FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2011
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202)776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
Washington, DC—NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, applauds District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray for his appointment of Beatriz “BB” Otero as the city’s new Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Ms. Otero, a long-time leader in the Latino community, is the founder and chief executive of CentroNía, a multicultural learning center in Columbia Heights and an active member of NCLR’s Affiliate Network.
"This is great news for DC's Latino community and most especially for families throughout the city,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “Her commitment, compassion, knowledge, and leadership on education and family support services are unparalleled, and she will be an invaluable part of the Gray administration."
“She has been a key partner and valued advisor to NCLR’s education and family literacy programs,” Murguía added. “This appointment is a testament to her tremendous leadership and dedication to a population that is often underserved. We applaud Mayor Gray and we wish BB well in her new position.”
NCLR has worked with CentroNía on a charter school as well as on pilot programs conducted in collaboration with the Verizon Foundation, including Lee y serás, which supports early literacy development for children through everyday activities using Latino cultural and linguistic traditions, and Thinkfinity, which adapted online resources to be used with Latino students in after-school settings.
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