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Our Mission:
To prepare future Hispanic and Latino leaders for public service
To provide unique resources to government executives and public managers
To advance the goals of an ethical profession
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Veronica Briseño Lara, President of IHN
Director of Small & Minority Business Resources Department, City of Austin, TX
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Veronica Briseño Lara,
IHN President
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The International Hispanic Network (IHN) is off to a strong start in 2016. This is an exciting year with an upcoming national conference in Austin in November. For the past few years, IHN has opted to host regional summits instead of an annual conference and these summits have been successes. Regional summits have provided IHN members professional development opportunities locally. This year, IHN members (and future members) will have the opportunity to re-connect with other members and invest in their own professional growth at a national conference.
The conference committee has chosen "Building Equitable Communities" as the theme. As local government professionals, what could be a more poignant theme? Merriam-Webster defines equity as "fairness or justice in the way people are treated." We are charged with doing just that in our careers. Providing services at the local government level means all of our citizens are receiving services equitably, whether it is the parks their children play in, their neighborhood streets they drive daily, or the police and fire protection they put their faith in. These services should be provided in a fair and just manner no matter the citizen's educational attainment, color of their skin or financial status. We are entrusted to ensure local services are provided equitably. The conference will take the topic and delve into the many aspects of what equity means in relation to public service and how we can return to our communities and promote that value within them. How can we ensure local government services are provided equitably?
I would like to thank the conference committee for their hard work. The conference promises to be a success and fantastic professional development opportunity. You don't want to miss it.
In addition to the extensive conference planning efforts, the IHN Board had a retreat in February in Austin. The board discussed feedback we received from you on the value of IHN. Collectively, we hear the desire and agree with goal of IHN as the "go to" organization for cultural competencies. We followed that discussion with how we are interweaving that concept within our goals and how we continue to engage with our membership.
The board has continually discussed growing our membership. And I am particularly proud of our recent growth. We went from approximately 180 members in early 2015 to approximately 250 members currently, an increase of 30%. Our goal is to achieve 500 members within the next 2-3 years.
Finally, I am pleased to highlight a first for IHN. We will be holding our annual meeting June 10. For the past few years we have been hosting this meeting at a regional summit. This year we are exploring a virtual meeting so that all members can participate. This approach will allow us to reach many more members and it will be a chance for you to learn the latest on the status of the organization. Be on the lookout for more information and I encourage you to participate.
Stay tuned... 2016 is going to be a great year for IHN and our members!
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The 2016 International Hispanic Network Conference Planning Committee is hard at work developing what is sure to be a high-quality conference that is a "must attend" event. The Conference will be held on November 3-5, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel in Austin Texas.
So what's the benefit for you to attend the 2016 International Hispanic Conference? Over the course of the next few months, we will be sharing through Noticias and periodic emails, the updates on the planning efforts and top reasons to make this conference your conference of choice for 2016.
Reason #1: Learning superior content
The conference theme of Building Equitable Communities is a conversation that is occurring within local governments and communities throughout the country. The education program will consist of three curriculum tracks that cover equity in the delivery of services for a diverse community, equity in the workforce, and equity in professional development. These compelling subject matters will be supported with top-notch speakers. Learning about these latest trends and how they're being used in local government will augment your knowledge base and will serve as valuable information to share and possibly apply in your work environment.
Reason #2: Make new amigos
Who doesn't appreciate the opportunity to get to know and meet new people who share a passion for the delivery of local government services? Attending this conference provides an incredible opportunity to share, learn and leverage professional and personal experiences of professionals serving in local government. Additionally, you may find many similarities amongst conference attendees and yourself, making the networking adventure one that is easier to accomplish.
Please continue to stay informed via Noticias about the 2016 International Hispanic Network Conference program.
