FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2005
CONTACT: Millie Gonzalez
908-737-NEWS (6397)
E-mail: mgonzale@kean.edu
Kean Alumnus Agustin Garcia '80 to Present Latinization of América at Kean University with Remarks by Congressman Bob Menendez
UNION, N.J. ––The Hispanic Association of College Employees of Kean University will host Agustin “Gus” Garcia ’80 in a presentation, titled The Latinization of América, from 9 a.m. to noon, on Tuesday, April 12, at the Kean Hall Conference Center, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J. Special guests will also include Congressman Robert Menendez and Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders’ Angel Estrada, among others. Admission to the event, which includes breakfast and lunch, is free. For more information or to R.S.V.P., please call Millie Gonzalez, University Relations, at (908) 737-4080, by Monday, April 11. Space is limited.
Agustin Garcia
Kean alumnus Agustin Garcia is a renowned human-rights activist, civil-rights
advocate, international businessman and corruption fighter with local
and national affiliations. He is founder and president of Garcorp International,
working with domestic and international public and governmental relations;
private investigations and security; medical security consulting; business
development; and political campaigns. Nationally recognized by the televised
and printed media for his expertise in Latino affairs, Latin America and
immigration, Garcia is presently working with one of the country’s
largest Latin-owned radio companies and is responsible for organizing
a number of grassroots campaigns in the U.S. involving media and environmental
issues.
Motivated by pride in his heritage and a strong commitment to community, Garcia is a legal and governmental affairs director for the Democracy Movement, of which he was a founding member, and has served as national co-chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Speaker’s Trust; executive director and consultant for the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party and its Hispanic and Cuban-American steering committees; democratic State Senate candidate for District 34 in Florida in 1998; a Gore delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Having organized more than 150 political campaigns in the U.S. and Latin America, Garcia was named a delegate-at-large to the National Democratic Convention in Boston and chosen as director of Cuban-American Outreach Victory 2004 by the Florida Democratic Party. In addition, Garcia has been plaintiff in such national and international human- and civil-rights cases as Dead Voter in the mayoral elections in Miami and the 2000 presidential ballot recount in South Florida.
For his many contributions to la Hispanidad, the community and politics, Garcia has been named Outstanding Hispanic in Casino Law Enforcement from La Tribuna and has received the Mark of Excellence Award from the state of Florida Department of Professional and Business Regulation; Award for Outstanding Work in Reaching Out to All Communities and Activism in Defense of Human Rights from the Dade County Democratic Party; Citation of Merit from the Borough of the Bronx; a letter of recognition from Sen. Bob Graham; and recognition at the 11th Annual Southwest United States Student Conference on Latino Affairs. He has also received a proclamation declaring Agustin “Gus” Garcia Day from the City of Miami and has been presented with the key to the City of Miami Beach.
Congressman Bob Menendez
In his seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman
Bob Menendez (N.J.-13), has made a stellar and rapid rise to the highest
levels of influence in the House, and the highest levels of prominence
in American political life. Today, Menendez is chairman of the Democratic
Caucus where he is the third-ranking Democrat in the House, the highest-ranking
Hispanic in Congressional history, and the only Hispanic ever elected
to a leadership position, in either chamber, by either party. In addition
to being the first Democratic House Member from N.J. elected to a Leadership
post, he is also the youngest member of the elected Democratic Leadership.
Previously, Menendez served two consecutive terms as vice chairman of
the Democratic Caucus.
During the 107th Congress, his nationally recognized leadership earned him appointments as chairman of both the Democratic Task Force on Education and the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security, made in recognition of the effects September 11 has had on his congressional district. Working with Homeland Security, Menendez introduced the Bioterrorism Protection Act (BioPAct) and the United States Security Act (the USA Act) to ensure our nation has the resources and tools it needs to respond to, and, most importantly, prevent acts of terrorism. Menendez also served on the committee which created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Menendez has been one of the leading proponents in Congress for investing in our transportation hubs, infrastructure and ports as a means to expand commerce and create jobs. He is also a leader in the effort to reform bankruptcy code.
Internationally, Menendez is a vocal advocate for human rights who was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1998. He currently serves as the Ranking Democratic Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, where he continues that work.
A former State Assemblyman and State Senator -- where he was the author
of N.J.'s landmark bias-crime law and telecommunications-reform act --
and an attorney in private practice, Congressman Menendez was raised in
Union City and currently resides in Hoboken, N.J.
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