OMLO Partner Rick R. Olivarez had the honor of helping present the 2021 Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service to Ambassador Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón, Chief of Staff to First Lady Jill Biden, at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Edward R. Roybal Legacy Celebration on October 19, 2021. Rick presented the award alongside his mother, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, during a celebration that took place in Washington, D.C. at Top of the Gate at The Watergate Hotel. The annual award recognizes exemplary service by elected or appointed officials whose work has given a meaningful voice to the people they serve and to the Latino community.
NALEO is the nonpartisan leadership organization of the nation’s more than 6,700 Latino elected and appointed Latino public officials in the United States. Mr. Olivarez proudly serves on the NALEO Educational Fund Board, founded by his grandfather, the late Congressman Edward R. Roybal, who served as NALEO’s President until 1999 when he was named President Emeritus.
The Edward R. Roybal Legacy Celebration honors the many contributions Congressman Roybal made to NALEO and the nation. He served as a 5-term member of the Los Angeles City Council, with the distinction of being the first Latino elected since 1881, and was a 15-term Congressman in California (1963 to 1993). Roybal is recognized as being among the country’s most influential Latino politicians for his career achievements and commitment to advocacy for his underserved constituents.
Click here for photos and video from the event, including the award presentation which featured a special appearance from the First Lady.