National Hispana Leadership Institute

Latina Voices on Capitol Hill

Latina voices echoed through the halls of the Library of Congress, White House, U.S Capitol Hill, and the U.S. State Department as the 23 NHLI fellows made a mark on Washington D.C. during their final week of the NHLI Executive Leadership Program: Impacting Decisionmakers, Policy Advocacy and Government Relations. During the week, the Class of 2007 fellows explored the national political agenda, policy development and met with high level Latino officials propelling change throughout government and nonprofit organizations.

The week of activities included training from the White House Project’s Vote, Run, Lead; briefings at the White House, Organization of American States, United States Department of State, Hispanic Professional Women’s Association, Reception: Legacy of Spain and the United States in the Age of Independence at the National Portrait Gallery, trainings by Telemundo, the Gallup Organization and the National Latina Health Network. Fellows also met personally with their state representatives to discuss pressing issues in their communities.

A cornerstone of the week was the Latina Congressional Breakfast held at the Library of Congress. Seven Latina United States Congressional representatives Hon. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Hon. Grace F. Napolitano, Hon. Loretta Sanchez, Hon. Hilda Solis, Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Hon. Linda Sanchez, and Hon. Nydia Velazquez were honored for their lifetime of leadership, and invaluable contributions of service to the Hispanic community reminding us that we can all achieve the American dream.

This year’s graduation ceremony was held at the spectacular Hotel Washington with keynote speaker Janet Murgia, President of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). The fellows spoke to their families, friends, and distinguished guest about the program. “NHLI has changed my life” and “This program has impacted me more than any other professional program” were sentiments expressed during the fellows’ speeches.