* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [ Austin National Latina Day ] [00:00:08] GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO NATIONAL. STARTING THAT DAY, SPONSORED BY THE HISPANIC, LATINO NETWORK AND WOMEN TO WOMEN'S AFFINITY GROUPS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. WE COULD NOT BE HAPPIER TO BE WITH YOU VIRTUALLY TODAY TO CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF PROMISE OF WOMEN. MY NAME IS THE COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR FOR THE AUSTIN HISPANIC NETWORK. I'LL BE YOUR HOST TODAY. WE'VE GOT A WONDERFUL SHOW. SO I'M GOING TO KICK IT OFF TO DARLENE BERKHEIMER CHAIR OF HLN, THE AUSTIN HISPANIC LATINO NETWORK, AND COFOUNDER OF WOMEN TO WOMEN FOR US. NICE, WELCOME, AND START TO OUR SHOW. THANK YOU. WELL WELCOME. HELLO EVERYBODY AGAIN. MY NAME IS DARLENE BIRD CAMERA, AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN HISPANIC LATINO NETWORK. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BRING THIS VIRTUAL PROGRAM AND CELEBRATION OF LATINOS, THEIR PERSPECTIVES, THEIR JOURNEYS, AND WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE. IN HONOR, OF NATIONAL LATINO DAY. LIKE MANY OF US, WE CONTINUE TO STRONGLY IDENTIFY WITH OUR MULTIETHNIC MULTICULTURAL MULTIRACIAL ROOTS, AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE THOSE PERSPECTIVES AND OUR HERITAGE. AND WE'LL BE CELEBRATING THOSE THINGS TODAY IN TWO PARTS. THE FIRST PART IS A CONVERSATION WITH LATINOS LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND THE SECOND PART IS MUSIC. AND FOR ME, MUSIC PLAYS A VERY SPECIAL PART OF MY LIFE. IT'S THE SOUND OF MY FAMILY OF FAMILY PARTIES AND HEART WRENCHING LOVES SONGS THAT WE ALL ENJOY. MY LATINO SOUL JUMPS. EVERY TIME I HEAR MARIACHI MUSIC, IT BRINGS BACK WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF CELEBRATION FOR ME, THAT FAMILY. SO I AM THRILLED TO CELEBRATE LATINAS WITH YOU TODAY THROUGH CONVERSATION AND MUSIC. SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, ENJOY AND CELEBRATE THE LIKE IN YOUR LIFE. THANK YOU, DARLENE. AND FOR A WELCOME FROM BEN ARNICA. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M FRANK . I'M THE CHIEF ECONOMIC RECOVERY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND I AM ALSO HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. I AM ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF WOMAN TO WOMAN AND A COHEN CURRENT CO-CHAIR WOMAN TO WOMAN AS AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION FOR CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES, INTERESTED AND ADVANCING ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO WOMEN. THIS IS A IMPORTANT INTERSECTIONALITY OF BEING, UM, BOTH, UH, BEING A WOMAN OF COLOR, BEING A WOMAN AND THE HAIL AT THE MOUNT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE THIS DAY. WE BRING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO THE TABLE AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AS A CITY, WE HAVE, WE HAVE LATINOS REPRESENTED THROUGHOUT OUR ORGANIZATION. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH SOME OF OUR FANTASTIC LATINO LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE, THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE TO SHARE. IF YOU ARE WATCHING AND YOU ARE A CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE AND INTERESTED IN JOINING WOMAN, A WOMAN AND LEARNING MORE, UM, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR. WE'RE AN OFFICIAL AFFINITY GROUP FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO THAT'S A HUGE STEP AND WE WILL BE SURVEYING SENDING OUT A SURVEY TO LOOK FOR INTEREST IN SERVING ON OUR BOARD AND VOLUNTEERING AT OUR EVENTS. SO MORE TO COME IN THAT REGARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING OUR SPEAKERS AND OUR MUSIC. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT AS AN ALL WOMAN MARIACHI BAND. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU AND GOD, AND IT IS MY PLEASURE TO HAVE OUR GUESTS WITH US TODAY. UM, FIRST WEEK WE HAVE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN NUDE YET TO BE BETTER VENDOR MINE AND NYDIA PRIOR TO HER POSITION, THE CITY OF AUSTIN SERVED AS MINNEAPOLIS CITY COORDINATOR, UH, THE TOP, UH, POSITION FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS GOVERNMENT. AND, UM, ALSO SERVED AS MINNEAPOLIS'S DEPUTY CITY COORDINATOR. SHE WAS PREVIOUSLY CONSULTANT SPECIALIZING IN JUDICIAL AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AT AN EXECUTIVE IN VARIOUS PUBLIC SERVICE ROLES IN PUERTO RICO. NODIA HOLDS A LAW DEGREE FROM NEW YORK UNIVERSITY. WE ALSO HAVE WITH US TODAY, MS. DIANA MALDONADO, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE GREATER AUSTIN HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE YANA WAS THE FIRST LATINO ELECTED TO REPRESENT WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND ALSO SERVE SIX YEARS ON THE ROUND ROCK ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES AS BOTH THE TRUSTEE AND BOARD PRESIDENT BEFORE HER YEARS IN PUBLIC SERVICE, SHE WORKED AS FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND WE'RE THE WORLD'S LARGEST INVESTMENT FIRMS AND HOLDS A DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION FROM SAINT EDWARDS UNIVERSITY. WELCOME TO OUR FIRST GUEST RIBERA VENDOR MIND. