Esther Lopez, Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department at the United Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), will headline our Latinos and Labor Unity Breakfast on Friday, February 18. Esther has spent most of her adult life fighting for worker rights and organizing the community.  She has worked on the national staff of the AFL-CIO, with the Illinois Office of New Americans Immigrant Policy and Advocacy, and as the Illinois Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff for Labor.  Prior to joining the UFCW, Esther was Director of the Illinois Department of Labor.

Kurt Landgraf, President and Chief Executive Officer of ETS, the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ, will address our Educational Achievement Luncheon, also on Friday, February 18.  He has taken very innovative approaches in leading the company's efforts to help close the achievement gap between affluent and disadvantaged students, strengthen its ties to ethnic and racial minority education groups, and to establish new programs to assist communities and service groups and improve education.  Prior to joining ETS, he held leadership positions at DuPont and at the Upjohn Company.