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November 9,
2006
Contact: Tatiana Guerra, 202-434-8070
Norelie Garcia, 202-969-8777
National Hispanic Caucus
Of State Legislators
Presents Leadership Award To Maryland Delegate
Ana Sol Gutierrez
San
Juan, Puerto Rico – President of the
National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL),
New York Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz, announced
Maryland Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez as the
recipient of the NHCSL John S. Martinez
Excellence in Leadership Award. “Delegate Sol
Gutierrez has consistently demonstrated a unique
commitment to serve her community, in particular
to ensure that our young people have the
opportunity to have access to quality education,”
said NHCSL President, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz
(NY).
“To be recognized by one’s peers in any
professional or personal endeavor is the
ultimate honor,” stated Delegate Sol Gutierrez.
“I am deeply moved and truly grateful to my
colleagues and friends at NHCSL for honoring my
work as a legislator with this very special
leadership award.”
Delegate Sol Gutiérrez made history as the first
Latina to be elected as a Maryland state
legislator to the Maryland House of Delegates (District
18, Montgomery County, Maryland) in November,
2002. Previously, she was elected to the
Montgomery County (MD) Board of Education
serving as president and vice president during
two terms from 1990-98. She was the first Latina
ever to serve on a Maryland school board, as
well as the first Salvadoran-American elected to
public office in the USA (1990).
A chemist and computer systems engineer by
profession, she was appointed in 1994 by
President Clinton as the Deputy Administrator
for Research at the U.S. Department of
Transportation. She has worked for over 30 years
in information technology in the private sector
and is a recognized leader and role model for
women in the fields of science and technology.
She has twice been recognized among the “100
Most Influential Hispanics in the USA” by
Hispanic Magazine, and named among Maryland’s
Top 100 Women in 2006.
Her passion for educational equity and her
direct experience with public policy, at the
local, state, and national levels, have made her
a progressive and effective leader in Annapolis,
where she continues to work to close the
educational achievement gaps for Latino and
African American students, and to protect
immigrant, civil, and women’s rights in Maryland.
During her first term as a legislator, she
worked incessantly to defeat anti-immigrant
legislation and to protect everyone’s access to
driver’s licenses, making Maryland one of only
ten states that grant licenses to immigrants
regardless of immigration status. She strongly
opposed weakening current gun safety laws and
the expansion of slot machines and casinos in
Maryland.
The John S. Martinez Excellence in Leadership
Award is named in honor of John S. Martinez,
former State Representative of Connecticut and
NHCSL President in 2001-2002. The award is
presented annually to a Hispanic legislator who
embodies passion, dedication and great
achievement throughout his/her political career.
Delegate Gutierrez will receive the award at the
NHCSL Fourth National Summit that will be held
November 16-18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
# # #
The NHCSL is the premier national association of
Hispanic state legislators working to design and
implement policies and procedures that will
improve the quality of life for Hispanics
throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in
1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 with
the mission to be the most effective voice for
the more than 300 Hispanic legislators. For more
information visit www.nhcsl.org. |