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. UM, SO OUR PANELISTS ARE GOING TO JOIN US FOR A BIT OF A CONVERSATION ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE LATINAS AND FRANKLY SPEAKING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE [00:05:01] HALF-ASSED LADY BOSSES, AND WE ARE EXCITED TO TALK TO THEM TODAY. UM, PANELISTS, IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND TO TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS AND THESE ARE THE JOYS OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMMINGS. SO PLEASE STICK WITH US AND WE'VE GOT MS. MELINDA ON CAMERA. HI, HOW ARE Y'ALL MY CAMERA'S ON, I DO NOT SEE A NEW IDEA AND PERHAPS OUR TURN IT OFF AND THERE WE ARE. AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WITH THANK YOU SO MUCH WITH US TODAY AND JOINING US FOR THIS CONVERSATION. SO TO KICK US OFF, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FIRST ICE BREAKER QUESTION. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE A HALF A LADY BOSS AND WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST? OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME AND SEE ME? I CAN HEAR YOU AND SAY THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THANK YOU TO THE HAVE FUN LADIES AND CITY OF AUSTIN AND FOR PRESENTING AN AMAZING PROGRAM ON NATIONAL LATINA DAY. UM, I WOULD SAY AS FAR AS BEING LATINA, IT'S ABOUT BEING YOURSELF AND, AND BRINGING OUT ALL, ALL THE AUTHENTICITY AND YOUR INDIVIDUALISM THAT YOU HAVE AND BRING IT TO THE TABLE AND DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND, JUST BE YOURSELF. AND TO BE CURIOUS, UH, WITH REGARDS TO HOW WE INTERACT AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WITH OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, UH, IT'S JUST LIVING LIFE FULLY AND LIVING LIFE BEAUTIFULLY. SO I'LL SAY, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON ALIBABA AND SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH DEANNA. UH, YOU KNOW, THE NICE THING I WOULD SAY ABOUT BEING A HEIFER AND GETTING TO THIS STAGE IN MY LIFE, RIGHT, IS THAT YOU GET TO BE YOURSELF THAT YOU GET TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, I'M TALKING TO STAFF AND THERE WILL BE A PHRASE THAT MY FATHER WILL SAY, AND I'LL GET TO SAY THAT IN SPANISH AND THEN TRANSLATE. BUT I, I GET TO BRING ALL OF MYSELF, UM, THAT INCLUDES, UH, BEING THAT DINA AND SPEAKING SPANISH AND, UM, BRINGING MY HERITAGE INTO A ROOM. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE NOT IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY OR YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN DO THAT ALL THE TIME. SO THERE IS A PRIVILEGE THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT I GET TO ELEVATE WHAT IT IS TO HAVE TO BE PUERTO RICAN YET TO BE LATINA, TO BRING MY HERITAGE INTO A ROOM. AND I TRY TO DO THAT WHEN I CAN, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OTHER STAFF WHO MAY ALSO BE THINKING IN THE BACKGROUND, CAN I BRING MY WHOLE SELF TO WORK? AND THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO DO THAT. SO THERE IS, THERE IS A PRIVILEGE TO, TO BEING HIPAA, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND, UM, YOUR, YOUR RESPONSES ARE JUST SO MEANINGFUL FOR ALL OF US AT THE NOW WOMEN WHO ARE SHOWING UP AS OURSELVES, UM, IN THE WORKPLACES. IT'S A PERFECT SEGUE TO OUR NEXT QUESTION. UM, SO WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING NOTHINGNESS IN PUBLIC SERVICE GOVERNMENT SECTOR AND IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. UM, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN WHEN WE SHOW UP AS OUR FULL LATINA SELVES, AND I THINK PIANO IS TALKING ON MUTE AND SORRY, I, WITH THAT ASPECT OF THERE'S A DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVE AND A DIVERSITY LENS, UM, AND PROBLEM SOLVING AND BRINGING SOLUTIONS THAT YOU CAN TALK, UH, TO THE GROUP OR OUT ON THE TOPIC AT HAND THAT OTHER PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, THAT CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE, AS LATINAS WERE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, WE'RE ABLE TO BRIDGE AND COLLABORATE EFFECTIVELY AND IN A MEANINGFUL WAY THAT PROVIDES THAT SYNERGY FOR SOLUTIONS VERSUS HAVING, YOU KNOW, TENSION OR HAVING, YOU KNOW, SET BACKS. UH, I THINK AS MOTHERS, AS DAUGHTERS, AS THE, AS, AS PRETTY MUCH AS HOWEVER WE PARTICIPATE AND HOWEVER OUR ROLES ARE WITH OUR FAMILIES AND IN OUR FRIENDS, WE ALSO BRING THAT TO OUR PROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP ROLES TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE [00:10:02] AND BRING SOLUTIONS BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO NURTURES. AND WE'RE ALSO HAVE THAT GUT INSTINCT, UM, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, NOT THAT WE PLEASE EVERYBODY, BUT WE HAVE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT CONCEPT OR THAT ASPECT INSIDE WHEN WE'RE BUILDING COALITIONS AND BRINGING OUT SOLUTIONS. I ECHO THAT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S, UM, I, I THINK WE ARE LATINOS, LATINOS IN PARTICULAR AND IN GENERAL, I THINK WE ARE VERY, UM, FAMILY IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO