National Convening Program Books 2014 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 24
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SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014
DETAILED AGENDA
The Honorable Hilda Solis
Former Secretary of Labor
Hilda L. Solis was confirmed as Secretary of Labor on February 24,
2009, becoming the first Latina to serve in the United States Cabinet.
Prior to her confirmation, Secretary Solis represented California’s 32nd
Congressional District from 2001 to 2009. In Congress, Solis’ priorities
included expanding access to affordable health care, protecting the
environment, and improving the lives of working families. A recognized leader
on clean energy jobs, she authored the Green Jobs Act which provided funding for green collar
job training for veterans, displaced workers, at-risk youth, and individuals in families under 200
percent of the federal poverty line. In June 2007, Solis was elected vice chair of the Helsinki
Commission’s General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Questions.
A nationally recognized environmental leader, Solis became the first woman to receive the John
F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues.
Her California environmental justice legislation was the first of its kind in the nation to become
law. Solis graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned a master
of public administration from the University of Southern California. A former federal employee,
she worked in the Carter White House Office of Hispanic Affairs and was later appointed to the
Office of Management and Budget. She currently serves as a Scholar-in-Residence at her alma
mater, Cal Poly Pomona.
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Building a Healthy and Inclusive Society:
Access and Equity in Community Health and Wellness
California Room
This panel will take a comprehensive approach to public health and wellness, with particular
emphasis on access and disparities. The discussion will address health concerns in various
communities, including women’s health issues and underserved populations.
Shivana Jorawar
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
Shivana Jorawar, Esq., is the reproductive justice program director at the
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). She directs
the organization’s federal and state advocacy around women’s health
policy, including educating lawmakers and the public about legal barriers
to health care access for immigrant women and the impact of sex-selective
abortion bans on the AAPI community. She also builds the advocacy capacity
of NAPAWF’s grassroots activists across the country. Jorawar has a background in law as well
as community education and organizing around issues of gender-based inequity and violence.
Jorawar holds a BA in political science from Fordham University and a JD from the Emory
University School of Law.
2014 Young Elected Officials Network National Convening