Apr 18, 2014 - LATINO LEADERS PRAISE NOMINATION OF VICTOR MENDEZ AS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

PRESS RELEASE
May 14, 2014

Leaders Urge U.S. Senators to Confirm Mendez, who has Served in Obama Administration Since 2009 and Held “Acting Deputy Secretary” Status Since December 2013

Washington, DC— The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), the coalition of 37 preeminent national Latino organizations, today praised President Barack Obama for permanently appointing Victor M. Mendez as Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). Mendez has served in the Obama Administration as Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration at the Department of Transportation since 2009 and was designated the Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation in December 2013.

“Much thanks to the President and his team for recognizing the leadership Victor Mendez has provided during his service to our nation,” said Hector Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “The permanent appointment of Mr. Mendez once again highlights that the Latino community’s pool of talent continues to develop. We will continue to work with this Administration and those in the future in ensuring that the current talent pipeline remains robust and that the emerging talent is cultivated.”

Prior to serving in the Obama Administration, Mr. Mendez was a member of former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s Cabinet, serving as the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) from 2003 to 2009. He worked at ADOT in a variety of roles from 1988 to 1999, including Deputy Director of ADOT, Deputy State Engineer, Assistant State Engineer, Transportation Engineering Supervisor, and Transportation Engineer. Mr. Mendez began his career in public service working for the U.S. Forest Service, where he served as a Civil Engineer from 1980 to 1985. He earned a B.S. from the University of Texas at El Paso and an M.B.A from Arizona State University.

Since creating its Latino Appointments Program in January 2013, NHLA has worked tirelessly to increase the representation of Latinos in the Administration. The coalition is active in calling for the inclusion of Latinos in entry-level to Cabinet-level political appointments -- offering trainings and support to Latinos across the nation and sharing information about the political appointment process at latinoappointments.org.

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Established in 1991, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) brings together Hispanic leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole.

In January of 2013, the coalition launched its new Latino Appointments Program to identify and support junior to Cabinet-level Latino candidates pursuing presidential and state-level appointments. For more information, please visit www.latinoappointments.org and follow @NHLAgenda.