WHAT WE DO, RIGHT. AND SO, BECAUSE FAMILY IS, AND WE DEFINE FAMILY VERY BROADLY. UH, WE BECOME NATURAL MULTITASKERS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FAMILY TO, UH, NURTURE TO WORK WITH AND, AND ALL SORTS OF ASPECTS. AND SO I THINK THAT WE, UH, WE COME TO COLLABORATION AND WE COME TO COMMUNITY IN SUCH A BROADER SENSE OF THE WORD. AND I THINK WE BRING THAT TO OUR WORK. THERE IS A MULTICULTURALISM AND A SENSITIVITY TO WHAT IS HAPPENING OUT IN COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WHERE LATINO COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN EMPATHY TO OTHERS THAT ARE IN SIMILAR, UM, STRUGGLES TO A MAINSTREAM CULTURE. AND SO I THINK SOME OF THAT COMES FROM, UH, OUR HERITAGE AND OUR CULTURE AND OUR TIES TO A DEFINITION OF A BROADER FAMILY COALITION. AND THEN NATURALLY BRINGING THAT TO WORKPLACE THAT IS SUCH, SUCH A VALUABLE PERSPECTIVE, THANKFUL FOR YOU SHARING THAT WITH US. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO TALK TO PEOPLE THAT LOOK UP TO ABOUT WHO THEY LOOK UP TO. AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO ASK YOU TODAY, THAT PLAYED IN ALL OF OUR MINDS WAS JUST, AND WHO WERE THOSE YOUNG NORDEA'S AND DEANNA IS LOOKING UP TO AS THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, GOING UP TAKING NAMES AND, UM, AND ASCENDING, UM, AND MANY TIMES BEING THE FIRST, UM, TO DO MANY THINGS WHO, WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING AT TO, SO WE'D LOVE TO UNDERSTAND AND, UM, AND KNOW MORE ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE ON YOUR JOURNEY THAT WERE YOUR GREATEST MENTORS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES TO MIND, AND I WAS RECENTLY INTERVIEWED ON A PODCAST WITH US WITH A SIMILAR THEME, BUT I THINK WHAT HAPPENED FOR ME IS THE ASCENSION THAT I HAD. I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF, UH, MENTORS PER SE, TO, TO LOOK UP TO AND, AND, AND BOUNCE BACK IDEAS, THE BEAUTY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING, YOU KNOW, THEN MORE EXPERIENCED AND HAVING BEEN IN THOSE ROLES IS TO ALWAYS TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK BACK AND REFLECT, UM, AND, AND TO PIVOT, TO PIVOT WHERE LIKE, WELL, IF I DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY EARLY ON YET, I WAS ABLE TO, TO FUNCTION AND PERFORM WELL. IS THAT WHAT I, WHAT I LOOK BACK NOW IS, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I HAVE MY PEER MENTORS. I HAVE SENATOR CAROLINE , WHO WE WERE BOTH, UH, FRESHMEN, CLASSMATES IN THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. I ONLY GOT ONE SOLDERS AS WELL. UH, I KNOW SENATOR , UH, AS FAR AS THE LEGISLATIVE PERSPECTIVE, THESE THREE WOMEN REALLY RESONATE WITH ME AS I WAS, UH, GOING INTO THIS AREA. UH, HOWEVER, LOOKING BACK, I DO LOOK AT MY EBITA WHERE BACK IN THE 1940S, AND THIS IS PART OF, AS YOU GET OLDER AND HAVE THAT MATURITY AND WISDOM TO SAY, I MAY HAVE NOT HAD A MENTOR, BUT MAYBE I DID ALL ALONG. AND I REALLY FELT THAT IT WAS MY AND MY MOTHER, UM, BOTTLE A GONZALEZ, BECAUSE THEY WENT THROUGH SO MANY STRUGGLES. AND, YOU KNOW, THE SAYING, AS YOU KNOW, I STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF THESE TWO WONDERFUL, STRONG WOMEN, BECAUSE IN THEIR TIME THEY HAD EVEN MORE OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME WITH REGARDS TO, TO WOMEN ISSUES, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DISCRIMINATION ISSUES. AND I THINK IT'S THROUGH THEIR STRENGTH AND PERSEVERANCE THAT I'M ABLE TO DO AND LEAD THROUGH INTEGRITY AND THROUGH THEIR EXAMPLE AND THROUGH LEGACY AND TO BE ABLE TO PAY IT FORWARD AND MENTOR, AND BE THE BEST FOR OTHERS IN THIS ROLE AND THE OTHER ROLES THAT I SERVE. THANK YOU, DEANNA. AND NEW IDEA, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS WELL ON THIS. SURE. YOU KNOW, IT'S IRONIC THAT YOU'RE ASKING ME THE QUESTION. I'LL LET MY BEST FRIEND CAME TO VISIT ME A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND [00:15:01] WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS QUESTION AND SHE ASKED ME ABOUT IT. AND I STRUGGLED BECAUSE I KEPT THINKING, OH, WHO WOULD I CLAIM EXTERNALLY AS A MENTOR? AND THE REALITY IS I DON'T CLAIM ANYONE EXTERNALLY. MY MENTORS HAVE BEEN AS CLICHE AS IT SOUNDS. MY PARENTS, MY MOTHER IS, UH, IS FROM SPAIN. SHE LEFT SPAIN WHEN SHE MARRIED AN INDIAN AS MY GRANDMOTHER, UH, SORT OF DUBBED MY FATHER. AND AT THAT TIME, IT WAS UNHEARD OF FOR HER TO HAVE LEFT SPAIN AND TO COME ALL THE WAY TO AMERICA. UM, AND WITHOUT KNOWING A WORD OF ENGLISH, WE WERE IN PUERTO RICO. AND WHEN MY FATHER WAS STATIONED AS A PHYSICIAN IN VIETNAM, AT SOME POINT, WE CAME TO THE STATES AND FOR FIVE YEARS, SHE HAD TO MANEUVER ALONE AND LEARN A LANGUAGE WITH TWO LITTLE KIDS. UM, AND IT JUST, SHE IS, UH, NO, I OFTEN SAY SHE'S A, . SHE IS A WOMAN, UH, OF TENACITY. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS I MAY HAVE BUTTED HEADS WITH HER IN MY YOUTH, UM, I'M PROBABLY MORE ALIKE HER THEN, UM, THEN I CARED WOULD MET MY FATHER ON THE OTHER HAND IS ICE TO THAT. FIRE IS STEADY AND STABLE IS REASONED. HE MADE US READ TIMES AND NEWSWEEK, UH, SINCE I WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND MADE SURE THAT I HAD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY MADE SURE I HAD A SENSE OF NEWS AND THE WORLD AROUND ME AND WAS POLITICALLY ACTIVE. SO I NEED NOT LOOK ANY FURTHER FOR MENTORS THAN MY OWN PARENTS THAT SURE. YES. AND IF I MAY ADD TO THAT MENTORSHIP, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE MOODY AND I, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE A SIMILAR PROCESS WITH REGARDS TO MENTORSHIP. