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New IHN Website - Check It Out!
Message from IHN President Veronica Briseno Lara
On behalf of the IHN board of directors, I am pleased to announce that IHN has a new look on our website. I invite you to go to www.ihnonline.org to see our new design and check out the features. You will be able to sign up on the website for the IHN dinner at ICMA being held on September 25th. Coming soon will be the registration for the IHN conference in Austin on November 3-5. We will be adding features in the future and will notify members as we unveil them. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions for continuing improvements.
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Register for the IHN Dinner at the ICMA conference
in Kansas City
Registration is now open for the annual IHN dinner at the ICMA Conference. The dinner will be Sunday, September 25, at the Hilton President Hotel ballroom. The reception starts at 6:30 p.m. and dinner is at 7:00 p.m. The guest speaker will be Patrick Ibarra, The Mejorando Group. He will present:
"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."
IHN/NFBPA/CalNAPA Reception at the ICMA Conference
The annual joint reception at ICMA with IHN, NFBPA and CalNAPA will be Monday evening, September 26. This year, Heidi Voorhees, President of GovHR USA, will host an open bar for attendees. Please check your conference program for details.
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Save the Date!
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.
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.
Registration is not yet open.
IHN Civic Engagement Award
Earlier this year, IHN launched the annual Civic Engagement Award, which will be presented at the IHN national conference awards banquet in Austin on November 4th at the Sheraton Hotel. The awardee will be selected and notified in August. The award will recognize individuals and organizations who 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.
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The beginning of IHN and the Samurai
As we progress as an organization and as Latinos in city management, it is important that we know roots to give us perspective. The story of the seven samurai is a story of IHN's roots.
This year the International Hispanic Network (IHN) will host its national conference in Austin, Texas. In addition to excitement about having a national conference after a few years without, IHN will also be awarding its second Joel Valdez award. This award was created and first awarded in 2010 at the IHN conference in Austin and the recipient was the man the award was named for, Joel Valdez, or the "Latino godfather in city management" as he has been referred to previously. As we gear up to announce the nominating process for the next award, I wanted to take the opportunity in my column this month to talk about the history and importance of the award and the legacy of IHN.
In 1975, Severo Esquivel became the first Latino ICMA board member. At the time there were few Hispanic city managers. ICMA has just changed the structure of the ICMA board to include two at-large VP positions for assistant city managers in hopes to diversify the board. "ICMA realized they had not done a good job of bringing minorities and women into the profession," George Flores said. "Severo got on the board and raised the issue of Hispanics being under represented as you go west of the Mississippi."
Severo approached Mark Keane, the ICMA Executive Director and enlisted the assistance of the incoming ICMA President, Roy Penderson and Tuscon City Manager, Joel Valdez for funding from ICMA to start a Hispanic Emphasis Program. In 1978 they received funding, and Ruben Mendoza was hired by ICMA to administer the program. "I did research on where Hispanic managers were. I looked for lists, found them mostly in Texas, Arizona and California and I would contact them directly and talk to them, and when I had a chance, I would meet with them," Ruben said.
The story of IHN was created in the back of a cab during the 1977 ICMA conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. The group would meet whenever they could, even it if was one-on-one when one was visiting the city of another. Ruben became the key contact, approaching every Hispanic who joined ICMA and inviting them to join IHN. "The point is that there are very few Hispanics in city management," Alex Briseño said.
Joel Valdez was the only Hispanic city manager of a city with a population larger than 100,000. Along with other Hispanic managers across the country he initiated the endeavor that resulted in what became IHN. At the time (late 1970's to early 1980's) there was a TV miniseries called Shōgun. The miniseries was based on the adventures of an English navigator, William Adams, who became a shōgun, a high rank in military service in early 17th century Japan. In the show, the shōgun leaders had samurai, therefore these seven managers were given the nickname of "the seven samurai". The initial seven were: George Flores (Management Assistant, Phoeniz, Arizona), James Jamarillo (Chief Administrative Officer, Albuquerque, New Mexico), Gavino Sotelo (Assistant City Manager, Odessa, Texas), Tony Ojeda (Assistant City Manager, Miami-Dade County, Florida), Calixto Torres (Management Assistant, Hartford, Connecticut), Alexander Briseño (Assistant City Manager, San Antonio, Texas), and Ruiben Mendoza. Later the samurai added Rolando Bono, David Mora and Ruth Ozuna to the group.
After the program was created, the group received federal funding through HUD for the Hispanic Field Service Program which provided fellowships in 16 U.S. universities for Hispanics interested in pursuing local government service to receive masters in public administration. As a result, more than 200 students received these fellowships; many of whom are still leaders in local government.
