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“HONORING RUBEN VALDEZ” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1197 on June 28, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING RUBEN VALDEZ
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HON. MARK UDALL
of colorado
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 27, 2002
Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ruben Valdez for his leadership and service to Colorado.
Cesar Chavez once said, ``We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community. Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sake and our own.'' Even a cursory glance at Ruben Valdez's life illuminates why he has been named to the Cesar Chavez Leadership Hall of Fame. The hall of fame recognizes Colorado Latinos for their outstanding contributions to civic life. Ruben's contributions to Colorado, the Hispanic community and public life have been extraordinary.
Ruben was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1971. A few short years later he was elected Speaker of the House making him the first Hispanic to ever serve in that position. After retiring from the House in 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to be the Regional Director for the United States Department of Transportation. The following year, he was selected by Colorado Governor Dick Lamm to serve as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Social Services. In 1985, Ruben accepted an unprecedented dual appointment by Governor Lamm to be Executive Director for both the Colorado Department of Social Services and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
At the end of this extraordinary period in his public life, Ruben was perhaps the most successful Latino leader in Colorado history. For many young Latinos interested in politics and government at the time (some on whom now serve on my staff) Ruben Valdez was a pioneer--living proof that having a Spanish surname did not disqualify a person from having a successful career in public service.
Cesar Chavez was a leader who organized the Hispanic community from
``outside'' the halls of power in government. Ruben showed that another leadership model was available to Hispanics. Ruben showed that Hispanics could also work from inside the corridors of power, not only in the halls of government, but in corporate boardrooms. I think Cesar Chavez would have been pleased by Ruben's success, particularly because it paved the way for so many other talented Hispanic leaders to come.
Today Ruben Valdez is a very successful consultant helping clients at every level of government. He was a well-known figure in the halls of the Colorado State Legislature when I served there, and I came to admire him for his reputation as a respected lobbyist.
Ruben Valdez is a thoughtful and experienced leader. Those who know him will tell you that he is the kind of man you want on your side in a difficult battle. His service to Colorado has been exceptional, and I am pleased to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his achievements.
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