The Pacific Council is honored to welcome our members to an exclusive fireside chat with Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator for California and Ambassador (ret.) Cynthia A. Telles, Former Ambassador to Costa Rica and Pacific Council Board Director, on Wednesday, October 7 at 6 pm PT. As California's senior senator and one of the most consequential voices in the U.S. Senate, Senator Padilla brings a distinctive perspective to some of the most significant policy debates of our time.

This is a unique opportunity to engage with one of Congress's leading voices on issues at the forefront of U.S. policy. Details on the conversation's agenda will be shared in advance of the event.

To register, please use the form below or follow the link here. Event location will be shared with registered attendees. If you have any questions, please reach out to events@pacificcouncil.org. Note: For security purposes, if you are bringing a guest, please provide their first and last name.

Guest Speaker 

Senator Alex Padilla, a progressive problem-solver, is the first Latino elected to represent California in the U.S. Senate. The son of immigrants, Padilla grew up in the San Fernando Valley and studied Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was drawn to politics in response to California’s anti-immigrant Proposition 187. Padilla was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999 and the State Senate in 2006. As California’s Secretary of State, he oversaw a historic expansion of voting rights and voter participation. As United States Senator, Padilla has taken action to cut costs for families, combat the climate crisis, and help thousands of Californians secure millions of dollars owed to them by federal agencies. Padilla is the Ranking Member of the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Administration. He also serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration. Padilla is a member of the Senate Committees on Budget; Environment and Public Works; Energy and Natural Resources; Judiciary; and Rules. Alex and his wife, Angela, have three sons: Roman, Alex, and Diego.

Presider

Ambassador (ret.) Cynthia A. Telles was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica on January 30, 2022. 

Ambassador Telles was previously on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and was the Director of the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute Spanish-Speaking Psychosocial Clinic, where she was responsible for managing the clinical operation of its model psychiatric clinic, as well as the training program, research, and budget. Ambassador Telles serves on the Board of Directors of General Motors Co., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, the California Community Foundation (Board Chair), the Pacific Council, the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. She has also served on the Board of Directors of The California Endowment (Board Chair), the Public Policy Institute of California, Pitzer College, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (Board Chair), and Rosalyn Carter's Mental Health Task Force, The Carter Center. 

Recently, she was appointed by President Obama to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. She served as Commissioner of the City of Los Angeles for 13 years. Between 2004 and 2006, she was the Vice President of the Board of Library Commissioners and previously was elected President of the Commission on the Status of Women. Ambassador Telles was also elected Vice President of the City of Los Angeles Ethics Commission and served as a member of the Commission on Children, Youth, and Their Families. 

During the Clinton Administration, she was appointed by Secretary Shalala to the National Advisory Council of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Previously, she served on the advisory group to the Presidential Task Force on Health Care Reform and on the Regional Selection Panel for the White House Fellows Program. Throughout her career, Ambassador Telles has received many awards and commendations from organizations and governmental entities across the nation and was also selected by the Hispanic Business Magazine (2006) as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the Nation. 

 

To register, please use the form below or follow the link here. Event location will be shared with registered attendees. If you have any questions, please reach out to events@pacificcouncil.org. Note: For security purposes, if you are bringing a guest, please provide their first and last name.