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International Hispanic
Network Dinner
ICMA Conference, Kansas City, MO
IHN will host its annual dinner at the ICMA Conference in Kansas City, MO on Sunday, September 25, 2016 at the Hilton President Ballroom, 1329 Baltimore Avenue in Kansas City, MO. The reception will begin at 6:30 PM followed by dinner at 7:00 PM. The cost will be $75 per person. The featured speaker will be Patrick Ibarra, Co-Founder and Partner of the Mejorando Group. His presentation will be "Replenish Your Passion: Your Personal CEO. What's influencing your everyday life? Are you numb from the seemingly endless and predictable series of handling Chores, Expectations and Obligations? Do you want to transition towards a more rewarding personal and professional life? This session will feature a powerful booster shot to your entire life by learning how to adopt a new CEO full of Challenges, Experiences and Opportunities that naturally replenishes your spirit."
Registration for the dinner will begin in June concurrent with ICMA conference registration. You will be able to register directly on the IHN website or through the ICMA conference registration website on the "affiliates" tab.
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Career Compass is a frequent column from ICMA focused on career issues and development for local government professional staff. All IHN members have access to the articles.
Recent articles have included Leading by Letting Go, My Team is Overwhelmed (and so am I), and Rookie Mistakes of a First-Time Department Head. For a full list of articles, go to http://icma.org/careercompass.
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Reminder: IHN Civic Engagement Recognition Program
The International Hispanic Network is initiating a program to recognize individuals and organizations that demonstrate insightful and sustained change in their communities through inclusive civic engagement practices. The goal is to identify best practices for civic engagement in local governments, non-profits and through private sector partnerships, and showcase civic engagement best practices through recognition at events, written media, video, and conference sessions. A byproduct will be a database of best practices with contacts to assist local governments in adapting best practice programs in other communities.
Any city, county, non-profit and/or private sector partners may submit for this recognition. IHN is looking for organizations that demonstrate sustained civic engagement best practices. The process is open to IHN members and non-members. Submittals should include your "engagement story" and how it has had sustained impact on your community. Your relevant "learning experiences" are an important component of the submittal. These may include best practices that came from the process, adjustments that were necessary to keep the program on track, and advice for other communities that may want to adapt a similar program.
The timeline for submittals is as follows:
- January: call for submittals.
- May 1: deadline for submission.
- June: Selection Committee review of submittals; recommendations to the IHN Board of Directors.
- July: Notify organizations selected for award(s).
- September/October: Recognize organizations at the IHN dinner, the ICMA Conference and at IHN national conferences. Although IHN does not host annual national conferences, a national conference will be held in Austin, Texas November 3-5, 2016.
For more information, please contact Karen Davis at kdavis@ihnonline.org.
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IHN Board Nominations
The IHN board invites members to submit personal interest or recommendations for the IHN board of directors. Submittals must include a minimum of two references and be submitted no later than April 30, 2016. Names will be submitted to the IHN Nominating Committee for review and recommendation. New board members will take office at the annual meeting on June 10, 2016.
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IHN's Padrinos/Madrinas Program
Sponsored by the International Hispanic Network (IHN), the Padrinos/Madrinas Coaching Program builds on the Padrinos/Madrinas tradition in Hispanic/Latino culture. Padrinos and Madrinas are an extension of family and provide a strong support system for family members. Extending this concept to the professional realm, the IHN Padrinos/Madrinas Program creates the same support system for Hispanic/Latino emerging leaders working in local government.
The IHN Padrinos and Madrinas are seasoned Latino leaders in local government who are committed to assisting emerging leaders who serve diverse populations. These one-on-one coaches are available without charge in order to offer career advancement strategies, assist in addressing local challenges when serving Hispanic/Latino communities, and/or share their experience and expertise on specific issues.
To access a Padrino or Madrina, simply:
1. GO to the IHN Website at www.ihnonline.org
2. REVIEW the Coaches Profiles located on the Padrinos/Madrinas Coaching Program Button or under the Resources drop-down menu
3. SELECT 1, 2 or 3 coaches
4. CONTACT a Padrino or Madrina by email or phone
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Featured Madrina: Magda Gonzales
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|  | | Magda Gonzalez, City Manager of East Palo Alto, CA | |
Magda Gonzalez, City Manager of Half Moon Bay, CA is a past IHN President. As a teenager, Magda worked in a center where she discovered local government, and where her passion for community and public service was born. Magda has worked with the City of Half Moon Bay, served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Bruno, and Deputy City Manager for the City of Redwood City.
