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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Arturo Vargas is celebrating his 20th anniversary as |
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executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected |
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and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and NALEO Educational Fund, and the |
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attainment of this milestone provides a fitting opportunity to |
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recognize this esteemed individual; and |
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WHEREAS, Founded in 1981 by Congressman Edward R. Roybal of |
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California, NALEO Educational Fund is the nation's leading |
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nonprofit organization that facilitates full Latino participation |
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in the American political process, from citizenship to public |
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service; along with guiding NALEO Educational Fund, Mr. Vargas |
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serves as the executive director of NALEO, an affiliated |
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nonpartisan organization that represents more than 6,000 elected |
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and appointed Latino officials across the nation and that provides |
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a forum for them to discuss issues of critical importance to the |
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Latino community; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in El Paso, Mr. Vargas holds a bachelor's |
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degree in history and Spanish and a master's degree in education, |
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both from Stanford University; before assuming the helm at NALEO |
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and NALEO Educational Fund, he worked for the Mexican American |
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Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) as vice president for |
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community education and public policy; during his time at MALDEF, |
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he also directed the group's National 1990 Census Program, an |
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outreach and public policy effort to promote a full count of the |
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Latino population; earlier in his career, he served as the senior |
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educational policy analyst at the National Council of La Raza |
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(NCLR) in Washington, D.C.; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to leading two vital organizations, |
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Mr. Vargas currently serves as a member of the U.S. Census Bureau |
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National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other |
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Populations and as a board member for the Alliance for a Better |
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Community and for Zero Divide; he previously held appointments to |
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the 2010 Census Advisory Committee and to the 2001 and 2011 Los |
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Angeles City Council Redistricting Commissions; his work has earned |
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him numerous honors, including the Hispanic Magazine Hispanic |
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Achievement Award for Community Service, the National Association |
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for Bilingual Education President's Award, and repeated |
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appearances on the Latino Leaders Magazine list of the 101 most |
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influential Latinos; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Vargas has contributed to improving the lives of |
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Latinos in this country in many ways, and he may reflect with pride |
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on his outstanding accomplishments; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Arturo Vargas on his 20th |
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anniversary as executive director of NALEO and NALEO Educational |
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Fund and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Vargas as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |