Adam Chavarria
Executive Director
Linda Bugg
Program Analyst
Linda A. Bugg is a program analyst with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) at the U.S. Department of Education. In this capacity, she assists in the distribution of education resources at Hispanic outreach activities nationwide and manages the database for the White House Initiative's Partnership for Hispanic Family Learning network. A native of Washington, D.C., she has been a federal employee for more than 40 years.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative, Bugg held several positions in the Department, including administrative officer with the Committee Management Staff as well as the Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs. She was also a policy analyst for the President's Education Awards Program, which awarded certificates from the U.S. Secretary of Education and the president to students with excellent academic records.
Bugg's most recent position was that of program analyst for the U.S. Department of Education's Educational Partnership and Family Involvement Unit, housed in the Office of Communications and Outreach, where she developed strategic relationships with businesses and education-related, faith-based and community organizations to increase their participation in the local school systems.
Stephanie Guillen
Events Manager
Stephanie Guillen is the projects and events manager for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. A native of Alexandria, Va., and of Bolivian descent, she is on special assignment to the White House Initiative from the Department's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), where she is responsible for the planning and implementation of White House Initiative-sponsored conferences and events.
While at OELA, Guillen was a program specialist, monitoring discretionary grants and providing grantees with technical assistance and fiscal management to ensure their compliance with federal regulations and progress in meeting stated objectives. Before becoming a program specialist, Guillen served as the executive assistant to the Assistant Deputy Secretary of OELA, for whom she prepared presentations and speeches. With the guidance of senior staff, she also developed OELA's business and risk management plan, coordinated the work of a congressional liaison committee and implemented a variety of public relations outreach activities.
In 2003, Guillen graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii with a B.S. in international business management. While a student at BYU-Hawaii, she became a resident advisor and also was employed as an assistant to the professor of internal marketing, where she developed a close rapport with students and faculty and assisted both groups with their marketing research and projects.
Amilcar Guzman
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Fellow
Amilcar Guzman is a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Public Policy Fellow placed with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. Originally from Allentown, Penn., he moved to Washington, D.C., to work with the White House Initiative to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic students.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative, Guzman attended Lycoming College in Williamsport, Penn., and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in psychology and sociology. As a Lycoming student, Guzman was president of his class and president of the campus' Multicultural Awareness Group. As an active member of Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity, he volunteered with local highway cleanup efforts, assisted with the annual Hand-in-Hand Festival and Relay for Life. Guzman also served as a resident assistant, campus tour guide and dance instructor for the Lycoming Dance Club. In 2007, Guzman was inducted into the Psi Chi Honor Society and the Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society.
Romanita Matta-Barrera
Deputy-Director
Romanita Matta-Barrera was appointed by the Bush Administration as the deputy director to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in August 2006. In this capacity, she is responsible for working with public and private organizations, businesses and other stakeholders to promote the White House Initiative's efforts to empower Hispanic families nationwide with information on education and improving academic achievement for all Hispanic Americans.
Prior to her appointment, Matta-Barrera served as the Texas media director for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). In this capacity, she served as the senator's spokesperson to local, state and national English- and Spanish-language media outlets, and established coalitions among Hispanic faith-based and community organizations, businesses and other Hispanic-serving organizations. In addition, Matta-Barrera served as staff director to Sen. Cornyn in his vice chairmanship of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs. In this role, she led the coordination efforts with other Senate offices to identify Hispanic leaders throughout the nation to serve as advisers on education, immigration and other issues affecting the Hispanic community.
Before her tenure with Sen. Cornyn's office, Matta-Barrera worked at SER Jobs for Progress, Inc., operators of the Texas Workforce Centers in San Antonio. In addition to doing community outreach for SER, she hosted the television programs "SER Jobs for Progress" and "Hispanos al Progreso," conducting interviews with local business owners and informing the community about employment opportunities. During this time, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation recognized Matta-Barrera as a "Money Smart Alliance Member" for her extensive collaboration in the national rollout of the Spanish "Money Smart" financial literacy curriculum.
For the past five years, Matta-Barrera has been the scriptwriter for the Texas Talent Musicians Association's Tejano Music Awards and has been an active member of the San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce, the Institute for Public Health and Education Research, Inc., and MANA–A National Latina Organization, among others.
Matta-Barrera graduated cum laude with a B.A. in political science and Latin American studies from The University of Texas at Austin. She also studied abroad at the Center for International Studies at El Colegio de México in Mexico City.
