The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) announced the election of its new president — Downey Councilmember Claudia Frometa — along with additional updates on board leadership, including a new slate of members to the Class of 2027 at the organization’s Board of Directors meeting on June 19 in Las Vegas during the NALEO 41st annual conference.

Frometa becomes the organization’s 14th president in its 48-year history.

The new slate of NALEO Board Officers for the 2024–2025 term includes:

• President, City of Downey Councilmember Claudia M. Frometa (R)

• First Vice President, New Mexico Commission of Public Records Member Brian Colón (D)

• Second Vice President, Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar (D)

• Secretary, Texas State Senator César J. Blanco (D)

• Treasurer, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia (R)

Additionally, new NALEO Board Members elected for their first term during the meeting for the Class of 2027 include:

• California State Senator Bob Archuleta (D)

• Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro (D)

• Lynwood Unified School District School Board Member Julian Del Real-Calleros (R)

• Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia (D)

• Mayor of Village of Questa John Ortega (R)

• City of Hawthorne Mayor Alex Vargas (I)

“It is an honor and a privilege to become NALEO’s President at such a pivotal moment in our nation’s political landscape. As a Mexican immigrant and U.S. citizen who loves this nation, I look forward to elevating NALEO’s mission of engaging Latino voices, and furthering the Latino vote through greater engagement,” said newly elected NALEO President Claudia M. Frometa. “Equally, I look forward to engaging Latino policymakers nationwide and empowering them to best support their communities. ¡Juntos y adelante!”

NALEO Board Members elected for a second term for the Class of 2027 include:

• New Mexico Commission of Public Records Member Brian Colón (D)

• Monterey County Supervisor Christopher Lopez (D)

• Phoenix Union High School District Board Member Stephanie Parra (D)

• Doral City Councilmember Rafael Pineyro (R)

• Waterford School District Board Trustee John Paul Torres (D)

• Miami-Dade Expressway Authority Board Member Luz Urbaez Weinberg (R)

• Chicago City Alderman Gilbert Villegas (D)

NALEO also bid farewell to some of its current members ending their term, including:

• Pico Rivera Councilmember Gustavo Camacho (D)

• Former Minnesota State Senator Melisa Lopez-Franzen (D)

• Hudson County Clerk and NALEO President Junior Maldonado (D)

• Texas State Representative Armando Martinez (D)

• Albuquerque Public Schools Board Member Peggy Muller-Aragon (R)

• Orange Unified School District Board Member John Ortega (R)

• New York State Senator Jose Gustavo Rivera (D)

• Florida State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez (R)

Outgoing NALEO President and Hudson, New Jersey, County Clerk, the Honorable E. Junior Maldonado, expressed his gratitude for his time on the board and as President. “It has been an honor to serve as NALEO President this past year and on its board of directors,” said former NALEO President E. Junior Maldonado. “I wish the very best to my colleagues and the Honorable Claudia M. Frometa as she takes on leading this great organization. I look forward to continuing to support NALEO and its initiatives as it continues to bolster Latino leaders nationwide.”

This year was the 41st edition of the NALEO Annual Conference from June 18–20, 2024. The event brought a thousand Latino leaders and their supporters from across the country to facilitate the meaningful exchange of ideas and foster solutions around the most current pressing policy issues. We look forward to the work of our new Board Members as they continue advancing NALEO’s mission.