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO IS THE INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORSHIP. I LOOK TO LATINAS YOUNGER THAN THE, WHO I ADMIRE AND RESPECT AND HOW THEY ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEN THEIR RESPECTED PROFESSIONS. AND, AND AGAIN, I GO BACK TO FAMILIA BECAUSE MY COUSIN, UM, SHE'S A FORMER SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR KANSAS, THE YOUNGEST AND THE FIRST LATINA TO BE ELECTED TO THE KANSAS STATE LEGISLATURE. SO WE WERE IN OFFICE AT THE SAME TIME. UH, BUT I ALSO, SHE'S LITERALLY ONE OF MY BIGGEST MENTORS AND OBVIOUSLY SHE'S YOUNGER THAN ME, BUT I ALSO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, , SHE'S ALSO SOMEBODY THAT I LOOKED UP TO AND ADMIRE. SO I THINK ALSO THERE IS AN INTERRACIAL INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORSHIP THAT THERE'S JUST SO MANY EXAMPLES US TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. DEFINITELY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL, UM, BOTH OF YOU HIT IT EARLIER IN OUR CONVERSATION THAT WE ARE ALL ALWAYS LOOKING ALL AROUND US. RIGHT. FOR, UM, FOR EXAMPLES, FOR INS FOR INSPIRATION, UM, WITH TONS OF HUMILITY. UM, BUT WE'RE TYPICALLY ALSO LOOKING TO BRING OTHER PEOPLE UP IN THAT BROAD CONCEPT OF FAMILIA THAT NUDIE I TALKED ABOUT. AND SO WE WANT TO, UM, BETTER GET TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR VISION IS FOR BRINGING UP OTHER LATINAS AROUND YOU AND PERHAPS, UM, MAYBE IT'S TO TAKE THE TIME. YUP. I WAS TRYING TO FIND MY UNMUTE. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO TRY TO LIFT UP, RIGHT. WHETHER IT IS, UM, WOMEN GENERALLY, BUT LATINAS IN PARTICULAR, I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK THROUGH WHAT ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND TO OPEN UP DOORS. UM, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S FUNNY WHEN THE MAYOR OF MINNEAPOLIS ASKED ME TO BECOME COORDINATOR AND HE OUTED HIMSELF AS I WAS LEAVING THE CITY. CAUSE HE SAID THIS, UH, PUBLICLY ON TV THAT MY ONE ASKED TO HIM WAS IF YOU'RE PUTTING ME IN THIS POSITION, BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO BE A LATINA WOMAN, THEN DON'T DO THAT. YOU NEED TO FIRST MAKE SURE THAT I CAN DO THE JOB AND BE COMFORTABLE IN THAT THE REST IS, UH, GREAT, RIGHT? UH, THE REST IS A BONUS TO YOU. UM, AND SO I BELIEVE IN THAT, THAT AS, AS WE OPENED DOORS, I WANT PEOPLE TO SURE THAT THEY, UM, ARE SUCCESSFUL. SO THEY SHOW SUCCESS ON THEIR OWN MERITS AND THAT WE CAN OPEN THOSE DOORS. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK BEYOND JUST WHAT OUR GENERAL, UM, WHAT IS BEFORE US. THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND TO BE CREATIVE, TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE OPEN PATHWAYS AND HOW DO WE [00:20:01] SET PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS? I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT LATINO WOMEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THE RULES KEEP CHANGING AND DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR JOB IS AND WHAT THE MOMENT IS, UM, AND WHAT THE NETWORKING AND WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS, IT IS ALL VARIABLE. AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO USE OUR EXPERIENCE AND TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST ADVISE, UM, FOLKS NOT TO PRETEND THAT PEOPLE WILL NEED TO FOLLOW OUR SAME PATH, BUT RATHER TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT EXPERIENCE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LEARN AND, AND FIND THEIR OWN WAY TO SUCCESS, BUT THAT WE WILL BE THERE TO SUPPORT. THANK YOU. NODIA UM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR VISION, OTHER SOUNDS AROUND YOU? I ECHO WHAT NYDIA SAYS WITH REGARDS TO FORMING A PLAN AND RECOGNIZING AND GOING WITH YOUR OWN MERITS. UM, I KNOW GROWING UP MY FATHER, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH ALMOST LIKE NEW IDEAS. I MEAN, HE WOULD HAVE US DO THE MULTIPLICATION TIMES, WRITE THEM DOWN AND HE WOULD LIKE QUIZZES. UH, WE WOULD LISTEN TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, CLASSICAL MUSIC AND WE HAD THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. SO HERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DIDN'T HAVE AN EDUCATION, BUT HE KNEW THAT HE WANTED THE BEST FOR US. SO IN A WAY, OBVIOUSLY HE WAS MENTORING US AND HE ONCE SAID LIKE, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE RICH OR BORED, YOU ALWAYS PRESENT YOURSELF WELL AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND I REALLY TOOK IT TO HEART AND I FORMED IT AS PART OF MY DNA. AND, AND NOW THAT I'VE HAD THESE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF SWEAT EQUITY. