Cid Wilson, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility (HACR), the largest advocacy group in the United States that promotes Hispanic inclusion in business, was sworn in, along with other Latino leaders, as a new Commissioner of the President's Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics.

Wilson wrote on his LinkedIn profile:

It was such a memorable day yesterday in Washington, DC as I along with 20 Latino leaders were sworn-in by the Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris as the new Commissioners of the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics.

Originally established in 1990, the Commission was reinstated in 2021 through executive order 14045 from President Joe Biden, who expanded the scope of the initiative.

“We look forward to working with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Initiative Executive Director Melody Gonzales, and their team on advising the President on educational and economic issues impacting Latinos in the U.S. It’s a huge honor to serve in this official voluntary capacity with such an esteemed group of dedicated national leaders for the benefit of our Latino community,” added Wilson.

About the Commission

Appointed by the President, the Commission is made up of no more than 21 members, which may include people with relevant experience or knowledge in the field, as well as people who can act as representatives of a variety of sectors, for example:

• Education (early childhood education, elementary and secondary education, higher education, career and technical education, and adult education)
• Labor organizations
• Research institutions
• Public and private philanthropic organizations
• Private sector, nonprofit, and community organizations at the national, state, tribal, regional, or local level

“The nation’s future prosperity and global leadership across sectors is intrinsically tied to the success of Hispanic and Latino students, and their success is a priority of this Administration,” highlights the White House. 

Washington emphasizes that members of this commission must have the ability to provide specific information about the experiences of the communities the initiative serves, including young adults, and have diversity in the diaspora and the geography of the country.

Meet the commissioners of @POTUS' Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. pic.twitter.com/ukdZVNFn74

— White House Hispanic Initiative (@WhiteHouseHPI) May 10, 2023

“Part of the extension of the work you will do is, yes, focused on our young leaders and our young people, but understanding we also then have to be clear about the needs of their parents and their grandparents and their teachers and their communities, because none of us just live in a silo. Everything is in context,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a speech during the oath ceremony.

The Commission will provide advice to the President through the United States Secretary of Education on matters related to educational equity and economic opportunity for the Hispanic and Latino community, including:

• What is needed for the development, implementation, and coordination of educational programs and initiatives at the Department and other agencies to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for Hispanics and Latinos
• How to promote career pathways for in-demand jobs for Hispanic and Latino students, including registered apprenticeships, internships, fellowships, mentorships, and work-based learning initiatives
• Ways to strengthen the capacity of institutions, such as HSIs, to equitably serve Hispanic and Latino students and increase the participation of Hispanic and Latino students, Hispanic-serving school districts, and the Hispanic community in the programs of the Department and other agencies
• How to increase public awareness of and generate solutions for the educational and training challenges and equity disparities that Hispanic and Latino students face and the causes of these challenges
• Approaches to establish local and national partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit stakeholders to advance the mission and objectives of this order, consistent with applicable law.

“So all of this is part of the work of this group of extraordinary leaders who will help inform and advise how we think about our work and, like the Secretary said, give us feedback, give us counsel, give us direction in how we best achieve our mission, doing it in a way that we fully understand the challenges and the opportunities,” added VP Harris.