DC Latino Caucus Announces New Officers and Directors; Joe Barrios Elected President
The District of Columbia Latino Caucus, the leading voice for channeling Latino participation in civic engagement and political activity in the DC area, announces its new officers and Directors:
Executive Officers
President: Jose “Joe” Barrios
Vice President: Claudia Barahona
Treasurer: Aminta Daves
Secretary: Pamela Gomez
Communications Officer: Juan Ulloa
Board of Directors
Jose Barrios
Jacqueline Castañeda
Patricia Eguino
Pamela Gomez
John Rodriguez
Juan Ulloa
Margie Yeager
The newly elected Board members join existing Board members Claudia Barahona, Aminta Daves, Luz Martinez, and Ruth Pagani.
Mr. Jose “Joe” Barrios was elected president after four years of service on the DCLC Board, including 2.5 years as Vice President. During that time he served as “Chief of Staff” to two presidents, had oversight leadership of all DCLC operations and events, and played a key role in the growth of the organization. Mr. Barrios has an established track record of commitment to civil rights, civic engagement, and combating inequality. In addition to his service on the DCLC Board, Mr. Barrios has served as the Latino Committeeman (ex officio) to the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee. He is also on the Steering Committee for DC for Democracy, the District of Columbia’s largest progressive organization, working on a range of equity issues including affordable housing. He previously served as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. Mr. Barrios is a technology and cybersecurity consultant/systems engineer working at the highest levels of the U.S. government to serve the American public. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from Cornell University and a law degree from the George Washington University Law School.
Ms. Gabriela Mossi, Mr. Barrios’s predecessor, retired from the DCLC Board after ten years of service, including five years of accomplished service as president. DCLC saw unprecedented growth during her tenure, as she provided the vision and leadership to strengthen and grow the organization. She was especially committed to community outreach and education, voter registration, and DC Statehood. Ms. Mossi's professional background includes executive leadership on both local and international economic development and neighborhood revitalization work with nonprofits, local governments, multilateral organizations, and university think tanks. She has focused on cooperative governmental nonprofit projects, education and outreach to immigrant communities, and assistance to minority-owned businesses. She was previously a three-term Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. Ms. Mossi has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters in International Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.
Mr. Hector Rodriguez was another notable retirement from the DCLC Board after serving for the last six years, including a period of time as the organization’s Latino Commiteeman (ex officio) to the Democratic State Committee. Mr. Rodriguez has worked for five decades on DC Statehood and Latino advocacy, including 43 years ago in 1978 when Mr. Rodriguez testified to Congress to demand DC Statehood. Other highlights of his 50 years of engagement include being a three-time DC Council candidate; commissioner on the Latino Development Commission under Mayors Barry and Washington; co-chair of the Latino Metro Employment Task Force; author of the proposal to create the Office of Spanish Speaking Affairs (now Office of Latino Affairs); and testifying numerous times on DC statehood and Latino issues before the U.S. Congress and D.C. Council. Mr. Rodriguez is a U.S. Veteran who served in the Viet Nam era as Captain in the United States Army Strategic Communications Command. He is the founder and chair of Veterans United for DC Statehood. Mr. Rodriguez has a bachelor's degree in communiations and political science from Kent State University, and a graduate degree in leadership and command from the U.S. Army Reserve Officers School.