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MISTAKES. THERE'S BEEN FAILURES AND, AND AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S SUCCESSES. SO I FEEL THAT I'VE BEEN TRANSPARENT IN THAT PATH. AND THEN IN MY LIFE IN SHOWING ALL OF THE PERSPECTIVES. SO AS I MEANT, OR, OR SOMEONE ASKS ME, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WHAT IS THE HOLISTIC PICTURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THEM TO COME AND THINK IT'S IDEALISTIC. THERE'S A LOT OF GRIT. THERE'S A LOT OF PERSEVERANCE AND I WANT THAT THERE BE A VISION, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE WHY AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THERE AND WHAT, AND WHAT IS THE VISION AND WHERE DO I COME IN AND HELP THEM AND, AND HAVE THAT, AND THAT THEY'RE ALSO ACCOUNTABLE FOR, UH, FOR GETTING THEMSELVES THERE. UH, SO IT'S HAVING, UM, AN HONEST AND FRANK CONVERSATION TO KNOW THAT THEY REALLY ARE HUNGRY FOR IT. AND, UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME THAT IF I LOOK AT OR SEE SOMEBODY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL AND CAPABILITIES IS SHARING THAT INFORMATION AND SHARING THE EXPERIENCE. CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE, WHETHER I'VE BEEN IN THE LEGISLATURE OR SCHOOL BOARD, TRUSTEE, I I'VE ALWAYS SAID, I, YOU DID USE ME AS A CONDUIT, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THE CONNECTIONS FOR YOU, OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND YOU TODAY, BOTH OF YOU HAVE INSPIRED US. YOU HAVE GIVEN US GUIDANCE TO REACH THOSE PINNACLES OF LATINO WOMEN. SO WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU ALL BEING HERE WITH US TODAY. UM, ON BEHALF OF HLN AND WOMEN TO WOMEN, WE EXPRESS THAT GRATITUDE. WE ARE GOING TO INVITE YOU TO STICK AROUND WITH US, UH, UP NEXT IS MARIACHI. AND, UM, THEY ARE ALSO HALF-ASSED IN THEIR OWN RIGHTS, UM, AS A, AS A LOCAL MARIACHI BAND, UM, IN A, UH, IN A MUSIC GENRE THAT IS USUALLY DOMINATED BY, UH, LATINO MEN. UM, SO PLEASE STICK WITH US FOR THE CELEBRATION. AND, UH, EVERYBODY WATCHING, WE'RE GONNA GET WHISKED AWAY IN VIRTUAL LAND, UH, WITH OUR MARIACHI GROUP. HI, EVERYONE WE ARE. AND WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH A BEAUTIFUL SONG CALLED [00:27:18] OUR LOVELY TRUMPET PLAYER. THIS NEXT SONG IS FROM THE STATE AND IT IS ENTITLED LAST . WE WILL NEED THE ALL THE WAY FROM SPAIN. [00:32:25] YOU HAVE A CHAT TO US. IT'S SO HIS STUFF AWAY. AND YOU GUYS EAT THOUGH, BUT I THOUGHT I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK THIS NEXT ELECTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY TO THE STATE OF ANDREWS AND MEXICO. IS THIS A FUN SONG THAT'S BEEN FEATURED? OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, LABA. SO THIS IS OUR VERSION, OUR TRADITIONAL VERSION OF THE BED AVENUE STYLE. [00:37:08] STATE OF IT. AT LEAST ON THIS NEXT ELECTION. WE'RE GOING TO DO A TRADITIONAL RANCHERA. AND THIS ONE IS, NOT GRAY. THE QUEEN IS THE KING. HERE WE GO. PATRION STACEY SOSA . [00:40:35] AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU AGAIN TO THE STATE POLICE TO GO WITH A TRADITIONAL SON. THIS IS SAID TO BE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF ALL MIGHTY YET CHEESE FIX. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF HIS SON AND SOME THAT ARE NEGATIVE FOR YOU GUYS. I WANT TO SEE ALMOST LIKE WE'LL BE NOT WITH ANOTHER TRANSITIONAL RANCHERA. THIS ONE WAS RECORDED BY THE LOVELY LINDA RONSTADT. AND THIS IS THE GLEN SHEDA ENTITLED LOSS LOAD IS ALYSSA [00:46:10] FOR YOU GUYS. BEAUTIFUL RANCHERA. WE'RE GOING TO FEATURE EVERY SINGLE INSTRUMENT ON THIS NEXT SONG. IT IS FROM THE STATE OF BETH CRUZ, AND WE'RE GOING TO FEATURE THE GUITAR THAT HE THOUGHT ALONE THAT WE HAVE OVER HERE. WELL, LET ME PRESENT THE LADIES TO YOU GUYS. SO WE HAVE WE HAVE JC ON THE BASE ON TRUMPET. WE HAVE STACY, SO SET UP ON THE VIOLIN. WE HAVE SYLVIA RIOS AND I AM VANESSA MARIACHI . AND THIS NEXT ELECTION IS EQUAL [00:50:07] . WE HAVE ONE MORE SONG FOR YOU GUYS. THIS ONE IS A TRADITIONAL FAVORITE. THIS ONE IS ENTITLED IN MAY. I'VE ALMOST GOT IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT I WON'T TOUCH AS . THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND BEFORE YOU GO, WE JUST WANT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MUCH TALENT AND, UM, REPRESENT THAT LIMITLESS TALENT OF LATINAS. SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT DOES THE LAST ONE? THEY ARE THE WOMEN THAT WERE IN THE REVOLUTION THAT ACTUALLY FOUGHT IN THE WAR WHEN THEIR HUSBANDS, SO THAT WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT SYMBOLIZED STRENGTHENED WOMEN AND POWER AND REVOLUTION AND SOMETHING VERY . THAT WAS TRUE TO OUR ROOTS. AWESOME. AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER AS IT'S 10 YEARS NOW. WE ACTUALLY HAD OUR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. SO YES, WE'VE BEEN A GROUP NOW FOR QUITE A BIT. AND WERE YOU ALWAYS AN ALL LATINO ALMA HEAD GROUP? IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AN ALL FEMALE. ALL AND LATINA, DEFINITELY. YES. AMAZING. