Chicago, IL - The Honorable Ken Salazar will keynote the Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ hosted by the Latino Leaders Network (LLN) on Wednesday, July 29, 2015 at the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, IL.  He will also receive the Eagle Leadership Award, which is presented as a symbol of vision, achievement and commitment to the Latino community.

“We are proud to honor Secretary Salazar.  His extraordinary record of professional achievements and personal leadership exemplifies what the Eagle Leadership award represents.  His story is an inspiration for Latinos and all Americans,” states Mickey Ibarra, founder and chairman of LLN.

In 2009, Ken Salazar was unanimously voted by the U.S. Senate to serve as the 50th United States Secretary of the Interior for President Barack Obama. Previously, he was Colorado’s State Senator and among the first Hispanics to serve in that position since 1977. Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Mr. Salazar was the first Hispanic to serve as Attorney General of Colorado from 1999-2005. He was born into an established ranching family in Southern Colorado and is the brother of former Congressman John Salazar.

Mr. Salazar entered the political sphere in 1986, when he was named Chief Legal Counsel for the Governor of Colorado. He remained in that role until 1990, when he took over as executive director of the state’s Department of Natural Resources specializing in environmental issues and water rights. Secretary Salazar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Colorado College and received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Michigan Law School, and was later awarded honorary doctorates from both institutions. Mr. Salazar currently serves as a partner in the major international law firm of WilmerHale, and was tasked with opening a Denver office for the firm.

The program will feature leaders from Chicago as special guests including Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr., President of US Hispanic Leadership Institute, delivering the invocation, and an honoree introduction delivered by Gery Chico of Chico & Nunes.

The featured community partner will be Marty Castro, Chair of the US Commission on Civil Rights, whose mission is to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws.  Established as an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding federal agency, the Commission studies alleged deprivations of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice.

The Latino Leaders Luncheon Series™ consists of quarterly events convened in Washington, DC and other cities to provide a platform for prominent Latino leaders to share their personal story of obstacles overcome to achieve success and to provide a networking opportunity for elected officials, policy makers, corporate executives, opinion leaders, community activists, industry experts, and political insiders.  Sponsors include Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Kraft Heinz Company, The Coca-Cola Company, ComEd and Southwest Airlines.

About The Latino Leaders Network™

The Latino Leaders Network™ is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to “Bringing Leaders Together” to establish relationships, build unity, and foster dialogue on issues important to the community.  Mickey Ibarra, founder and chairman, served as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House for President Clinton.

Other board members include: Ruben Alvarez, The Molera Alvarez Group, Phoenix, AZ; Soyla Fernández, Fernández Government Solutions, Sacramento, CA; David Ibarra, Ibarra Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT; Maria Teresa Kumar, VotoLatino, Washington, DC; Michelle Minguez, New York, NY; Miguel Santana, Chief Administrative Officer of Los Angeles, CA; and Ken Trujillo, Partner at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Philadelphia, PA.