Dr. Mildred García began her tenure as the California State University’s 11th chancellor on October 1, 2023. She is the first-ever Latina to lead the nation’s largest and most diverse four-year public university system. Indeed, she is the first Latina in the nation to lead a four-year public higher education system.The appointment marks a return to the CSU for Dr. García, who served as president of Cal State Fullerton from 2012 to 2018 and president of CSU Dominguez Hills from 2007 to 2012, where she held the distinction of being the CSU’s first Latina president.Prior to her appointment as chancellor, Dr. García served as president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities since 2018, where she was an internationally renowned advocate for public higher education.Dr. García previously served as CEO of Berkeley College and has held academic and leadership positions at Arizona State University; Montclair State University; Pennsylvania State University; Teachers College, Columbia University; and the Hostos, LaGuardia and City Colleges of the City University of New York.A recipient of myriad awards and honors, Dr. García was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. In September 2024, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. And in February 2025, Dr. García was honored with the prestigious TIAA Institute Hesburgh Award for her outstanding leadership of the CSU and positive impact on higher education more broadly.Raised in New York City, Dr. Garcia is a first-generation college student and the first in her family to earn a degree. She received her associate degree from New York City Community College, a bachelor’s in business education from Baruch College and a master’s in business education from New York University. At Teachers College, Columbia University, she earned a master’s and a doctorate in higher education administration.

María Elena Durazo is the State Senator for Los Angeles. She is the seventh child in a family of eleven children to migrant worker parents. María Elena is a St. Mary’s College graduate and was a student activist with the Civil Rights and Chicano Movements. She entered the labor movement as an International Ladies Garment Workers Union organizer. While working as a union organizer, she pursued a law degree at the People’s College of Law. In 1989, María Elena Durazo became the first Latina to lead a major Los Angeles union, and in 2004, she became the Executive Vice President of UNITE-HERE International. From 2006 through 2014, she was the first woman Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the second-largest labor council in the country. She served on the National AFL-CIO Executive Council. In 2008, María Elena Durazo served as the Vice Chair of the Democratic National Convention Committee and as National Co-Chair of the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. María Elena has served on many civic commissions and boards. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley appointed her to the Los Angeles Commission on Airports, Mayor Richard Riordan appointed her to the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Committee, and she has also served on the California State Coastal Commission. As a Senator, María Elena secured Garment Worker Protections, Health4All for all Californians, including undocumented immigrants, Sunsetting Convictions, $25 Minimum Wage for Health Care Workers, Workers Rights in Disasters, and Equity and Quality Jobs in Infrastructure. María Elena aims to uplift marginalized Californians who are integral to her district and Statewide communities. She served as Chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus and currently chaired the Senate’s committee on Local Government. María Elena has received 100% scorecards or “A” ratings from Courage California, the California State Labor Federation, Equality California, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Planned Parenthood, and California Environmental Voters. María Elena was married to the late union leader Miguel Contreras, who served as Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor from 1996 until his untimely death on May 6, 2005. She has two children, Mario Salazar and Michael Contreras. She is a proud grandmother to Sydney, Seneka and Camila.

