NATIONAL LATINO LEADERS FORUM THE NHEC–U.S. EPA NATIONAL LATINO LEADERS FORUM   “A Conversation with US EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson” November 10, 2010 1—4:30 pm U.S. EPA Headquarters, Wash. DC.

OVERVIEW As part of our mission, NHEC is actively working to “open the doors of opportunity” – in every way -- for Hispanic Americans at federal environmental, natural resource, and energy agencies. One way we accomplish this is by holding high level meetings, briefings, and roundtables between Latino leaders and Latino issue experts and the top officials at these agencies. Together with the agency, NHEC “Co-Convenes” these forums and works closely with agency staff in a full partnership on all aspects of the event, including helping develop the agenda, identifying attendees, handling some key logistics, and coordinating outreach to invitees. In this way, NHEC lends its stature, expertise, credibility, and network to help ensure the forum meets the expectations of all sides, and thus is a success.

At these Forums, senior agency officials give briefings on followed by discussion about a broad range of employment, education, minority business, environmental justice, and youth policies and programs, as well as specific policy issues being proposed or implemented by the agency that is impacting the Latino community. For the Latino community, these forums allow our top leaders and issue experts to meet and interact with senior agency officials; share their valuable knowledge; and ensure that an agency’s policy formulation is guided by and infused with much needed “Latino” perspectives, advice, and expertise.

Through candid, substantive dialogue and direct engagement, both sides explore the key issues and challenges each faces, and in so doing find ways to partner to craft workable, common sense solutions. The overarching purpose of this high level engagement process is to generate more opportunities for Latinos, and to lay the groundwork for on-going dialogue and action. However, the real goal is progress – to increase substantive, beneficial, measurable partnerships, policies, programs, and funding between the agency in question and Latino organizations, Latino businesses, and Latino institutions. Through these Leadership Forums, NHEC is working to “move the agenda” forward for our community.

The 2010 NHEC—EPA National Latino Leadership Forum was conceived by NHEC and readily agreed to by EPA. As a Co-Convenor NHEC worked closely with EPA staff, especially those in the Office of Public Engagement, in the months prior to the Forum to plan and conduct the event. This partnership resulted in a Forum that brought together a balanced, diverse group of almost 30 top Latino national, regional, and local leaders and issue experts. Attendees came from across the country and represented the breadth of our community. NHEC was honored to have Administrator Lisa Jackson attend the Forum for a lengthy period of time to share her views and engage the Latino leaders present.

Following Administrator Jackson was a panoply of top EPA officials who briefed the Latino leaders on the Offices they head, the programs they run, and the key environmental policy areas they oversee. Latino leaders engaged in a substantive dialogue and question and answer period with these senior officials. The result was a deep exchange of views, an exploration of the challenges facing EPA as it seeks to improve its Latino diversity, and a commitment to work collaboratively with our community on effective solutions. Follow-up dialogue and engagement with EPA has been on-going.

In addition to Administrator Jackson, just some of the senior EPA officials who briefed Latino leaders at the EPA—NHEC National Latino Forum were: Pete Silva – Assistant Administrator, Office of Water Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Michelle DePass – Assistant Administrator, Office of International Affairs Lek Kadeli, Dept. Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development Al Armendariz - Region 6 Administrator (Texas, OK, NM, AR) Raul Soto – Associate Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversity, Outreach and Collaboration Lisa Garcia - Associate Assistant Administrator, Office of Environmental Justice Peter Grevatt – Director, Office of Children’s Health Rafael DeLeon, Director, Office of Civil Rights

SENIOR EPA OFFICIALS AT THE EPA—NHEC NATIONAL LATINO LEADERSHIP FORUM, NOVEMBER 10, 2010, AT EPA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

SENIOR EPA OFFICIALS BRIEFED AND INTERACTED WITH TOP LATINO LEADERS SENIOR EPA OFFICIALS BRIEFED AND INTERACTED WITH TOP LATINO LEADERS. AT CENTER IS NHEC PRESIDENT ROGER RIVERA, WITH EPA OFFICIALS AL ARMENDARIZ, REGION 6 ADMINISTRATOR AT FAR LEFT. PETE SILVA, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, OFFICE OF WATER, NEAR LEFT

NHEC PRESIDENT ROGER RIVERA ADDRESSES THE FORUM

SENIOR EPA OFFICIALS BRIEFING LATINO LEADERS INCLUDE, SECOND FROM LEFT MATHY STANISLAUS, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE; REGION 6 ADMINISTRATOR AL ARMENDARIZ; & ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR PETE SILVA, OFFICE OF WATER AT FAR RIGHT.

EPA SENIOR STAFF SPEAKERS INCLUDE, SEATED AT FAR LEFT STEPHANIE OWENS, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. AT FAR RIGHT PETER GREVATT, DIRECTOR, EPA OFFICE OF CHILDRENS HEALTH AND KIMBERLY PATRICK, DEPT DIRECTOR, EPA OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS.

EPA OFFICIALS INCLUDE AT LEFT RAUL SOTO, DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR, OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, OUTREACH, AND COLLABORATION, AND LINA YOUNES, OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

LATINO LEADER ATTENDEES INCLUDE JOSIE GARZA, NATIONAL LATINO CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE; CYNTHIA VERDUGO PERALTA, STRATEGIC ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ALTERNATIVES; AND BRENT WILKES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LULAC

LATINO LEADER ATTENDEES SHOWN HERE INCLUDE CARLOS SANTIAGO, PRESIDENT, HISPANIC COLLEGE FUND; ANA PARRAS, TEJAS-ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION; AND DOUGLAS GARCIA, HACU

LATINO LEADERS SHOWN HERE INCLUDE ARTURO GARCIA-COSTAS, DIRECTOR, NYS OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND MARCELLA GAITAN, WILDCOAST.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NHEC’S VARIOUS LATINO LEADERSHIP FORUMS AND ROUNDTABLES, PLEASE GO TO: www.nheec.org ; or email Juan Rodriguez, NHEC Programs Coordinator, at jrodriguez@nheec.org OR CALL NHEC AT 703-683-3956