National Convening Program Books 2014 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 17

FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2014

17

Seeking Leadership Positions

THE HONORABLE XILONIN CRUZ-GONZALEZ
Azusa Unified School District
Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez currently serves as president of the board of
education of the Azusa Unified School District. First elected at the
age of 26, she is the youngest person to ever hold that position. Her
primary focus is to ensure that the children of Azusa schools receive and
successfully complete a rigorous, high-quality, and well-rounded education
that prepares all students for post-secondary education. She is currently
president of the California Latino School Boards Association and serves on the California School
Board Association’s school wellness and conference committees. She is an alumna of the National
Association of Latino Elected Officials California Health Leadership Program and is a founding
board member of the San Gabriel Valley Civic Alliance and Slow Food San Gabriel Valley. She
attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she studied chemical engineering.

HANA WATKINS

National League of Cities
Hana Watkins is a senior outreach membership specialist for the National
League of Cities (NLC), a professional association for local elected and
appointed officials that is dedicated to helping city leaders build better
communities. Working in partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues,
NLC serves as a resource to and an advocate for the more than 19,000
cities, villages, and towns it represents. As a member of the membership
and marketing team, Watkins is responsible for developing collaborative ideas to enhance and
ensure member value for young elected officials and newly elected officials. She also creates
and implements comprehensive strategies to increase member awareness of NLC’s benefits
and promote engagement in NLC activities and leadership roles within the organization. Her
responsibilities include working closely with NLC’s board of directors and advisory council
to design campaigns focused on engaging NLC’s leadership in recruitment, retainment, and
raising the organization’s overall visibility. Watkins is a graduate of Howard University and lives
in Washington, D.C.

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DETAILED AGENDA

Catalina Room
A session detailing how and why elected officials should consider seeking leadership
positions in support organizations, as well as best practices for networking at these events.