Latinx Caucus at Harvard Kennedy School

The U.S. Latinx Caucus was proud to host the first annual U.S. Latinx Policy Symposium this past April at the Harvard Kennedy School. Our symposium themes, leadership and service after Harvard Kennedy School, centered the day on highlighting Latinx alumni who are leading, campaigning, and serving communities across the United States at the federal, state, and local levels. We were honored to open with a keynote address from the wonderful Michelle De La Isla, former mayor of Topeka, Kansas. Throughout the rest of the day:

⭐️ We went into a deep dive on state and local leadership with panelists Gloria Korpas (MPP ‘25), Tania del Rio (MPP’16), and Pedro Galvao. (MPP’13)
⭐️ Our very own Andy Vargas, chair of the MA Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, led a fireside chat with Andrés Cano (MC/MPA’21) and Emerita Torres (MPP’09) on their experience as elected officials in Arizona and New York.
⭐️ The Harvard Latino Alumni Association launched the HLAA HKS Hub, a platform for Latinx students at HKS to remain engaged post-graduation.
⭐️ Alejandra Davila (MPP’23), Tonantzin Carmona (MC/MPA’21), and Beto Altamirano (MC/MPA’22) discussed their very distinct pathways into public service, and what public service means to them as Latinxs.
⭐️ We ended the day with an inspiring closing keynote by Henry Cisneros, former mayor of San Antonio, Texas and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Thank you to the Symposium Chairs and planning committee, Auero Mesquita, Juan Bibiloni, Adam Delgado, Sahian Valladares, and Ivan Melchor for the countless hours you put into making this day a reality. And countless gratitude to Rafael Carbonell, Carlos Mark Vera, the Center for Public Leadership, the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, and the Bloomberg Center for Cities for your generous support.

Today’s the day! The 2026 U.S. Latinx Policy Symposium kicks off at 2 PM. We’re excited to see you 🎉

Our Symposium is two weeks away, register through the link in bio to save your spot! This year’s theme explores leadership and public service after HKS. We hope to see you there 📚🤝