Roybal Gala 2017 - NALEO Educational Fund

About

the Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service

The Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service was established by NALEO in tribute to the organization’s founder and on the occasion of NALEO’s 20th Anniversary. Selection of this honoree provides an opportunity for Latino elected and appointed officials to recognize the exemplary leadership provided by their colleagues in communities throughout the United States. This award recognizes current or former elected or appointed officials who have distinguished themselves in public office. Through their advocacy and representation efforts, these elected and appointed officials have advanced and given voice to the interests of their constituents and the Latino community.

The Honorable
Mario Diaz-Balart

Currently fulfilling his 8th term serving Florida’s 25th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, NALEO’s 2017 co-awardee U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart passionately serves the Latino community and his constituents. In Congress, he has acted tirelessly in defense of individual rights and liberties, promoting economic prosperity, and supporting a strong national defense. He is well known for his advocacy of human rights and democracy around the world, as well as for his staunch support of our global allies.

A senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations and chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart also serves on the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and the Defense Subcommittees and the House Committee on the Budget.

The Honorable
Lincoln Diaz-Balart

NALEO 2017 fellow awardee former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart has also demonstrated extraordinary leadership on behalf of the Latino community and Floridians. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Florida’s 21st Congressional District in 1992, where he served as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during his first term in office. In 1994, U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart made history as the first Latino to be named to the powerful House Rules Committee.

While in Congress, he was the author of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act of 1997 (NACARA), which granted legal residency to hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the United States who were previously at risk of deportation. U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart retired from Congress in January 2011, after the election of his brother, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, to the seat Lincoln held for 18 years. U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart resides in Miami, Fla., where he currently practices international law and serves as Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI).

Previous Recipients

of the Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service

2016
The Honorable Henry Cisneros
U.S. Secretary

2015
The Honorable Xavier Becerra
Member of Congress, California

2014
“U.S. Senate Gang of Eight”

The Honorable John McCain
United States Senator – Arizona

The Honorable Richard “Dick” Durbin
United States Senator – Illinois

The Honorable Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator – New York

The Honorable Lindsey Graham
United States Senator – South Carolina

The Honorable Robert “Bob” Menendez
United States Senator – New Jersey

The Honorable Michael F. Bennet
United States Senator – Colorado

The Honorable Marco Rubio
United States Senator – Florida

The Honorable Jeffry “Jeff” Flake
United States Senator – Arizona

2013
The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Member of Congress, Florida

2012
The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor, City of Los Angeles

2011
The Honorable Peter M. Rivera
New York State Assemblymember

2010
The Honorable Mel Martinez
United States Senator – Florida

2009
The Honorable Leticia Van de Putte
Texas State Senator

2008
The Honorable Bill Richardson
Governor of the State of New Mexico

2007
The Honorable Marco Rubio
Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives

2006
The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard
Member of Congress, California

2005
The Honorable Raymond G. Sanchez
Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives

2002
The Honorable Manuel Lujan
Fmr. United States Secretary of the Interior
Fmr. Member of Congress, New Mexico

2001
The Honorable Judith Valles
Mayor, City of San Bernardino, California

2000
The Honorable Gloria Tristani
Federal Trade Commissioner

1998
The Honorable Esteban E. Torres
Member of Congress, California

1997
The Honorable Henry B. Gonzalez
Member of Congress, Texas (Ret.)

1996
The Honorable Edward R. Roybal
Member of Congress, California (Ret.)

The Honorable
Edward R. Roybal

February 10, 1916-October 24, 2005

A devoted public servant for 43 years, Edward R. Roybal was at the forefront of efforts to advance civil rights, establish rural mental health programs, fund AIDS research, and improve support services for veterans and the elderly. In 1976, he founded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), creating a national forum for Latino issues, while opening doors for a new generation of Latino leaders.

Roybal was born on February 10, 1916 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the age of six, his family moved to Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, where he graduated from Roosevelt High School. After graduation, Roybal joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, eventually studying business at UCLA and law at Southwestern University.

His public career began in 1942 as a health educator for the California Tuberculosis Association. In 1949, Roybal was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, becoming the first Latino to serve since 1881. He sat on the City Council until 1962, when he then went on to become the first Mexican-American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from California. As a Congressman he established a reputation as a staunch civil libertarian while working on issues such as immigrant rights, education, and health care. As a member of the Appropriations Committee and as the Chairman of the Subcommittees on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government, Congressman Roybal was one of the “thirteen cardinals” of the House of Representatives. He was also one of the ranking members of the Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. His post on the Appropriations Committee enabled him to work on federal funding for health and education programs, and bilingual education.

Roybal was a major catalyst in the establishment of the House Select Committee on Aging and served as its Chairman from 1983 to 1993. His vision and ability to analyze problem situations prompted him to fight and obtain, in 1982, the first ever funding specifically dedicated to research on AIDS. In 1989, he continued his work on health care issues and was instrumental in renewing legislation to provide medical services to people with Alzheimer’s disease. In 1992, he chose not to run for reelection.

During his three decades of service, Roybal worked to protect the rights of the underserved, the elderly, and the physically challenged. Throughout this career, he received numerous honors and awards, including two honorary law degrees from Pacific States University and Claremont Graduate School. In 1973, Yale University honored him with a visiting Chubb Fellowship. On January 8, 2001, President William J. Clinton presented Congressman Roybal with the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal of Honor. In 2014, Congressman Roybal was awarded posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.

Chair of the 2017 NALEO Edward R. Roybal Legacy Gala