“For this year’s Annual Unity Luncheon, we wanted
a dynamic speaker whose beliefs align with Chicano
Federation’s mission and values, and whose story
would resonate with our audience,” shared Maldonado.
“Most importantly, we wanted someone who could
inspire hope and move people to action during such
an important election year. We knew Mr. Villaraigosa
would make a perfect keynote speaker for our event.”
As the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa was the
first Mexican-American in more than 130 years to serve
Los Angeles Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa
as Mayor of the city. In that role, Villaraigosa
spearheaded policies to dramatically improve
student outcomes in the Los Angeles Unified
School District, expand rapid transit lines,
and made major reductions in violent crime.
During his tenure, he also gained national
attention for his work and was featured
in TIME Magazine as one of the 25 most
influential Latinos in the nation.
Since leaving office in 2013, Villaraigosa
has continued to stay actively engaged in
education, civic engagement, water and
transportation, immigration and economic
development issues. He has been an
advocate for working families, writing
legislation that protects the environment,
expands healthcare coverage for the children
of low-income families, and increases funding
for public schools. Villaraigosa is a respected
voice in American politics and a prominent
policymaker with a keen understanding
of America’s mainstream and emerging
communities.
“I am honored to be the keynote speaker
for the Chicano Federation’s Annual
Unity Luncheon this year,” says Antonio
Villaraigosa. “Chicano Federation is an
important organization with a deep and
powerful history of activism, and I am
humbled to have been chosen as the keynote
speaker during such an important time for
the organization and our nation. My message
is one of bringing people together and I look
forward to sharing that with San Diego.”
The Chicano Federation Annual Unity
Luncheon is sponsored by Southwest Airlines,
San Diego Gas & Electric, Bank of California
and numerous other corporate and individual
supporters. Tickets to the event are available
online at www.chicanofederation.org or by
phone at (619) 285-5600.
APRIL 2020 | GBSAN.COM 27