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. SO MANY OF US MISS LIVE MUSIC SO MUCH HERE IN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND WE COULD THINK OF NOTHING BETTER, BUT TO HAVE, UM, YOU COME VISIT US VIRTUALLY. SO THANK YOU FOR THE ANIMAL AND ALL OF THE FUN TODAY. GLAD OKC, ANY TIME. GOOD IDEA. SO STATUS. THANK YOU. AND SIR, NOW WE'RE GOING TO, UM, WELCOME, UM, [00:55:01] ANY HALF-ASS WHO IS AS WE CALL IT A HALF OUT OF HEADPHONE THAT'S RIGHT. UH, LADY BOSS OF LADY BOSSES. UM, WE HAVE WITH US FOR OUR CLOSING SPEAKER AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED TO HAVE MAYOR PRO TEM DELEA GARZA OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. UM, DELEO WAS THE FIRST LATINA TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL IN AUSTIN, AND SHE WAS THE FIRST LATINA TO SERVE AS A MAYOR PRO TEM. SHE REPRESENTS DISTRICT TRUE DISTRICT TWO IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, AND PRIOR TO HER ROLES ON COUNCIL, SHE WAS AN ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE CHILD SUPPORT DIVISION OF THE OFFICE OF THE TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL. AND AS AN AUSTIN, UH, FIREFIGHTER, SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LATINA FIREFIGHTERS ON THE FOREST. SHE HOLDS A LAW DEGREE FROM GONZAGA UNIVERSITY AND WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE THEM HERE WITH US TODAY BECAUSE SHE IS A TRUE TRAILBLAZER, UM, JUST AS OTHER, OUR OTHER, UM, GUESTS HAVE BEEN TODAY. UM, BUT THEN WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE ANNIVERSARY, UM, OF THE 15TH AMENDMENT, WHICH IS, WHICH JUST, UH, OCCURRED THIS WEEK, UM, AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE, UM, TO WRITE THE TRAJECTORY OF, UH, WOMEN IN PUBLIC SERVICE, BEING THAT THE 14TH AMENDMENT DID NOT GRANT, UM, THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN OF COLOR TO VOTE. UM, I THINK AT THE OUTSET, IT IS TRULY IMPRESSIVE. WHAT, UM, MAYOR PRO TEM DELEA GARZA HAS TRAILBLAZED FOR ALL OF US, LATINO WOMEN HERE LOCALLY. UM, SO WE INVITED YET TO CLOSE US OUT TODAY, UH, WITH SOME WORDS OF WISDOM, WORDS OF ADVICE FOR LATINA LEADERS, AND TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT EFFORTS INITIATIVES, UM, WHAT EFFORTS OR INITIATIVES COULD USE A LOT OR LATINO VOICE OR MORE IMPACT FOR ALL OF US. UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PERSON WHO HAS NOT HESITATED, UM, TO GO IN AND TO CLAIM THE SPACE, TO TAKE THAT SPACE, TO MAKE THE SPACE FOR OTHERS. UM, SO WE ARE SO EXCITED, UH, TO CLAIM OUR DAY TO DAY AS LATINAS AND HAVE HER CLOSE US OUT WITH THESE. UH VALIA THANK YOU. PULLING UP MY TALKING POINTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL LATINA DAY HERE WITH YOU, EVEN VIRTUALLY THE CONNECTION, THE POWER OF THIS NETWORK OF LATINAS IS INSPIRING. REALLY WE'RE LIVING THROUGH SOME DEEPLY TROUBLING TIMES, BUT EVEN IN THESE STRUGGLES, WE'RE LIVING THROUGH HISTORIC CHANGE. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. LAST NIGHT, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN U S HISTORY, THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS WAS NOMINATED TO BE VICE PRESIDENT ON A MAJOR PARTY'S TICKET, NO MATTER YOUR POLITICS, THE THOUGHT OF A YOUNG BLACK, A YOUNG BROWN AND BLACK GIRLS STAYING UP LATE. AND I SAW SO MANY PICTURES LAST NIGHT, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL OF GIRLS WATCHING KAMALA HARRIS, EXCEPT THAT DOMINATION IS A BIG CELEBRATION FOR OUR, OUR, FOR LATINAS FOR OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY. UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK, AS YOU MENTIONED, ALBA, WE CELEBRATED THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT TO THE US CONSTITUTION, WHICH GUARANTEED WOMEN, THE RIGHT TO VOTE. IT'S A MOMENTOUS OCCASION, BUT AS YOU ALSO MENTIONED, IT'S AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO REMEMBER THAT THE RIGHT TO VOTE WAS NOT SECURED A HUNDRED YEARS AGO FOR WOMEN OF COLOR. IT TOOK THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN 1965 AND ITS REAUTHORIZATION IN 1975 AND BEYOND COURT CASE AFTER COURT CASE AND PROTEST AFTER PROTEST, TO MAKE SURE THAT LATINAS AND BLACK WOMEN COULD ENJOY OUR MOST BASIC CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. IT TOOK CARE OF US LIKE JOHN LEWIS TO GET US THERE, BUT ALSO COUNTLESS UNSUNG HEROES THAT WE NEVER LEARNED ABOUT IN OUR HISTORY CLASSES THIS WEEK, I LEARNED ABOUT HOLVITA EITHER BORN IN LAREDO IN 1885. SHE WAS AN AMAZING ACTIVIST AND WRITER WHO FOUGHT TIRELESSLY FOR EQUALITY, ESPECIALLY FOR LATINOS IN SOUTH TEXAS, WE GET THAT EXPERIENCE, THE DISCRIMINATION OF THE JIM CROW ERROR. AND INSTEAD OF PUTTING UP WITH IT, SHE ENCOURAGED SCHOOLS TO TEACH KIDS IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH. SHE WAS A REVOLUTIONARY COMMENTATOR AND NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER EDITOR. EVEN AFTER THE TEXAS RANGERS SHUT UP TO SMASH HER PRINTING, PRESS HISTORY, MAKING LATINAS LIKE HAVE BEEN AROUND, EVEN IF THEY'RE STORIES OR WIDELY TOLD, AND THEY'RE STILL MAKING HISTORY TODAY. THEY'RE OUR MOTHERS. OUR WELDERS ARE THEAS OUR SISTERS, OUR FRIENDS, OUR DAUGHTERS, THAT GENERATIONAL CONNECTION WE, WE SHARE IS WHAT I FELT WHEN I WON MY ELECTION TO BECOME THE FIRST LATINO ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PIONEERS LIKE ROSIE CASTRO IN SAN ANTONIO AND OTHER LATINAS WHO RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL HERE HELPED ME BECOME THE FIRST ONE IN OUR CITY. I STAND ON THEIR SHOULDERS BECAUSE I WASN'T THE FIRST TO TRY. UM, BUT VERY GREAT