USHCC APPLAUDS EXPECTED NOMINATION OF JULIAN CASTRO TO HEAD DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Castro to Become One of the Obama Administration's Highest-Ranking Hispanic Officials


WASHINGTON, May 19, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) strongly supports President Obama's forthcoming nomination of Julian Castro for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Castro, the youngest mayor of a top-50 American city, has received national acclaim for his outstanding record during his three terms as mayor of San Antonio.

During his term in office, San Antonio has been hailed as one of the fastest-growing large cities in America. Since 2010, Castro has lead 17 new residential projects within the downtown area alone, and raised almost $400 million dollars in private capital to build over 2,700 new housing units throughout San Antonio.

"President Obama's nomination of Julian Castro would be historic, one that would have made the department's founder – Lyndon B. Johnson – very proud. In the thirteen years Julian Castro's held office in San Antonio, nobody has done more than this young, visionary leader to address his city's housing needs," said USHCC Chairman of the Board Marc Rodriguez.

Mr. Rodriguez added, "Through a nearly half-billion dollar investment in housing projects, Mayor Castro has enriched San Antonio's communities, incentivized small businesses, created well-paying jobs in construction and manufacturing, and provided shelter to those most vulnerable. It's time to bring Mayor Castro to Washington, where he will produce the same results for the American people. We encourage the President and Senate to confirm Castro as the next Secretary of Housing and Urban Development."

Last January, the USHCC honored Mayor Julian Castro with its inaugural American Business Champion Award, recognizing his commitment to supporting small business as a means to advancing the public interest.

"Mayor Castro is not only an exemplary leader within the Hispanic community, but by all measure, a well-suited candidate to lead the department," said USHCC President & CEO Javier Palomarez. "He's spent his time in office delivering for the people of San Antonio, its local businesses, and the communities they serve. With great consistency, Mayor Castro has set aside political partisanship in the name of good policy decision making – we hope his confirmation process will proceed with that same collaborative spirit."

About the USHCC

Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of our nation's entrepreneurs. The USHCC advocates on behalf of nearly 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses, that together contribute in excess of $468 billion to the American economy, each year. As the leading organization of its kind, the USHCC serves as an umbrella to more than 200 local chambers and business associations across the nation, and partners with more than 220 major corporations.

For more information, visit www.ushcc.com.

Follow us on Twitter @USHCC



            

Contact Data