Latina to head Obama's national political director post

From aide to former Denver Mayor Federico Peña to now the first Latina to hold the post of National Political Director for a presidential reelection campaign.

Katherine Archuleta

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's re-election team has chosen Katherine Archuleta of Denver to be his national political director, becoming the first Latina to hold that position. The Denver, Colorado native's selection is key toward winning Colorado in the 2012 Presidential race.

Archuleta is currently the chief of staff to Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis, but brings year's of experience issue knowledge to Obama's campaign. Some of here previous posts include: aide for Mayor Federico Pena, the only, Latino mayor of Denver; senior advisor to former Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver's lead city planner for the 2008 Democratic National Convention; and, executive director for the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.

"Her understanding of the issues of the West are important," Interior Secretary and fellow Coloradan Ken Salazar told the Denver Post. "And, the understanding in the Latino community is important as well."

Political experts believe Colorado will be the key state to win the White House in 2012, with Karl Rove overheard stating "as goes Colorado, so goes the nation."

Archuleta has a B.A. in Education at Metropolitan State College of Denver and her Master of Education at the University of Northern Colorado. She will be joining Obama's Chicago-based campaign team, which includes campaign manager Jim Messina, who earlier this year stepped down as deputy White House chief of staff, and David Axelrod, who stepped down as White House senior adviser to reprise his role as chief strategist and top political adviser. 

 

First Latina on utility oversight commission

Santa Clara University Law Professor Catherine Sandoval Named Commissioner of CPUC

Catherine Sandoval

SANTA CLARA, CA - Santa Clara University (SCU) Law Professor Catherine J. K. Sandoval has been named by Gov. Jerry Brown to be one of two new commissioners on the five-member California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Sandoval, a Democrat, joined SCU in 2004. She is a tenured associate professor and teaches telecommunications law, antitrust law, and contracts. She has been an active participant in Santa Clara University School of Law’s academic programs in high-tech, international, and social-justice law.

Sandoval is the first Latina to be named to serve as a CPUC Commissioner in its more than 100-year history. The San Francisco-based CPUC oversees rates and other rules for privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, rail, and passenger transportation companies. CPUC commissioners are appointed by California’s governor and must be confirmed by the state Senate for their six-year, staggered terms.

“We are extremely proud to learn of Professor Sandoval’s appointment to the California Public Utilities Commission,” said Donald Polden, dean of Santa Clara University School of Law. “She has a wealth of experience, industry knowledge, and legal expertise to offer the state of California in this important role, and we know that she will do an outstanding job. We expect that our students will benefit from her service on the CPUC.” 

Prior to joining the SCU Law faculty, Sandoval served as the undersecretary for California’s Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency where she worked on infrastructure and energy issues. Previously, she was the vice president and general counsel for Z-Spanish Media Corporation, a Sacramento-based communications company, which provided broadcast and Internet services in several languages.

From 1994 to1999, she was a senior official at the Federal Communications Commission, where she directed the Office of Communications Business Opportunities

Sandoval graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and received her law degree from Stanford Law School. She received a Master of Letters in Politics (Political Science) from Oxford University, which she attended through a Rhodes Scholarship—the first Latina to receive the prestigious award. She hails from East Los Angeles and was the first person in her family to receive a bachelor’s degree.

After law school she clerked for Judge Dorothy W. Nelson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, then was an associate at the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles.

Sandoval will be on a sabbatical next academic year, and may resume a modified teaching schedule thereafter.

About the CPUC

The CPUC regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies. The CPUC serves the public interest by protecting consumers and ensuring the provision of safe, reliable utility service and infrastructure at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy. More information about the CPUC is available at: www.cpuc.ca.gov.

About Santa Clara University School of Law
Santa Clara University School of Law, founded in 1911 on the site of California’s oldest operating higher-education institution, is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. One of the nation’s most diverse law schools, Santa Clara Law offers its 975 students an academically rigorous program, including graduate degrees in international law and intellectual property law; combined J.D./MBA degree; and certificates in intellectual property law, international law, and public interest and social justice law. Santa Clara Law is located in the world-class business center of Silicon Valley, and is distinguished nationally for our top-ranked program in intellectual property. For more information, see law.scu.edu.

Latina appointed to lead HUD Western Region

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION NAMES OPHELIA BASGAL AS HUD'S WESTERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today named Ophelia Basgal to serve as the Regional Director for HUD's Western Region. This region encompasses California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada.

Basgal is a nationally recognized expert on housing and community development issues, having served for 27 years as executive director of the Housing Authority of the County of Alameda, California. She also served on the Congressional Millennial Housing Commission and was a member of several national housing organizations.

