2001 Mujer Award Recipients

National Mujer Award Recipient

Linda Chavez-Thompson is the first person to hold the post of AFL-CIO executive vice president, and she is the first person of color to be elected to one of the federation’s three highest offices. A native of Lubbock, Texas, Chavez-Thompson is a second-generation American of Mexican descent. She brings to her work 34 years of experience in the labor movement, beginning in 1967 with her first work for the Laborers’ local union in Lubbock. Chavez-Thompson represents the labor movement in a wide variety of national organizations, including her service as the chair of the National Committee on Pay Equity, as a member of the executive committee of the United Way of America, as a vice chair of the President’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities, as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, and as a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

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Regional Mujer Award Recipient

Lena Archuleta, lifetime educator and civil rights activist from Denver, CO has worked tirelessly for over fifty years on behalf of the Latino community. Ms. Archuleta was born in New Mexico and began her long career in education in her native state and was a committed advocate for children of all races and specifically fought for the rights of Latinos. "Education is the only way that people can rise to their full potential. Working with young people is the most satisfying work you can do," Lena Archuleta said about her long tenure in the Denver Public School system. Currently, Lena is involved with The Denver Foundation, the Public Council on Drinking Water Research, and Adelante Mujer Focus Group, which assists with strategic planning on behalf of Latinas. She also continues to volunteer her time with the AARP at the state level. Lena Archuleta has been an exemplary role model for Latinas who have learned from her during her tenure as an educator, administrator, and principal in the Denver Public Schools System.

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