For Immediate Release
April 20, 2005
Please Contact: Colin Durrant (617)722-1650 or
Dalié Jiménez, 617-722-1650

Los Angeles, California – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, in collaboration with Massachusetts State Senator Jarret Barrios, will bring together a select group of Latino elected officials from throughout the Northeastern United States for the NALEO Policy Institute on Sustainable Communities, beginning on Earth Day, April 22. The NALEO Institute is designed to help participants enhance their governance and policy skills around creating sustainable communities in the midst of fiscal challenges and unprecedented population growth. The NALEO Institute, being held April 22-24 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, located at 64 Arlington Street, will bring state legislators and their municipal colleagues from nine states in the Northeast together to join national, regional, and local experts to learn and share model initiatives and best practices on sustainability.

Communities across the country are faced with serious fiscal, economic, safety, infrastructure, energy, and environmental challenges. With a growing number of Latino elected officials in the Northeastern representing diverse communities, the Institute presents a forum that promotes the discussion and analysis across jurisdictions of state and local policies. Institute participants will hear from experts on various issues, and will also work in smaller groups to develop effective strategies around neighborhood revitalization, transportation, and the environment that they will be able to implement back home.

"Creating strong and healthy communities needs to be a priority for our elected representatives,” states Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the NALEO Educational Fund. “It is critical that elected officials posses the knowledge and proficiency needed to effectively address these issues in their local communities. NALEO’s goal, by convening experts and elected officials, is to contribute to the exchange of information and develop a cadre of leaders who are equipped to take on these challenges.”

“No matter where they live or play, everyone deserves clean air and water,” said Massachusetts State Senator Jarrett Barrios. “For too long, low-income and minority communities – so-called environmental justice communities -- have borne the burden of much of the nation’s environmental pollution. Working together state, government and community leaders can clean up pollution, encourage economic development and work for cleaner, healthier communities.”

The Altria Group, Inc., the Surdna Foundation, and Washington Mutual are sponsors of the NALEO Policy Institute on Sustainable Communities. Additional convening partners for this Institute include The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Boston City Councillor Felix Arroyo, The Mauricio Gaston Institute – University of Massachusetts, Boston, and ¿Oíste? The Massachusetts Latino Political Organization. For a complete agenda of the event, please visit www.naleo.org.