Submitted by the Culver City Unified School District
Paula Amezola, MPH, incoming president of the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) Board of Governors, joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and 67 other newly-elected Latino officials for the NALEO 14th Biennial National Institute for Newly Elected Officials — a two-day convening held November 16–18, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Hosted every two years and currently in its 14th iteration, the National Institute for Newly Elected Officials is the preeminent professional development program for new Latino policymakers. In addition to equipping Amezola and other participants with the necessary governance and leadership skills needed for effective policy making, participants also connected with a national network of other new Latino state legislators, municipal and county officials, community college trustees, and school board members.
Participants of the bootcamp hailed from across the country. This year, the National Institute for Newly Elected Officials Class of 2022 represented 18 states, including Arizona (11), California (12), Colorado (2), Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Massachusetts (8), Maryland (2), Nebraska (2), Nevada (1), New Mexico (3), New York (2), Pennsylvania (1), Rhode Island (2), Texas (16), Washington (1), and Wisconsin (1).
“Meeting with 67 other Latino elected officials from our beautiful nation was most impactful to me because we got a chance to learn from each other and share best practices,” stated Amezola. “Hearing from our First Latino U.S. Senator Padilla and his story renewed my love for serving and “cumplir” to my community” stated Amezola.
The robust curriculum provided Amezola and others with training on topics as varied as budgeting, finance, and fiscal responsibility; relationships and understanding the policymaking process; developing a brand as a policymaker and leader; integrity and ethics in public office; and self-care.
In addition to the formal curriculum, newly-elected officials also benefited from networking opportunities with leading policymakers, colleagues from across the country and across the aisle, and experts that serve as the Institute’s faculty.
For more information, a full agenda is available here.
