Washington, DC - The Honorable Joaquin Castro, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, will keynote the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ hosted by the Latino Leaders Network (LLN) on Friday, March 20, 2015 in Washington, DC.  He will also receive the Eagle Leadership Award, which is presented as a symbol of vision, achievement and commitment to the Latino community.

“Congressman Castro serves as a powerful example of the success that can be achieved through preparation, hard work and determination.  His story is an inspiration for Latinos and all Americans,” states Mickey Ibarra, founder and chairman of LLN.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, and raised on the city’s Westside, Joaquin Castro is a second generation Mexican American and a proud product of the public school system.  He now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives having been elected in 2012 as representative of Texas Congressional District 20, which covers a large portion of San Antonio and Bexar County.  Joaquin serves on the House Armed Services Committee, as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  He was also the 2013 co-President for the House freshman Democrats and named Assistant Whip for House Democrats, charged with assisting in rallying members around important legislation.

Before being elected to the U.S. Congress, Joaquin served five terms as state representative for District 125 in the Texas Legislature.  He graduated with honors from Stanford University and earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School. 

Joaquin’s identical twin brother, Julián Castro, served three terms as Mayor of San Antonio.  In 2014, Julian was sworn in as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

The program will feature an honoree tribute by Cristóbal Alex, President of the Latino Victory Project.  The organization is an ambitious, non-partisan effort to build political power within the Latino community to ensure the voices of Latinos are reflected at every level of government and in the policies that drive our nation forward.  The Latino Victory Project helps Latinos win election to local, state and federal offices by developing a pipeline of Latino leaders, training and support of candidates, and by building a public narrative on Latino values and influence.

TheDream.US, represented by Maria Gabriela “Gaby” Pacheco, will be the featured community partner during the luncheon program.   Through her work, Gaby Pacheco has gained national recognition for her courageous advocacy of the DREAM Act and immigration reform.  TheDream.US provides college scholarships to highly motivated “DREAMers” who, without financial aid, cannot afford a college education that will enable them to participate in the American workforce.

The Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ consists of quarterly events convened in Washington, DC and other cities to provide a platform for prominent Latino leaders to share their personal story of obstacles overcome to achieve success and to provide a networking opportunity for elected officials, policy makers, corporate executives, opinion leaders, community activists, industry experts, and political insiders.  Sponsors include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., ExxonMobil, Kraft Foods Group and Southwest Airlines.

About The Latino Leaders Network™

The Latino Leaders Network™ is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to “Bringing Leaders Together” to establish relationships, build unity, and foster dialogue on issues important to the community.  Mickey Ibarra, founder and chairman, served as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House for President Clinton.

Other board members include: Ruben Alvarez, The Molera Alvarez Group, Phoenix, AZ; Soyla Fernández, Fernández Government Solutions, Sacramento, CA; David Ibarra, Ibarra Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT; Maria Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino, Washington, DC; Michelle Minguez, Voto Latino, New York, NY; Miguel Santana, Chief Administrative Officer of Los Angeles, CA; and Ken Trujillo, Partner at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Philadelphia, PA.