The two-day Institute provided Councilmember Frometa and other Latino elected officials with the opportunity to learn about best practices and policy approaches for tackling natural disasters and emergencies that could affect Latino communities
Staff
Councilmember Claudia M. Frometa, joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and a cohort of more than 50 Latino policymakers in Chicago, Illinois, for an institute on 21st century hazards focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme climate-related disasters.
The NALEO Policy Institute on Emergency Preparedness for 21st Century Hazards took place April 21–22, 2022, at the Swissôtel Chicago.
The Institute provided Councilmember Frometa and other Latino policymakers with the understanding of critical elements around emergency preparedness and management in an effort to aid communities and position government to better prepare for, mitigate, and recover from various types of disasters and emergencies.
“The institute afforded me the opportunity to meet with fellow NALEO members and provided me with information that will assist in the highly complex field of Emergency Preparedness to better assist our residents,” stated Council Member Frometa, who is also a former Downey Mayor and current NALEO Treasurer.
“The broad spectrum of information will help in activities and functions to build an efficient capacity to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from large-scale emergencies and disasters. The NALEO Educational Fund’s Policy Institute on Emergency Preparedness was truly an invaluable experience,” Marroquin Frometa added.
During the Institute, Councilmember Frometa networked with other Latino leaders and heard from leading experts on how to deal with these catastrophic events and other hazards affecting our communities, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics addressed during the Institute included:
• Building Resiliency,
• Climate-Related Emergencies,
• The Impact of Extreme Weather on America’s Infrastructure,
• Hazard Mitigation: Community Education and Outreach, and
• Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure.
Select speakers at this year’s Institute included NALEO’s President, the Hon. Ricardo Lara, California Insurance Commissioner; Mr. Michael Smith, National Executive Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at the American Red Cross; and Ms. Beth Osborne, Director, Transportation for America, and Former Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
As part of the curriculum, participants will also be invited to join a follow-up virtual session that will take place in September 2022.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of NALEO Educational Fund’s institute programming dedicated to supporting Latino policymakers’ emergency preparedness and response work, aiming to provide Latino public servants with the enhanced capacity and governance skills to become effective advocates for their communities.
Since 2012, more than 400 Latino elected officials have participated in this professional development institute dedicated to enhancing leaders’ understanding of infrastructure funding and strategies to increase resiliency against weather and climate-related disasters.
