LATIN TIMES MAGAZINE - 2019 Summer Edition | Page 21

Latina Lideres Awards
political leadership
Honorable State Representative
Susan Valdes
2019 Latina Mover N Shaker
by: Jolie Gonzalez-Padilla
For right now, I’m going to continue
fighting the good fight in the Florida House
for the residents of District 62 and my
community as a whole.
What is your favorite type of musica, and what is your favor-
LTM: What part of Florida do you live in – are you LTM:
ite song?
from Florida? If not – what brought you to Florida?
Susan Valdes: I love all types of music! Especially salsa, hip hop,
Susan Valdes: I live in Pinecrest, near Leto High School in Tampa.
I was originally from New York City. Born in Manhattan, raised in
the Bronx. My parents brought me to Florida when I was 8 years
old. At first, we moved to Hialeah in South Florida, but relocated
permanently to Tampa after my father passed because my mother
had family here.
LTM: Tell me about what you do for a living
Susan Valdes: As of now, I am a full-time legislator dedicating my
time to bettering my community and working for the people of Dis-
trict 62. I served 14 years on the Hillsborough County School Board
before that. Before my school board tenure, I was a health care prac-
tice administrator.
LTM: Tell us about the biggest highlights of your career
Susan Valdes: My biggest highlight was the passage of a racial equity
policy for Hillsborough County Schools when I was on the Hill-
sborough County School board. Also, bringing the dual language
program to Hillsborough County schools was a major highlight. I
also established a now-annual back to school fair that provides kids
with back to school supplies as well as immunizations for the chil-
dren and their families.
LTM: As a Latina leader in the community, business or other…what
has been your biggest challenge and how have you been able to over-
come it
Susan Valdes: My biggest challenge has been overcoming en-
trenched interests that can’t think beyond the status quo. On the
school board, I was a vocal proponent of removing a now-former
school superintendent who was intransigent in dealing with board
members and mismanaged district funds. The backlash I got from a
large portion of the business leaders and political class was massive.
I was public enemy number one because I was steadfast in wanting
to buy out the contract of this superintendent and move on. But I
persevered and didn’t back down and won that fight, and I believe
the school district is much better off for it today.
LTM: How important is being a Latina to you
Susan Valdes: I think in general, it is important for people to re-
member their roots and where they came from. Remembering our
heritage provides us with a unique perspective.
L atin T imes M agazine
rap, etc. Anything that can get me on the dance floor. It would be
impossible for me to pick just one song as a favorite, but La Vida
Es Un Carnival is definitely one of my favorites.
LTM: IF you can go back to let’s say 18-21, what are some of the
pivotal decisions that you have made that you would do differently
Susan Valdes: I would listen to my mom and finish school and get
my education earlier than I did.
LTM: What do you think some of the best career choices are for
young Latinas
Susan Valdes: I'd like to see more young Latinas go into govern-
ment and run for office! On a similar note, that is a demographic
that also needs more representation in the legal field, and I'd love
to see more young Latinas in law school. We also have a significant
nursing shortage in many underserved areas in our community, so
I think the nursing field is a great one.
LTM: Tell us about what kind of projects you currently have going
on
Susan Valdes: In the legislature, my biggest goal is to establish
some alternative graduation pathways for high school students
that diminish the impact of high-stakes testing. I want to create
more pathways for students with an industry certification that,
for whatever reason, may have trouble with test taking and don't
necessarily fit into that box that we expect students to fit into. So
developing legislation that enables more students to graduate and
succeed is my biggest project.
LTM: What can we expect to see from you in the future
Susan Valdes: For right now, I’m going to continue fighting the
good fight in the Florida House for the residents of District 62 and
my community as a whole. But I tend to surprise myself as much
as anyone else, so you’ll know what my future holds as soon as I
do!
LTM: What famous person do you most identify with and why
Susan Valdes: Michelle Obama, because we both firmly believe in
just doing the right thing no matter what gets thrown at you.
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A braza el calor de tu cultura !
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