GRATEFULLY. I WAS, I WAS THE FIRST TO WIN BECAUSE OF THEIR EXAMPLE AND HOW IT RIPPLES THROUGH THE GENERATIONS [01:00:01] THAT COME AFTER THEM. NO, I WON'T BE THE LAST WAIT. YEAH, MAY NOT FEATURE PROMINENTLY IN HISTORY BOOKS. WE MAY EVEN BE ERASED FROM THOSE BOOKS COMPLETELY, BUT I WANT YOU TO LEAVE TODAY KNOWING AT THIS NETWORK OF LATINAS, HUGE AND PROUD, AND WE DESERVE THE SAME RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION AS EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN, XS ALONE, THERE ARE ALMOST 11.5 LATINOS ABOUT HALF OF THEM WOMEN. AND TO PUT THAT THEN A PROSPECTIVE, THERE ARE 43 STATES IN THE U S WHOSE POPULATION IS SMALLER THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, LATINOS IN TEXAS. SO YEAH, REMEMBER THAT STRENGTH AND THOSE MILLIONS OF VOICES IN EVERYTHING YOU DO REMEMBER THEM, ESPECIALLY THIS NOVEMBER WHEN YOU VOTE, YOU'VE HEARD SO MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ELECTION, RIGHT? IN U S HISTORY. TRUE. AND I'M NOT JUST, I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TALKING ABOUT YOUR STATE AND YOUR LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL ONLY BE HISTORIC. IF YOU ARE PART OF IT, YOU WILL BE MAKING HISTORY. WHEN YOU TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTERS AND YOUR SISTERS ABOUT HOW YOU'RE MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD IN THIS SELECTION. SO BOTH THOUGH S SOVOS NOW MORE THAN EVER. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS GROUP. I QUICKLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UM, SOME FUN FACTS, UM, DIRECTOR GAIL AND I BOTH GREW UP IN SAN ANTONIO AND HER FATHER WAS CITY MANAGER WHEN MY FATHER WAS THE SAN ANTONIO, NO FIREFIGHTER. SO I'M SURE I HEARD MANY OF THOSE DARN CITY MANAGER STORIES GROWING UP, BUT I COULDN'T TELL YOU ANY OF THEM RIGHT NOW. UM, UH, DEANNA, I MET THROUGH, UH, THROUGH, UH, LOCAL POLITICS, BUT THEN OUR, OUR PAST ALSO COLLIDED IN OUR RUNNING, UM, UH, GROUP. AND SO IT'S BEEN, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, DEANNA AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO SEEING YOU SUCCEED IN YOUR NEW ROLE. UM, ALBA I MET FROM, UH, SHE WORKED IN A, IN A COUNCIL OFFICE AND I'M EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO SEE HER TRAJECTORY, UM, AS SHE, AS SHE IS A HEIFER ALREADY. AND, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, BE ON A GREAT PATH OF SUCCESS AND THEN, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER NYDIA, UM, IT'S BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE TO GET TO KNOW YOU. I LOVE YOUR CANDOR AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL WERE YOUR PANEL, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT LATINAS BRING TO ANY BOARD TO ANY POSITION IS, UH, WE KEEP IT REAL AND, UM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLIMENTS I'VE I GET SOMETIMES IS I'LL SAY MAYOR PRO TEM, WE APPRECIATE THAT. UM, WE KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THINGS YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HIDE THAT, THAT AT ALL. AND SO I ENCOURAGE LATINOS TO STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF AND, AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU'RE STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF AND, AND YOU ARE, YOU, YOU BRING A, LIVED AN IMPORTANT LIVED EXPERIENCE AND, UM, PLEASE CONTINUE TO TRY TO ASPIRE TO, UM, TO, TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND LASTLY, I'LL SAY, UH, DARLENE WAS ON HERE EARLIER AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING A BIG ADVOCATE FOR LATINAS AND THIS NETWORK. AND, UM, HAVE YOU EVER THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TOO? UM, AND LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GO TO DALLAS OR MY FAVORITE MARIACHI BAND. I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF INTRODUCING THEM AT, UM, CHINGONA FEST AND OTHER COMMUNITY, UM, EVENTS AND I VANESSA, BEAUTIFUL VOICE. IT WAS JUST SO COOL TO, TO, TO HEAR Y'ALL. I HAVE, I GOT TO BE ON STAGE WITH THEM AT A BREWERY IN MY DISTRICT. THIS WAS LIKE YEARS. THEY, THEY UNVEILED THEM A BEER THAT I FORGOT IT WAS SOME IS SOME LATINO THEME OR SOMETHING THEN. SO I'VE, I'VE LOVED SEEING THEIR CAREER. AND I, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'VE, IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS, BUT, BUT I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY'RE A NATIONWIDE, YOU KNOW, SUCCESS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE. IT WAS AS MUCH NEEDED IN THIS TIME OF, OF, UH, NOT BEING ABLE TO, TO HEAR AND SEE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL MEANS LIKE THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU. PRETEND. AND FROM THE 15TH AMENDMENT, THE 19TH AMENDMENT TO OPENING DOORS, UM, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND IN PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP ROLES, WE LATINAS HAVE BEEN ROCKING IT FOR A LONG TIME. UM, BUT IT TAKES PARTICIPATION AND THEN TAKES, UM, GETTING INVOLVED. AND SO I WANT TO INVITE FOR PARTING WORDS FOR A CALL TO ACTION AND CALL TO PARTICIPATION AS WE MAKE AND TAKE THAT SPACE THAT WE DESERVE. