Healthy Communities Policy Institute
April 25-27, 2008 | Philadelphia, PA

Sponsored by
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

On behalf of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO)
Educational Fund, we would like to invite you and your fellow Latino elected officials from
all levels of office to participate in the “Healthy Communities Policy Institute,”
April 25-27, 2007, at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

With the goal of improving the health of communities throughout the nation, the NALEO
Educational Fund will convene Latino policymakers, to discuss and share policy strategies
and solutions to confront the epidemic of chronic disease, particularly childhood obesity.
Presentations and discussion will include: school wellness, community design,
neighborhood safety, transportation, housing, recreation, and access to affordable fresh
foods. Expert information will include the latest research, promising programs, and policy
recommendations from state and local officials, as well as policy researchers. Additionally,
you and your fellow elected officials will participate in cross-jurisdictional dialogue; and
have the opportunity to identify and network with colleagues and experts on this critical
issue from throughout the nation.

Enclosed, you will find a registration form and preliminary agenda for the Healthy
Communities Policy Institute. If you are interested in attending the Institute, please fill out
and mail or fax the enclosed registration form to our Los Angeles office no later than
Friday, March 21, 2008. Space is limited.

Once we receive the form indicating your interest in attending the Institute, we will send
you additional information. Please know there is no fee to attend the Institute for current,
paid NALEO members. Complimentary lodging (two night stay) and travel are available to
you if you are unable to obtain funding from your office.

In addition to the invitation, the NALEO Educational Fund is pleased to provide you the
electronic version of our first health toolkit for Latino elected and appointed officials,
“Taking Action: Obesity in Your Community.”

In response to California’s growing Latino population and the current effects of chronic
disease, the NALEO Educational Fund recognized the need for strong leadership to address
California’s obesity epidemic. The NALEO Educational Fund developed the NALEO
California Health Leadership Program, an intensive health policy leadership program.
The attached toolkit is based on the policy action and lessons learned from the first California
Health Leadership Group. Comprised of 12 elected officials representing various
jurisdictions from throughout the state, these California Latino elected officials have
proved to be true health champions. The toolkit provides an overview of the epidemic of
obesity in California and sample policy strategies to enhance your jurisdictions
environment to promote physical activity and increase access to nutritious, affordable food.

While this tool was designed specifically for California Latino elected officials, we feel the strategies and leadership examples are translatable to elected officials throughout the country. We hope that you and your colleagues find this toolkit useful as you work to build healthy communities. If you would like to download this report, feel free to visit our Web site at www.naleo.org/publicationsandresearch.html.

To take advantage of these or other NALEO health programs, take a moment to become a NALEO member or renew membership using the enclosed NALEO membership form. For questions on membership and other resources available to NALEO members, please contact Mr. Julio Esperias, Membership Coordinators, at (213)747-7606, ext 132, or email at jesperias@naleo.org.

For more information on the upcoming Healthy Communities Policy Institute, Obesity Toolkit
or other NALEO health programs, please feel free to contact Ms. Marcella Martinez, Deputy Director of Constituency Services, at (213) 747-7606, ext 124, or via e-mail at mmartinez@naleo.org.

We look forward to seeing you at the Institute and working with you to build healthy communities.