Erika Mendes
Management and Program Analyst Intern
Erika Mendes is a management and program analyst intern placed with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. Originally from Kensington, Md., and of Brazilian descent, she has come to work with the White House Initiative to improve education awareness and access for Latino students and their families.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative, Mendes graduated with honors from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMDCP), where she received a B.A. in communications. As a UMDCP student, Mendes was not only active in the Latino community but in the Delta Gamma Sorority, holding various positions within the organization. She also served as president and cofounder of the Portuguese Language Association and volunteered with UMDCP's Langley Park Project. In addition, Mendes participated in blood drives, education awareness programs, animal walk-a-thons, and service-for-sight initiatives.
Mendes is currently pursuing her M.A. in education and human development with a concentration in higher education administration at the George Washington University. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and French. After graduation, Mendes hopes to continue her efforts in higher education policy and administration.
Diana Pérez
Deputy Director
Diana Pérez joined the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) as deputy director in April 2008. In this capacity, she assists the executive director in overseeing and directing the efforts of the White House Initiative in engaging Hispanic parents, families and communities nationwide as active participants in the education of their children.
Pérez graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University in 2000 and received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2003. In 2000, her thesis Bilingual Education: A History and Program Analysis was published by Texas A&M University Press. In 2002, Pérez served as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Prior to her appointment to the White House Initiative, Pérez worked as an attorney in Houston with the law firm Martin, Disiere, Jefferson and Wisdom.
In 2007, Pérez was given the President's Award by the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston (HisBA) for her outstanding work with the Hispanic Bar and local community. Pérez went on to serve as vice president for HisBA from 2007 to 2008. Most recently, she was awarded the prestigious Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston Award for 2007–08 by the Houston Young Lawyers Association for excellence in her professional practice as well as her service to the bar and the community.
Pérez has been an avid supporter of efforts to improve the academic achievement of Hispanic Americans. As a representative of the Houston Bar Association, she has spoken to elementary, junior high and high school students about the importance of postsecondary education. Pérez also has been a mentor through the Latinas on the Rise program, and has participated as a panelist for Landrum Middle School's "Flight XXV: Your Passport to College" program.
Pérez's commitment to the betterment of the Hispanic community via education led her to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, where she continues in her mission to assist, encourage and empower Hispanic students, parents and community leaders nationwide.
Annette Rodriguez
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Fellow
Annette Rodriguez is a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Fellow placed with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. Originally from East Los Angeles, she moved to Washington, D.C., to work with the White House Initiative to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic students.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative, Rodriguez attended the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where she received a B.A. in psychology and sociology. As a UCR student, Rodriguez was an active member of the Psi Chi Honor Society, serving as the organization's historian. She was also a member of the Latino Union and was elected to the position of treasurer. As a member of the Latino Union, she volunteered with local community park revitalization, assisted with Relay for Life, and participated in blood drive and bone marrow donor drives. In 2006, Rodriguez was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society.
Rodriguez was a research assistant in the developmental psychology and child cognition laboratories at UCR. She concurrently interned as a child care worker at Operation SafeHouse in Riverside, Calif., an emergency shelter for homeless, runaway and other youths in crisis. Rodriguez also volunteered at Humphreys Avenue Elementary School in East Los Angeles.
Raquel Cabral Sours
Deputy Director
Raquel Cabral Sours is the deputy director for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans (White House Initiative) in the U.S. Department of Education. In this capacity, she assists with overseeing and directing the efforts of the White House Initiative in engaging the Hispanic community in becoming active participants in their children's education to improve their academic achievement.
Prior to joining the White House Initiative in July 2008, Sours was the senior adviser for policy and budget to the assistant attorney general (AAG) at the U.S. Department of Justice. In this role, Sours advised the AAG on policy, grant solicitations, awards and publications. During her tenure with the DOJ, Sours also was the special assistant to the attorney general, where she managed the daily operations of the attorney general's office, and the deputy director of scheduling and advance.
Before her appointment to the DOJ, Sours worked for the White House in the office of the White House counsel and the office of presidential personnel.
In 2001, Sours graduated with a B.A. in sociology from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. She is currently working on a master's degree in elementary education at Regent University, Virginia Beach, Va. The California native moved to Washington, D.C. area nearly 20 years ago and now considers it home.