LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Josh Valdez, DBA, the former Regional Director for the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has accepted an appointment to the Board of GROW Elect, Latino Consultants announced today. GROW Elect is a political organization founded in 2011 for the purpose of electing Latino Republicans to local office in California.
"Forty-four percent of Latinos voted for President George W. Bush in the 2004 general election – we need to re-energize and exceed that engagement that so our patriotic values are represented," said Dr. Valdez. "Civic engagement and participation is vital for all of us who love this country and the State of California."
The importance of Latinos becoming involved in policy and civics comes from perspective of deep-rooted empathy for the issues Latinos face as a community. "It is personal for me because my parents' family – all U.S. Citizens born here – was deprived of their home and business in the forced 'Repatriation' of the Great Depression," Dr. Valdez said. His father and family were part of the more than 500,000 Mexican-Americans that were gathered and forced to go to Mexico despite the fact they were citizens. The tragedy ripped the Valdez family apart along with the death of his younger brother – due to starvation – and who was forced to work at age eight and never again given the opportunity to attend school. "By becoming involved, we assure an equitable future for our families while honoring those who sacrificed so that we could succeed."
Dr. Valdez, who is the President and CEO of Right Way HealthCare Consulting, was also the highest ranking Latino in a 42,000+ company as the Senior Vice President of Health Care Management for WellPoint from 2003-2007 and was appointed by President George W. Bush as a Regional Director for DHHS, 2001-2003. He co-authored "Strategies for Improving Latino Health Care in America" which included budget-neutral recommendations for expanding access. Most recently Dr. Valdez was in the news as the Chair of Health Care Insurance Industry Group to advise the Romney for President Campaign.
"One of the things I am excited about with GROW Elect is the leadership; I'm so very proud to join my good friend Ruben Barrales and other vibrant Latino leaders in the worthy mission to involve more Latinos in our democracy," added Dr. Valdez, referring to the recent announcement that GROW Elect hired Ruben Barrales former, a former White House Deputy, as its President and Chief Executive Officer. "This exemplifies the momentum we have in engaging Latinos and our values in building a better tomorrow."
Dr. Valdez plans on being an integral part of that momentum, both as a GROW Elect Board Member and as a future candidate for publicly elected office, of which he is exploring the options.
More About Dr. Valdez:
Dr. Valdez serves as a commissioner at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for eliminating racial disparities in health care and is a board member for the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity. He has held past appointments as a member of the White House Council on Aging, Chairman of the U.S. Latino Health Task Force, and gubernatorial appointee of the California Health Policy and Data Commission. Dr. Valdez has been recognized as one of the 15 most influential Hispanics in the United States by The Latino Coalition and one of the 10 most influential Latinos in the healthcare sector by Hispanic Business. He is married to Elizabeth and has three children, Gabriel, Noah and Jacob.
About Grow Elect:
GROW Elect is a 527 political action committee that recruits, endorses, trains and funds Latino Republican candidates for public office in California. Since 2011, GROW Elect has helped 30 Latino Republicans to succeed in being elected to local offices across California. To find out more about GROW Elect, visit: http://www.GrowElect.com/ .
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