runs through Saturday.

"We as a community have demonstrated our ability to influence the outcome of elections as voters," NALEO Executive Director Arturo Vargas told HispanicBusiness.com Wednesday. "We now are helping to guide this country."

The event comprises three days of professional development seminars, public policy discussions, and exploration of the key concerns that most affect the Hispanic community and the country.

In all, about 1,000 Hispanic elected officials and leaders -- from local school board members to members of Congress to key officials in the Obama administration -- are expected to attend the 26th annual conference, which will feature special sessions on immigration reform, the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor and the economic stimulus package.

Another big topic will be the 2010 Census.

Although more and more Hispanic leaders are coming into power, Vargas said they are doing so during "one of the most difficult times the country has faced in generations.

"We have some extraordinary challenges," he said. "Part of what we want to do is help those public servants -- school board members, city council members and mayors -- by providing them with support, informational tools and resources so they can weather the storm."

Featured speakers will include several officials from the Obama administration. Among them will be Adolfo Carrion Jr., NALEO's former president who now serves as the White House Urban Affairs czar, and Cecilia Munoz, a former staff member with the civil rights group National Council of La Raza who now serves as the director for the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, according to SFGate.

Speakers also will include Department of Commerce Undersecretary Rebecca Blank, who will talk about the importance of an accurate count in the 2010 Census, and Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, who will discuss green jobs.

Other participants will include U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard; California Latino Caucus Chair and State Senator Gil Cedillo; California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass; Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina; San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo; and His Excellency Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the United States.