The grant also included funding for regional conferences in New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The seven samurai traveled to these regional conferences as the core team of the organization. The regional conferences culminated in a national conference in San Antonio in 1981.
"We were amazed because in most cities across the country you could not find Hispanics in city management and you've got San Antonio where there are Hispanics across the organization," George said. "San Antonio became our home because of the hospitality." At the time both Alex and Rolando were assistant city managers in San Antonio.
"It (San Antonio) became our unofficial capital and the reason we chose it to be the location of our national conference," Ruben said.
Henry Cisneros, then the San Antonio Mayor, was the keynote speaker. There were more than 880 conference attendees. All of the student attendees were admitted free of charge as a result of the grant funding. As a result of this group's efforts, the "seven" were invited to the White House and met with First Lady, Rosalyn Carter. The funding for the program did not continue after President Jimmy Carter's presidency.
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In full disclosure, the current IHN President and author of this column is the daughter of one of the seven samurai, Alex Briseño.
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The International Hispanic Network was officially named in 1989. At that time Ruth Osuna was the ICMA staff member tasked with supporting the organization. She drafted the agreement, which formalized the organization.
Since then, the organization remains active and has become what exists today. The organization created its own 501c3 in 2003 and has continued since then to provide resources for Latinos in local government.
The seven samurai will be a panel at the IHN conference. I encourage you to attend and hear their stories in their own words. They will also be present for the awarding of the Joel Valdez award. As we progress as an organization and as Latinos in city management, it is important that we know roots to give us perspective. The story of the seven samurai is the story of IHN's roots.
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The Planning Committee continues its work on completing the 2016 International Hispanic Network Conference program. Over 75% of the program sessions and entertainment actives are complete - we've highlighted a few education sessions below. If the opportunity of continued education and making new friends are not reasons enough to attend this conference, consider this other top reason to attend our conference:
Become a mentor or get a mentor. An opportunity will be available to learn about IHN's Madrinas/Padrinos program through a Speed Coaching session and gain valuable input from experienced leaders. Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with a mentor or become a mentor. Being a mentor provides an opportunity to "pay forward" to others the guidance you have received throughout your career. Furthermore, it provides a means to leave a lasting impact by influencing in a positive manner those who will be the next generation of government leaders. Having a mentor allows for reflection as you share your experience with someone who has already successfully navigated the path you are on and whose only agenda is to help get the most out of you. In addition, a mentor can provide valuable life and work experience and perspective that can help solve problems.
Conference Sessions
Developing the Next Hispanic Leaders: With a growing and talented pool of Hispanic professionals in the public and private sectors, how do we develop and foster the "pipeline" of future leaders in our organizations? This panel will discuss some existing programs that have proven successful and discuss why such programs are important in creating, maintaining and growing the Hispanic professional "pipeline."
Our Changing Demographics: Serving a Growing, Diverse Community: Do you know who lives in your community? Do you understand the demographics of your community? Who will inhabit communities in the next 20 years? What is the impact on your economic base? Who will city governments be accountable to and what services will be necessary to plan thriving communities? With a focus on how the changing demographics of our communities are affecting service delivery, this session will explore how local governments can think creatively about connecting with the people they serve.
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Why You Need Estate Planning
Estate planning isn't just for wealthy people. Instead, it outlines the steps that help everyone control what happens to your assets after you die, and lets you choose who can make financial and medical decisions for you if you're incapacitated.
Your will. Your will determines who will inherit many of your assets after you die. It's also your opportunity to choose guardians for your children, rather than leaving that critical decision up to the courts. And a will can be particularly important if you're remarried and want to control the distribution of your assets to your blended families. Without a will, state law may automatically pass the money to your current spouse.
Beneficiary designations. It's important to make sure the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts and life insurance policies are up to date. The money in these accounts goes to the beneficiaries you designated, even if your will specifies otherwise. Beneficiaries who are spouses can have different options than non-spouses for withdrawing money from inherited retirement accounts.
Durable power of attorney. This document specifies who can make financial decisions for you if you're unable to do so. Some powers of attorney only take effect when you become incapacitated. It can also be important to consider having aging parents grant you a power of attorney if they are relying on you for help with their finances. You can have a lawyer draw up a general power of attorney, but you may also have to sign separate forms with banks and other financial institutions.
Health-care proxy. This document specifies who can make medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated. It's essential for unmarried couples, who might not otherwise have the legal rights to make these decisions for one another. Also consider a living will, which specifies which types of medical treatment you do and do not want.
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 © 2016 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:
Issue #28: Articles due September 10, newsletter to go out Oct 1 |
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Thank You to Our Sponsors
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IHN | membership@online.org l (408)392-0232
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