Speaker Series featuring Arturo Vargas

Getting Stoked for 2020: Galvanizing Latino Participation in the Elections, Civic Change and the Census Count



About the Multicultual Speaker Series
Our aim for this series is to provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations to engage diverse residents and employees from multiple sectors in the Quad Cities region, broaden their networks, and enhance their awareness of diversity issues. 

About Vargas
Arturo Vargas is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund a national non-profit, non-partisan organization that strengthens American democracy by promoting the full participation of Latinos in civic life. He also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of NALEO, an affiliated national membership organization of Latino policymakers and their supporters. Vargas has held these positions since 1994.  Prior to joining NALEO Educational Fund, Vargas held various positions at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), including Vice President for Community Education and Public Policy. In this role he supervised and directed MALDEF’s community education and leadership development programs. Before joining MALDEF, Vargas was the Senior Education Policy Analyst at the National Council of La Raza in Washington, D.C.  Vargas is a nationally recognized expert in Latino demographic trends, electoral participation, voting rights, the Census, and redistricting.  Vargas holds a master’s degree in Education and a bachelor’s degree in History and Spanish from Stanford University. He is from Los Angeles, and was born in El Paso, Texas.