"Ophelia Basgal is a seasoned veteran who brings an in-depth understanding of housing and experience in building partnerships with community and civic groups," said Secretary Donovan. "During this time of transformation and outreach at HUD, Ophelia's skill set makes her a tremendous fit for this role."

"The chance to join HUD when it is retooling itself to meet the challenges of today's economy and housing market is a wonderful opportunity," said Basgal. "I look forward to joining a team that I believe will play an integral part in the effort to stabilize our communities and our housing market."

In her new position, Basgal will serve as HUD's liaison to mayors, city managers, elected representatives, state and local officials, congressional delegations, stakeholders and customers. She will also be responsible for overseeing the delivery of HUD programs and services to communities, and evaluating their efficiency and effectiveness.

Currently, Basgal serves as Vice President, Community Relations, for Pacific Gas and Electric Company where she is responsible for managing the company's $19.3 million charitable contributions program, employee volunteerism for PG&E's 20,000 employees and the community engagement programs. Ms. Basgal was also a board member of the University of California Puente Program, and the California Supreme Court Historical Society, where she served as vice-president.

In 2009, Basgal, an Oakland resident for 35 years, earned the Ultimate Hispanic Executive award, an honor presented annually by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs to an outstanding Hispanic leader who demonstrates strength, integrity and commitment to public service, education, and the advancement of leadership.
Basgal holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Arizona State University and a master's in social welfare administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Latina appointed judge by Obama

Obama nominates Arizona judge to 9th Circuit Appeals Court
By Carol J. Williams, LA Times, March 27, 2010

President Obama has nominated Arizona federal trial court Judge Mary H. Murguia to serve on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, the court announced Friday.

Murguia, 49, is the president's second nomination to the nation's largest and busiest appeals court, with UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu named last month to one of three vacancies on the court with 29 judgeships.

Confirmation hearings for Liu had been scheduled this week but were scrapped by Republicans within the Senate Judiciary Committee registering their displeasure over passage of the healthcare bill. No new hearing date has been set.

Murguia, a Kansas native, has served for the last decade on the federal district bench in Arizona, and held senior positions in the U.S. attorney's office during the Clinton administration.

"Judge Murguia has displayed an outstanding commitment to public service throughout her career and as a district judge in Arizona," Obama said in a statement released by the White House on Thursday. "I am honored to nominate her today for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals and confident she will serve the American people with fairness and integrity."

Before becoming the first Latina federal judge in Arizona, Murguia worked in the criminal division of the U.S. attorney's office from 1990 to 2000, the last two years in the Washington executive office.

She began her career in the Wyandotte County district attorney's office in Kansas City after earning her law degree from the University of Kansas in 1985.

The nominee is the twin sister of Janet Murguia, a former Clinton advisor and president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights group.

During her tenure on the district court, Mary Murguia issued important rulings in environmental protection and patent infringement.

A 2008 ruling by Murguia derailed efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the George W. Bush administration to remove protections for desert-nesting bald eagles.

Last year, Murguia came to notice in the intellectual property field when she doubled a jury's award of damages to $371 million to be paid to a New Jersey medical device manufacturer that had developed breakthrough vascular tubing. An Arizona company, W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., was found to have infringed on the patent rights of C.R. Bard Inc.

Her ethnicity and family ties became an issue in a high-profile case last year in which the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department was accused of racial profiling.

Murguia stepped aside after the defendants argued that her sister's activism raised concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial. The judge made it clear that she was reluctantly recusing herself, stating that "no reasonable person would automatically ascribe the views of one sibling to another."

That "generous reading of the recusal statute" could stand her in good stead during the confirmation process as it demonstrates a commendable judicial temperament, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor. He predicted she would eventually win confirmation, despite the contentious state of the committee, because she has decided few controversial cases and has rarely been reversed.

The 9th Circuit handled more than 12,000 appeals last year. Federal appellate judges earn $184,500 a year and serve for life "upon good behavior."

carol.williams@latimes.com

Mass. first Hispanic U.S. Attorney is female

State’s first female, Hispanic U.S. attorney
Lawyer takes historic step
By Laurel J. Sweet, Boston Herald, January 12, 2010

All guts, grit and glamor, Carmen Milagros Ortiz of Milton was sworn in yesterday with the double-barreled distinction of being the state’s first female and first Hispanic U.S. attorney.

And safe to say - with a star-studded welcoming that was the legal community’s equal of Academy Awards night - this successful woman had more than a few good men happy to stand behind her.