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, UH, HAVE YOU HAD A AND BACK TO VETERAN GAVI SINGULAR AS WELL, UH, TO TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT IS FORTHCOMING FOR HLN AND WOMEN TO WOMEN. VERONICA, FEEL FREE TO GO AHEAD. UH, OKAY. WELL, I JUST WANTED TO START OFF AND THANK EVERYONE FOR HELPING US CELEBRATE TODAY FOR LATINAS AND PUBLIC SERVICE. MY NAME IS, UH, IS [01:05:01] HAVE YOU DECIDED THAT I SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR FOR THE AUSTIN HISPANIC LATINO NETWORK? I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR CHAIR, DARLENE, UH, OUR MODERATOR AND, UH, VICE CHAIR OF COMMUNICATIONS, ALBA SERONO, UH, AND, AND, AND THINK ALL OF THESE STRONG, POWERFUL LATINO WOMEN, UH, THAT WE CONTINUE TO RAISE UP AND WE CONTINUE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S, THOSE STORIES ARE PULLED AND CONTINUE TO BE TOLD BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH RECOGNITION, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND, AND JUST IN, IN THE, IN THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN NOW, THIS EVENT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY A COLLABORATION OF THE AUSTIN, HISPANIC, LATINO NETWORK AND WOMEN TO WOMEN, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AFFINITY GROUPS DEDICATED TO FOSTERING A WORKFORCE COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. I JUST WANT TO, UH, TO, UH, ALLOW FOR SOME QUICK REMINDERS, UM, AUSTIN, HISPANIC, LATINO NETWORK MEMBERS, PLEASE JOIN US FOR A MEMBERSHIP LISTENING SESSION ON OCTOBER 2ND, 2020, UM, FROM TWO TO 3:00 PM, UM, WE WILL BE HOSTING AND HONORED AND EXCITED TO WELCOME OUR DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND AUSTIN LATINO NETWORK, EXECUTIVE SPONSOR. LUDIA RIBERA UNDERMINE AS OUR SPECIAL GUEST. UH, ADDITIONALLY I WANTED EVERYBODY TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE AUSTIN HISPANIC, LATINO NETWORK, ANNUAL HERITAGE EVENT. ADDITIONAL DETAILS ARE COMING SOON, BUT WE TYPICALLY HOLD THIS IN OCTOBER. AND AS EVERYBODY HAS BEEN ADJUSTING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, ALMOST GOING ON, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, UH, WE ARE ALSO ADJUSTING THAT PLATFORM TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP IT SOCIAL, UM, WHILE HONORING OUR, UH, DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. SO, UM, JUST LIKE THIS EVENT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. AND SO IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO LOOK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, SHAREPOINT WEBSITE UNDER AUSTIN, HISPANIC, LATINO NETWORK. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE TIME THAT'S BEEN AFFORDED BY THESE, UH, POWERFUL, STRONG LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN SOON, REAL, UH, DOING IT AGAIN SOON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ED. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL ALLY TO LATINAS, UH, BEING CONSISTENT IN THAT. UM, AND WE, WE APPRECIATE THAT. UM, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO , UM, TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S FORTHCOMING THAT CALL TO ACTION FROM WOMEN TO WOMEN. THANK YOU, ALBA, UM, WOMAN, A WOMAN, AS I MENTIONED, WHERE A TRANSITION A TRANSITIONAL YEAR. UH, SO REALLY LOOK OUT FOR THE SURVEY THAT I MENTIONED ON THE FRONT END, THAT'S COMING ONLINE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE AS THE ORGANIZATION REVAMPS, THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES, IT IS CRITICAL THAT LATINAS AND ALL WOMEN OF COLOR ARE A VOICE IN THAT ORGANIZATION AND OUR HEART OF RESHAPING THAT ORGANIZATION. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK OUT FOR THAT SURVEY AS IT COMES OUT IN THE MEANTIME, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME IF YOU'RE A CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE, I AM ON THE EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST. UM, AND I'M A RESOURCE FOR YOU AS ARE MANY OTHER WOMEN LEADERS IN OUR ORGANIZATION. UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US PARTICIPATE TODAY. WE ARE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS GROUP AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO STEPHANIE, BUT GOTTA, I THINK SHE WAS INVOLVED IN, UM, BOOKING OUR WONDERFUL ALL WOMEN MARIACHI. SO SHOUT OUT TO STEPHANIE AND THANK YOU TO HLN FOR ALLOWING US TO PARTNER IN THIS EVENT. AND AS A ONE LAST NOTE, I BELIEVE THE BEER THAT THE MERE PART TOM WAS REFERRING TO THAT WAS RELEASED WAS GENE GOING ON BEER? SO, UH, APPROPRIATELY NAMED FOR A SPECIAL DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. FEDERALLY GUY Y'ALL JUST HAVE BEEN FOR RIGHT. AND SAYING, UM, THAT WE ARE ALL TIN GONADS, RIGHT? UM, NOT ONLY HALF US, BUT, UM, WE SHOULD NOT BE SHY ABOUT THAT. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CANDOR WITH THAT. UM, THIS CONCLUDES OUR PROGRAMMING FOR NATIONAL LATINA DAY, UH, BUT PLEASE, WE INVITE YOU TO GO ON AND CELEBRATE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TUNING IN, AND WE EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN PLANNING THIS PROGRAMMING FOR TODAY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT TIME, BUT YOU MIGHT BUY THE LAND ONWARD. [01:10:44] THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.