August 3, 2005 Ruben Barrales, Deputy Assistant to the President, to Deliver Hispanic Heritage Month Keynote Address

Ruben Barrales, deputy assistant to the president and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, will open the Library of Congress’s 2005 National Hispanic Heritage Month with a keynote address from 10 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Madison Hall on the first floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.

The event is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required. The theme of this year’s celebration, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, is “Hispanic Americans: Strong and Colorful Threads in the American Fabric.”

Barrales serves as President George W. Bush’s liaison to state and local elected officials. He is responsible for maintaining a close working partnership between the White House and the nation’s governors, legislators and local officials.

Prior to joining the president’s staff, Barrales was president and CEO of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, a regional civic organization of Silicon Valley business executives, government officials and educational leaders. Barrales directed Joint Venture’s initiatives to improve the quality of education, increase workforce training and promote public policies of importance to Silicon Valley’s technology-driven economy.

In 1992, Barrales became the first Latino elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. He was re-elected and became president of the board in 1996. As a county supervisor, Barrales was a leader in creating one of California’s first public charter schools. He was also recognized for his leadership in reducing violent crime inEast Palo Alto, which in 1992 was named the “homicide capital” of the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Barrales has served on various boards, including the California’s Speaker’s Commission on State and Local Government Finance. He has also served as an adviser to the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a director of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley.

In 1996 and 1998, Hispanic Business Magazine named Barrales one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” in the United States. In 2000, the World Economic Forum named Barrales “A Global Leader for Tomorrow.”

In addition to the Sept. 21 keynote address, the Library will present three more events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month:

A poetry reading, “Red Hot Salsa,” at noon, Thursday, Sept. 29, in the Mary Pickford Theater

on the third floor of the James Madison Building.

A film presentation of “Motorcycle Diaries,” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the

Mary Pickford Theater.

A presentation by Latin guitarists Duo América and the Library of Congress Ballroom Dance Club from noon to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, in the Mumford Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building.