Extolling the “characteristic charm and energy” of the widowed mother of two daughters U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who has known Ortiz, 53, since he was a trial lawyer and she a law student interning for the public integrity section of the Department of Justice, said, “Carmen is a natural leader.”

A beaming Ortiz told Holder, “Boy, have we come a long way, huh?”

Holder’s presence at the federal courthouse in South Boston brought with it disconcerting scores of homeland security officials armed with machine guns.

Ortiz, who was a federal prosecutor for 12 years until she was nominated last fall by President Obama, was sworn in by the always mischievous Mark L. Wolf, chief judge of U.S. District Court in Boston.

Wolf playfully warned Holder of Ortiz’ appointment, “To prevail in front of me, the evidence has to be persuasive,” then let the overflow crowd vote on whether he should accept it. They obliged with a cheering, standing ovation.

Wolf said he hopes Ortiz will serve as an inspiration to youth who “desperately need” role models.

Ortiz, a product of hardscrabble Spanish Harlem, said Obama “has given me the opportunity of a lifetime,” and she hopes to have shown her children that “with hard work and perseverance, you can have a happy and fulfilling life, and you can have it all.”

Ortiz said her office’s “top priority” will be to thwart acts of terrorism.

Attorney Sharon Hanson, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis’ chief of staff and Ortiz’ friend of 25 years, told the audience that with Ortiz in office, “You are about to embark on a high quality, innovative and energetic ride.”

Latina appointed Digital Equality Board

Alliance for Digital Equality Appoints Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Northwestern University to Board of Advisors
The Latino Journal E-News, Vol. 2, Issue 6

The Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) has announced the appointment of Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph. D., to its Board of Advisors. Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto serves as Assistant Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University and a Faculty Fellow at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research.

Dr. DeFrancesco Soto's research focuses on race and ethnic politics, immigration, and campaigns and elections. Her academic research has been widely published in scholarly journals and edited volumes. Her current work examines how Latino political candidates are evaluated by both Latino and non-Latino populations. Her research and teaching portfolio links race and ethnicity with political psychology to understand how 'cognition' and 'affect' shape how individuals process information in dynamic political environments.

Dr. DeFrancesco Soto also brings public opinion expertise to understanding presidential elections. Presently, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto is examining how the 2008 presidential campaign ads shaped public opinion and vote choice. In this analysis, she applies an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach to understanding how ethnically targeted ads influence political choice. In 2008, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto was Northwestern's University principal investigator for the Big Ten Battleground Poll, a public opinion survey of voters for the 2008 Presidential Election.

In addition to her current role at Northwestern, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto is in the media sphere, regularly contributing to national media outlets. In 2008, she served as a primary expert and analyst for CNN en Espanol's 2008 Presidential Election coverage. She has also been featured on the Today Show and NPR.

Latina confirmed as Massachusetts U.S. Attorney

Ortiz confirmed as state’s first Hispanic U.S. attorney
By Associated Press, November 7, 2009

Carmen Ortiz has been confirmed as the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, becoming the first Hispanic and the first woman to hold the top federal prosecutor’s job in the state.

Ortiz, an assistant U.S. attorney who prosecutes white-collar crime, was nominated by President Obama in September and confirmed by the U.S. Senate late Thursday. She succeeds Michael Sullivan, who was appointed by President Bush in 2001.

The New York native worked as an assistant U.S. attorney handling white-color crime for the past 12 years and was previously a Middlesex prosecutor and a defense attorney. In 1992, Ortiz was a member of the “October Surprise” team for the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which found no basis for allegations that the 1980 Reagan campaign tried to delay the release of hostages in Iran to undermine President Carter’s re-election. Ortiz also helped investigate allegations of sexual harassment made by a Boston Herald sports writer against the New England Patriots [team stats] in 1990.

Texas Gov. appoints first Hispanic femail to state Supreme Court

- Texas Gov. appoints first Hispanic femail to state Supreme Court
The Texas Insider

Gov. Rick Perry today appointed Appellate Justice Eva M. Guzman of Cypress as the first Hispanic female to serve on the Supreme Court of Texas for a term to expire at the next general election. Guzman was recently recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as Latina Judge of the Year and as 2009 Judge of the Year by the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas Foundation. “Justice Guzman is known throughout legal circles as a strict constructionist with an unmatched work ethic, and has demonstrated a proven record of sound jurisprudence,” Gov. Perry said. “I am proud to appoint this principled, conservative judge as the first Hispanic woman on the Supreme Court of Texas.”