New York Regional Office Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Angela Barranco (center, wearing a blue sports coat) surrounded by the New York Regional staff

On November 20, the New York Regional Office celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, which this year highlighted, "Hispanics: Serving and Leading Our Nation with Pride and Honor." The program welcomed the opportunity to promote a greater understanding of the customs and traditions of one of New York's most diverse communities.

The keynote speaker for the celebration was Angela Barranco, HUD's Deputy Chief of Staff, who welcomed attendees and discussed her family's values and traditions, touching upon her youth and remembering that her mother had to work two jobs to support her in school. She also discussed the importance and ways to improve Latino representation in HUD. Ms. Barranco stated that she believed that a strong federal workforce is most successful and competitive when it represents the diversity of the population at large. She said that she is committed to greater Latino representation in HUD by working to remove any unnecessary barriers to the recruitment, hiring, and retention of Latinos. She also mentioned the importance of HUD messaging in Spanish and her commitment to upgrading the HUD Español website.

Acting Regional Administrator Mirza Orriols was delighted by the large employee turnout and noted the importance of the event. "Hispanic Heritage Month is the celebration of contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States, as well as a celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture," said Orriols.

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