WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANICS ANNOUNCES PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to Induct Commissioners, Joins Community Leaders to Honor the White House Initiative

More than a dozen new members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics were announced at the White House and sworn-in at an official ceremony with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the Smithsonian Castle on Thursday, May 26. The Commission works to improve academic excellence and opportunities by providing advice to President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

	CAPTION: White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics director Juan Sepúlveda discusses the challenge at the first meeting of the President’s Advisory Commission held Thursday at the White House. Left to right at table: Lisette Nieves, Darline P. Robles, Ricardo Romo, Alicia Abella, Juan Sepúlveda. PHOTO CREDIT: Leslie Williams DOWNLOAD HI-RES: http://x.co/whi1
	CAPTION: President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics chair Eduardo J. Padrón addresses community leaders at the swearing-in of new Commission members at the Smithsonian Institution Castle. Left to right: Cecilia Muñoz, Sylvia Acevedo, Juan Sepúlveda, Manny Sanchez, Eduardo Diaz, Maria Neira, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Eduardo J. Padrón. PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Hoover DOWNLOAD HI-RES: http://x.co/whi2
	CAPTION: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor swears-in members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the Smithsonian Institution Castle on Thursday. Standing left to right: Eduardo J. Padrón, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, JoAnn Gama, Daniel Cardinali, Sylvia Acevedo, Manny Sanchez, Maria Neira, Luis R. Fraga, Alicia Abella, César Conde; Sitting: Eduardo Diaz, G. Wayne Clough, U.S. Rep. Hinosa Rubén Hinojosa, D-Texas PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Hoover DOWNLOAD HI-RES: http://x.co/whi3
	CAPTION: New members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics listen to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor deliver remarks at the Smithsonian Institution Castle. Left to right: Daniel Cardinali, Ricardo Romo, JoAnn Gama, Darline P. Robles, Sylvia Acevedo PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Hoover DOWNLOAD HI-RES: http://x.co/whi4
	CAPTION: Members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics pose after an official ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution Castle. Top row: José Rico, Daniel Cardinali, Patricia Gándara, Darline P. Robles, Luis R. Fraga, Lisette Nieves, César Conde, Juan Sepúlveda; Bottom row: Eduardo J. Padrón, Ricardo Romo, JoAnn Gama, Sylvia Acevedo, Manny Sanchez, Maria Neira, Alicia Abella. PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Hoover DOWNLOAD HI-RES: http://x.co/whi5
	CAPTION: White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics director Juan Sepúlveda addresses community leaders at the swearing-in of new Commission members at the Smithsonian Institution Castle. Top row: Ricardo Romo, Daniel Cardinali, JoAnn Gama, Patricia Gándara, Sylvia Acevedo, Darline P. Robles, Eduardo Diaz, Juan Sepúlveda, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Maria Neira, Luis R. Fraga, G. Wayne Clough, Alicia Abella, César Conde, Eduardo J. Padrón PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Hoove DOWNLOAD HI-RES: http://x.co/whi6

NEW MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COMMISSION ON EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANICS:

	Francisco G. Cigarroa, of Laredo, Texas, is the chancellor of The University of Texas (UT) System, the first Latino to hold this position.
	Ricardo Romo, of San Antonio, Texas, is the president of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a four-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution. Romo is the first Mexican-American to hold this position.
	Darline P. Robles, of Los Angeles, California, is a professor of clinical education at the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California.
	Alicia Abella, of Florham Park, New Jersey, is the executive director of the Innovative Services Research Department, AT&T Labs Research, which specializes in data mining, user interfaces, IPTV, mobile services and SIP/VoIP technology.
	Marta Tienda, of Princeton, New Jersey, is a professor of demographic studies and a professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University
	Luis R. Fraga, of Seattle, Washington, is associate vice provost for Faculty Advancement, a Russell F. Stark university professor, director of the Diversity Research Institute, and professor of political science at the University of Washington.
	Maria Neira, of Latham, New York, is a bilingual elementary school teacher who rose through the ranks of union leadership to become a nationally recognized expert on education issues.
	Sylvia Acevedo, of Austin, Texas, is the founder, president and chief executive officer of CommuniCard, LLC.
	Daniel Cardinali, of Washington, D.C., is president of Communities In Schools, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to surrounding students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.
	Lisette Nieves, of New York, New York, is the Belle Zeller Distinguished Visiting Professor in Public Policy at the City University of New York and is Social Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Blue Ridge Foundation, a leading nonprofit incubator.
	Manny Sanchez, of Chicago, Illinois, is the founder and managing partner of the law firm of Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP.
	Alfredo J. Artiles, of Tempe, Arizona, is a professor of Culture, Society and Education and Transborder Studies at Arizona State University (ASU).
	JoAnn Gama, of McAllen, Texas, is cofounder and chief operations officer of IDEA Public Schools.
	César Conde, of Miami, Florida, is the president of Univisión Networks at Univisión Communications, Inc.
	Patricia Gándara, of Los Angeles, California, is a professor of education in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.