WASHINGTON–Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and less than five months before the upcoming midterm elections, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) will assemble the largest gathering of Latino policymakers in the country for the NALEO 31st Annual Conference. Considered the nation’s annual Latino political convention, the event will take place June 26 to 28 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego.
This year’s conference will feature more than 1,000 Latino public officials and supporters from communities across the country. Conference participants will join policy leaders for panel discussions on various issues on the national agenda, including immigration reform, education (with an emphasis on STEM), healthcare, voting rights, Latina political leadership, U.S.-Mexico bi-national issues, water, pensions and an in-depth overview of the influence of Latinos in the upcoming midterm elections. The program will also include a track specifically designed for newly elected officials.
In addition, national leaders will join NALEO for a special plenary on June 26 that will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act by addressing the evolution and future of the civil rights movement for Latinos and all Americans. This year, the three-day event will also include special tributes to active members and veterans of the U.S. military throughout the conference. Two sessions will be dedicated to addressing issues affecting veterans and their families as they reintegrate into their communities after active service.
The conference takes place as Latino voters are expected to increase their decisive influence on national elections this year, with issues like immigration reform and the economy serving as a driving force for the Latino electorate. The NALEO Educational Fund projects that the eligible Latino electorate will reach 25.5 million in 2014, an increase of nearly 20 percent from 2010. This growth will continue in 2016, when the eligible Latino electorate is estimated to reach 28.2 million.
The NALEO conference has emerged as the preeminent forum for our nation’s leadership to engage Latino officials and the millions of constituents NALEO members represent. Notable speakers who will join our nation’s Latino policymakers this year already include the Governor of California Jerry Brown, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States Eduardo Medina Mora.
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