Orlando, Fla. – The White House held a Hispanic Policy Conference at the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law in Orlando on Sept. 9-10 to connect senior administration officials from a wide array of policy areas with Hispanic leaders, small business owners and local officials to discuss issues critical to the Hispanic community, the state of Florida, and the nation. The conference was the first of a series that will take place across the country in the coming weeks and months.
The regional gathering followed a national Hispanic Policy Conference held at the White House in July. As with the national conference, the meetings in Orlando provided an opportunity for participants to interact with White House and Cabinet agency officials on important issues ranging from jobs and the economy, to education and health care, to fixing the broken immigration system so that it meets our nation’s 21st century economic and security needs.
The conference in Orlando began with a plenary session followed by dynamic breakout sessions on the first day, followed by an innovative open-space dialogue on the second day in which summit participants worked together to define the agenda and shape the format.
“It was a privilege to host this summit, which provided a robust discussion between key policymakers and the community on the issues facing Hispanics and the entire nation,” said Leticia M. Diaz, dean of Barry Law School. “It also was in line with our school’s mission, commitment to social justice, and efforts to develop our students’ awareness of the social, economic, political, and moral forces that shape the development of laws and the world around us.”
Administration officials that participated included:
Francisco Sanchez, Under Secretary for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce
John Trasviña, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Teresa Niño, Director, Office of Public Engagement, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Lisa Pino, Deputy Administrator of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Esther Olavarria, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Stephanie Valencia, Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Engagement
Juan Sepúlveda, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
José Rico, Deputy Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
Jorge P. Silva-Puras, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
Shyam Reddy, Regional Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration
Juan Torres, Assistant Area Director, Florida Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Karen Stone, Assistant Area Director, Florida Occupational Safety and Health Administration