This Two Day Conference Occurred Last Week in Chicago and Covered Many Topics That Effect Our Lives
The two-day Institute provided Vice Mayor and other Latino elected officials with the opportunity to learn about best practices and policy approaches for tackling natural disasters and emergencies that could affect Latino communities.
Union City, CA – Vice Mayor Patiño joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and a cohort of more than 50 Latino policymakers in Chicago, Illinois, for an institute on 21st-century hazards focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme climate-related disasters. The NALEO Policy Institute on Emergency Preparedness for 21st Century Hazards took place April 21–22, 2022, at the Swissôtel Chicago.
The Institute provided the Vice Mayor and other Latino policymakers with the understanding of critical elements around emergency preparedness and management in an effort to aid communities and position the government to better prepare for, mitigate, and recover from various types of disasters and emergencies.
“This was a great opportunity,” stated Vice Mayor Patiño. “To hear insights from experts in their respective fields allows us to receive the best information possible. It also allows us to go back to our respective cities and share the knowledge we have acquired.”
During the Institute, the Vice Mayor networked with other Latino leaders and heard from leading experts on how to deal with these catastrophic events and other hazards affecting our communities, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics addressed during the Institute included:
· Building Resiliency,
· Climate-Related Emergencies,
· The Impact of Extreme Weather on America’s Infrastructure,
· Hazard Mitigation: Community Education and Outreach, and
· Cybersecurity For Critical Infrastructure.
Select speakers at this year’s Institute included NALEO’s President, the Hon. Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner; Mr. Michael Smith, National Executive Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at the American Red Cross; and Ms. Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America and Former Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy with the U.S. Department of Transportation. As part of the curriculum, participants will also be invited to join a follow-up virtual session that will take place in September 2022.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of NALEO Educational Fund’s institute programming dedicated to supporting Latino policymakers’ emergency preparedness and response work, aiming to provide Latino public servants with the enhanced capacity and governance skills to become effective advocates for their communities. Since 2012, more than 400 Latino elected officials have participated in this professional development institute dedicated to enhancing leaders’ understanding of infrastructure funding and strategies to increase resiliency against weather and climate-related disasters.