La Raza Convention Addresses Childhood Obesity

WASHINGTON — San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health Dr. Garth Graham, Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Thelma Melendez, and United Negro College Fund President and CEO Michael Lomax are among the panelists scheduled to present at town hall meetings during the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference. NCLR (National Council of La Raza) is the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

These and other speakers will address efforts to prevent childhood obesity, increase the number of Latino college graduates, tackle the economic crisis, and restore opportunities in our communities.

The town hall meetings, which are free and open to the public, will be held each afternoon from July 10 to July 12 in the Grand Ballroom of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Saturday, July 10, 2010, 3:00–4:30 p.m.
Educating Our Way Out of the Economic Crisis: Everyone College-Ready
Sponsored by Univision Communications, Inc.

Speakers:

• Dr. Michael Lomax, President and CEO, United Negro College Fund
• Dr. Ricardo Romo, President, University of Texas at San Antonio
• Thelma Meléndez de Santa Anna, PhD, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
• Raymund A. Paredes, PhD, Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
• Dr. Daniel P. King, Superintendent, Pharr–San Juan–Alamo Independent School District
• Delia Pompa, Vice President of Education, NCLR

Sunday, July 11, 2010, 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Childhood Obesity: A Call for Action
Sponsored by AARP, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, and Walmart

Speakers:

• Dr. Garth Graham, MD, MPH, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Hon. Ciro Rodriguez, Texas State Representative (D–23rd District)
• Dr. William L. Henrich, President, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
• Dr. Fernando Guerra, Director of Health, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
• Lisa Pino, Deputy Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Monday, July 12, 3:00–4:30 p.m.
What’s the Holdup? Strategies to Jump-Start a Stalled Economy
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase and American Federation of Teachers

Speakers:

• Janet Murguía, President and CEO, NCLR
• Hon. Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Hon. Julián Castro, Mayor of San Antonio
• Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and President, PolicyLink
• Julie Stav, Financial Expert and Best-Selling Author