LOS ANGELES – The 26th Annual Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), a three-day event designed to enhance the governance skills of participants and deepen their understanding of critical policy issues, will take place on June 25-27 at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

The NALEO Annual Conference is the largest gathering of Latino elected and appointed officials in the nation. The Conference allows elected officials from all levels of public office to gather with leading policy experts from the public, private, and non-profit sectors to tackle a broad policy agenda, including the 2010 Census, sustainability, education, health care, and immigration reform.

Experts at this year’s Conference include: Cecilia Muñoz, White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; Nancy Sutley,
Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality; Rebecca Blank, Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs;
and Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Director, White House Office of Urban Affairs.

Conference participants will be joined by U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard; California Latino Caucus Chair and State Senator Gil Cedillo; California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass; Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina; San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo; and His Excellency Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to the United States. To obtain additional convention details please visit our website at:
http://www.naleo.org/LA09/NALEO_26th_Annual_Conference_Agenda_061609_External.pdf

What:	NALEO 26th Annual Conference
Who:	NALEO, the nation’s membership organization of Latino public servants and NALEO Educational Fund, the leading organization that empowers Latinos to participate in the American political process, will host nearly 800 elected and appointed officials and their supporters at the nation’s Latino political convention.
When:	June 25 – 27, 2009
Where:	Renaissance Hollywood Hotel 1755 N. Highland Avenue Hollywood, California
Media Registration:	Advance registration is required. To access the media registration page please log on to our website at http://www.naleo.org/news/MediaRegistration_2009.pdf. You can register by contacting Eric Wagner at ewagner@naleo.org or by phone at (213) 747- 7606, ext. 4427.

Opening Plenary:

State of American Communities: Governing in Troubled Economic Times
Thursday, June 25, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom, Salon 1 & 2, Level 5 of Retail

Opening Remarks:
Arturo Vargas, Executive Director, NALEO Educational Fund

Keynote Remarks:
Hon. Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Director, White House Office of Urban Affairs
Hon. Nancy Sutley, Chair, The White House Council on Environmental Quality

Panelists:
Dr. Manuel Pastor, Profesor & Director, USC Center for Sustainable Cities
Hon. Darline Robles, Superintendent, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Session Chair:
Hon. Sylvia Garcia, Commissioner, Harris County, Texas

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Kick-Off Press Conference
Thursday, June 25, 2009, 11:15 a.m.
Location: Studio C, Mezzanine, 2nd Level of Hotel

Ya Es Hora Press Conference
Friday, June 26, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
Location, Studio C, Mezzanine, 2nd Level of Hotel

The “Green Industry:” Providing Solutions for Local Economies
Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom, Salon 6 Level 5 of Retail

Hon. Nancy Sutley,
Chair, The White House Council on Environmental Quality

Plenary: Latinos and Census 2010: On the Brink of the Count
Friday, June 26, 2009, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom, Salon 1 & 2, Level 5 of Retail

Hon. Rebecca Blank, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs,
U.S. Department of Commerce

Justice Matters: A Discussion on the Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor
to the Supreme Court of the United States
Friday, June 26, 2009, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Location: Studio E, Mezzanine, 2nd Level of Hotel

The New Washington and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Friday, June 26, 2009, 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom, Salon 6, Level 5 of Retail

Cecilia Muñoz, Director, The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Plenary: Latinos in Hollywood
Saturday, June 27, 2009, 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom, Salon 1 & 2, Level 5 of Retail

National Leadership Luncheon
Saturday, June 27, 2009, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom, Salon 1 & 2, Level 5 of Retail

Cecilia Muñoz, Director, The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Hon. Julian Castro, Mayor of San Antonio, Texas