Carmen Perez-Jordan is an award-winning, internationally recognized civil and human rights leader and Chicana feminist. She is the President & CEO of The Gathering for Justice, a social justice organization founded by the late, great Harry Belafonte. Carmen co-founded Justice League NYC and Justice League CA, two state-based task forces dedicated to advancing juvenile and criminal justice reform. Under her leadership, Justice League NYC organized mass protests, including the historic 250-mile march from New York City to Washington, DC, delivering a Justice Package, a legislative agenda aimed at addressing systemic injustices, to Congress. She also spearheaded the distribution of “I Can’t Breathe” shirts in response to the non-indictment in the Eric Garner case, which helped bring national attention to police violence against communities of color. Carmen has led high-profile campaigns such as Free Meek Mill, Free Pedro Hernandez, Take a Knee with Colin Kaepernick, and the I Am MEGAN campaign in support of Megan Thee Stallion, among others. Beyond U.S. borders, she played a critical role in the Transnational Advisory Group in Support of the Peace Process in El Salvador (TAGSPPES), advocating for a peace process that included all sectors of Salvadoran society. As the founder of Latinx Police Accountability Next (LPAN), Carmen is dedicated to ensuring accountability within law enforcement by advocating for transparency, oversight, and justice for the Latinx community. She is also working on an oral history project to uplift the stories of Latinos impacted by state-sanctioned violence and police killings over the last 250 years since the annexation of Mexican territories into the United States, ensuring these overlooked narratives are documented and shared. Furthermore, Carmen is leading partnerships for The Next 250 initiative, which focuses on shaping a more just and equitable future by addressing systemic inequality, racial justice, and transformative social change. The initiative ultimately aims to evolve The Declaration of Independence into a Declaration of Interdependence, reflecting shared responsibility and justice. As one of the co-founders and national co-chairs of the 2017 Women’s March on Washington, which mobilized over 5 million people globally, Carmen was instrumental in fostering partnerships, engaging influencers, and crafting the Unity Principles that guided the march.  She is the co-founder of Women’s March Inc. and led the process to create the Women’s Agenda. She also co-founded Poderistas, a platform dedicated to amplifying Latina voices, and serves on the advisory boards of Monogram and Can’t Stop! Won’t Stop!, as well as on the Board of Directors for Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos. Carmen is featured in the upcoming film Following Harry, which highlights the activism of her mentor and former boss, the legendary Harry Belafonte. The film explores Belafonte’s remarkable work in the final decade of his life and his profound influence on leaders like Carmen. It celebrates his legacy in civil rights and human rights efforts, offering an intimate look at how he inspired a new generation of advocates. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of Fortune’s Top 50 World Leaders, one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Glamour Woman of the Year, Latina of the Year by Latina Magazine, a recipient of the Frederick Douglass 200 Award, and one of Forbes México’s 100 Mujeres Más Poderosas, among others. She has been a featured speaker at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, Columbia University, The Academy, and Peloton, with her work highlighted in Forbes, TIME, MSNBC, Univision, ELLE, Glamour, and Bustle. Above all, Carmen takes the most pride in being a mother to her two young children, instilling in them the values of justice, resilience, and community leadership.

Jose Luis Barrera Novoa is the LULAC National Vice President for the Farwest. He represents LULAC’s activities for California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. With 15 years of service to LULAC, Jose began his advocacy with LULAC in Oxnard CA, when he was attending High School. As a youth community advocate, Jose’s interest in advocacy led him to pursue a career in politics. Having graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelors in Political Science and in Spanish, Jose soon began working in public relations, managing campaigns and is currently a Political Organizer in the labor movement. Jose is most proud of his advocacy that has helped pass legislation in California increasing the minimum wage for healthcare workers, working to ban AvGas in California and is constantly fighting for immigration reform, healthcare, economic justice and more not just in California but across the country. Jose also serves on the National Board of Directors for SER-National, LULAC Adelante PAC, and LULAC National Education Service Centers. Not only is Jose the youngest to serve as a Regional National Vice President at LULAC he’s also the first DACA Recipient to do so. With a proven track record of legislative wins, and being one of the top fundraiser in the organization, Jose’s passion for service carries into every aspect of his life.

Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez represents the 43rd Assembly District that consists of portions of Los Angeles County in the San Fernando Valley. The communities she represents include the City of San Fernando, Pacoima, Sylmar, Arleta, Sun Valley, Panorama City, Mission Hills, North Hills East, Valley Glen and portions of North Hollywood. Assemblywoman Rodriguez was raised in the Northeast San Fernando Valley by immigrant parents who instilled in her the importance of service and a deep commitment to social justice. Professionally, Rodriguez has focused on lifting families out of poverty, including her work on homelessness prevention as part of the LA Mayor’s Homelessness Services Team. As Deputy Director of Community Development Strategies, she oversaw LA’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot, Child Savings Accounts, and initiatives to empower vulnerable families. Elected to the San Fernando City Council in 2020, Rodriguez became Mayor, spearheading policies for public engagement, economic development, and homelessness prevention. In the Assembly, she has focused her efforts on supporting policies that serve our immigrant communities, drive economic stability and growth, invest in education and career training, combat climate change, and address California’s housing crisis. Assemblywoman Rodriguez has an Associate's Degree from LA Mission College, a Bachelor’s in Economics from San Diego State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She lives in San Fernando with her husband and two children.