Magda's serves as a Trustee for the Redwood City Elementary School District and on several non-profit agencies Board of Directors. Among other professional membership and affiliations, Magda serves on the Cal-ICMA Board, is a member of the State Bar of California and serves on the Board of Directors for the San Mateo Credit Union. Magda received her Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University. Magda is also a graduate of ICMA's Leadership Program and the University of Virginia's Senior Executive Institute. (Email: mgonzalez@hmbcity.com )
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Investing Spotlight: Realigning a Portfolio
Your vehicle's wheels need to be realigned from time to time. This is standard maintenance, a necessary adjustment to ensure the angles of the wheels are set to the vehicle maker's original specifications in order for your vehicle to operate properly.
The same concept can apply to your investment portfolio. Over time, market fluctuations and volatility can make gradual changes to a retirement investment portfolio and your risk exposures. These shifts are called portfolio drift and tend to happen gradually when an asset class - such as equities (stocks) or bonds (fixed-income) - outperform or underperform over time.
Since investments generally perform differently over time, the allocation percentages you carefully choose as your starting point may change significantly, as some investments perform better than others.
If your equity fund choices do better than your fixed-income funds, for example, stocks may end up as a much larger portion of your retirement savings than you originally planned. That, in turn, could make your portfolio riskier than you intended. Conversely, you might become too heavily weighted in bond funds after a prolonged period of high stock market volatility.
That's why it's important to realign a portfolio periodically and bring the allocation back in line with your risk tolerance and time frame. In investing, this is known as rebalancing.
There are several ways to rebalance a portfolio. You can sell some investments that have performed well and use that money to buy more funds that haven't performed as well. Conversely, you might become too heavily weighted in bond funds after a prolonged period of high stock market volatility.
Decide how often you plan to rebalance your portfolio. For example, you might want to rebalance every quarter or annually to get your allocation back in line with your original intentions; or to rebalance whenever your allocation is more than a certain percent away from the original plan.
Also, you may want to "pre-program" your allocation to change every few years, gradually shifting to more conservative investments as your retirement date gets closer. You can do this automatically by investing in a target-date fund, which is managed by investment professionals who keep the fund's allocations within target ranges based on your investing time frame, and gradually shift to more conservative investments as your goals get closer.
This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not to be construed or relied upon as investment advice. Except as expressly permitted by ICMA-RC, reproduction or redistribution of this content in its entirety or any portion thereof, is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of ICMA-RC. For more information, contact ICMA-RC at 777 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4240. 800-669-7400. Copyright © 2015 ICMA-RC. All rights reserved.
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Seeking Noticias
Articles
IHN would like to have members submit articles for future issues of Noticias. If you have an article that showcases activities in your city organization or community please submit them to kdavis@ihnonline.org. The timelines for the next two issues are:
Issue #27:
Articles due June 10, newsletter to go out July 1
Issue #28:
Articles due September 10, newsletter to go out Oct 1
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IHN Board of Directors
Veronica Briseño Lara
President
Manuel Esquibel
President-Elect
Magda Gonzalez
Immediate
Past President
Rolando Fernandez
Vice President
for Membership
Maria Hurtado
Vice President
for Programs
At Large Directors:
Carlos Baia
Tommy Gonzalez
Raymond Gonzales
Claudia Lujan
Daro Mott
Yocelyn Galiano Gomez
Ramiro Inguanzo
Patricia E. Martel
Past ICMA
Board Member
___________
Robert (Bob) Harrison
ICMA Executive Board Liaison
Rod Alcázar
ICMA-RC Liaison
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IHN Corporate Partners Program
Sponsors
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Fund Development
Magda Gonzalez, Chair
Ray Gonzalez
Bob Harrison
Membership Committee
Rolando Fernandez, Chair
Yocelyn Galiano Gomez
Claudia Lujan
Carlos Baia
Daro Mott
Ray Gonzales
David Castaneda
Communications Committee
Ray Gonzales, Co-chair
Angelita Marchante, Co-chair
Programs & Conference Planning Committee
Maria Hurtado, Chair
Nominating Committee
Jane Bais-DiSessa, Co-chair
Magda Gonzalez, Co-chair
Bob Harrison
Ruth Osuna
Tony Ojeda
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