In the aftermath of the 2004 election, it is a fascinating time here in Washington. Latinas and Latinos are flexing their political muscles, and 2005 promises to be a banner year for Latina leadership. All Latina members of Congress have returned to Washington, and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano has assumed the role of chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Esther Aguilera is the new president and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and Monica Lozano is the new chair of the National Council of La Raza, with Janet Murgia as president and CEO. Alma Morales Riojas is the new chair of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Sandra Madrid is the new chair of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, and Marisa Rivera-Albert continues as NHLI’s president. Across the country, Latina-owned businesses continue to thrive. Latinas are presidents of 53 of the 142 Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, and the number of Latina executives continues to rise.

Grace Napolitano, the new chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, addresses the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

Are you getting the picture? At the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Anna Escobedo Cabral becomes the 42nd treasurer of the United States and the highest-ranking Latina in the president’s administration. She will be a great advocate of Latina and Hispanic issues, and we are thrilled to have her gracing our first cover of 2005.

We are also delighted to offer you our recap on the Latina voting power of the last election, and to bring you the 2005 Hispanic political perspective directly from the decision makers: From the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Napolitano gives us a vision of her platform as chair of the CHC, and from the U.S. Senate we are proud to bring you Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar’s plans as he begins this new chapter in his life and in American politics; stay tuned next issue for the words of Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida.

These Latino and Latina leaders have in common a complete commitment to service to our country; we expect great things from all of them. You can submit your comments to all our featured Hispanic elected and appointed officials by emailing us at politics@latinastyle.com.

Finally, we are preparing for our eighth LATINA Style 50 awards on Feb. 3 in Washington, D.C. You will be able to read all about it in our next issue, and look forward to videos of the event on our website. The LATINA Style Business Series will travel to seven cities this year, beginning in Denver on March 18, and the National LATINA Symposium is scheduled for Sept. 8 and 9 in Washington, D.C.

Remember, if you believe you know a story we should be telling or an issue that we should be highlighting, email us at editor@latinastyle.com. We look forward to hearing from you.


Robert E. Bard

[This article has been edited for www.latinastyle.com. For the full version, check out the January/February issue of LATINA Style.]

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