Mirtha Villarreal-Younger, CEO and President of Agile Construction based in Sacramento, has spent her life breaking barriers and creating opportunities. Born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, to parents from Durango, Mexico, Villarreal-Younger joined the military immediately after graduating from Roseville High School. She served 20 years in both the U.S. Army and the National Guard, including multiple tours in Afghanistan, where she found a sense of belonging and purpose. “In the military, your background didn’t matter—your leadership, drive, and perseverance did,” she reflects. Today, Villarreal-Younger leads Agile Construction, a general contracting firm specializing in government projects. Alongside her husband and co-owner, Martin Younger, she focuses on creating an empowering work environment, especially for underrepresented groups. Her leadership philosophy, rooted in service, stems from a decades-long commitment to platforming minority voices. Her passion for this work was cemented during her time as deputy secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where she focused on outreach to minority veterans, and later as executive director of the Center for Post-Traumatic Growth, a nonprofit supporting veterans and first responders with PTSD. A pivotal conversation with a friend led Villarreal-Younger to take on her current role as CEO of Agile Construction. Under her guidance, the company prioritizes subcontracting to women- and veteran-owned businesses, helping small firms across the region access federal and state contracts. “I never thought construction would be my landing place, but it’s become a platform where I can truly make an impact,” she shares. As a mother to a 15-year-old daughter, she is particularly committed to inspiring young women to pursue careers in construction. “We need to plant the seeds now so that in the future, female representation in leadership becomes the norm,” Villarreal-Younger says, hoping to pave the way for the next generation of women leaders in the industry.

Mayumi M. Kimura, LCSW, was appointed Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs at CalVet by Governor Gavin Newsom on February 20, 2025. Kimura enlisted in the U.S. Navy on September 27, 2001, as an Operations Specialist aboard the USS Fife (DD-991), USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). She deployed to the 3rd (Pacific Ocean), 5th (Persian Gulf), and 7th (Western Pacific and Indian Ocean) Fleet Areas of Responsibility. Following her transition from active duty, Kimura explored several career paths and was particularly inspired during her time as an office manager at a home hospice agency. There, she launched the We Honor Veterans program to deliver specialized end-of-life care and ceremonies for veterans—a transformative experience that led her to pursue a Master of Social Work degree, inspired by the impactful work of hospice social workers. Kimura’s diverse experience as a clinical social worker includes roles in inpatient psychiatric care, emergency mental health crisis response, and correctional mental health. As Director of the Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV) at the Middlesex County Jail and House of Correction in Massachusetts, she led trauma-informed programming tailored to incarcerated veterans. She later served as a Readjustment Counselor at a Vet Center, providing therapy to combat veterans, survivors of military sexual trauma, and Gold Star families. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both California and Massachusetts, Kimura holds a Master of Social Work from the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. Kimura is a subject matter expert in PTSD and trauma, with specialized knowledge in military sexual trauma, readjustment challenges, and suicide prevention for service members, veterans, and first responders.

Yesenia Curiel serves as the Associate Vice President of Behavioral Health and Crisis Intervention at AltaMed Health Services, joining the organization in September 2023 as Culture and Linguistic Equity Director. With over 20 years of experience, she brings expertise as an administrator, educator, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and advocate for cultural equity. She recently joined the CA LULAC Foundation board. Born and raised in South Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, Yesenia’s commitment to equity was shaped by her early experiences as a first-generation college student and childhood interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents. Before AltaMed, she directed UC Merced’s Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education office, where she co-founded two influential cultural affinity groups and launched the university’s first Spanish-language symposium. Her dedication to diversity and inclusion earned her the 2021 Staff Excellence Award in Equity, Justice, and Inclusive Excellence. A respected voice in cultural humility and institutional change, Yesenia continues to champion equitable healthcare access and workplace inclusion.