Press Release

Esquivel named to Victory Fund Senior VP position

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Denis Dison (202) 842-7308, denis.dison@victoryfund.org

May 5, 2008

for immediate release

Contact: Denis Dison

(202) 842-7308

Victory Fund appoints Senior V.P. for Political Affairs

 Washington, D.C.—Laura M. Esquivel, a longtime political strategist and advocate for social justice issues, including in the gay, Latino and labor movements, has been named Senior Vice President for Political Affairs at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the group announced today.  In the newly-created position, Esquivel will be responsible for strategically expanding partnerships to advance and broaden the base of political support for the Victory Fund and its endorsed candidates.  

Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, said, “Laura’s commitment and passion are equal to her skill and experience—and that’s a pretty rare combination.  I am excited about what we will accomplish with her on our senior team.”

“The Victory Fund is among the most politically savvy and effective organizations I know.  I’m thrilled to be able to help them expand their reach and build alliances with partners who share a vision of a world where sexual orientation, race and gender are no longer barriers to serving one’s community as an elected official,” Esquivel said. 

Esquivel brings a wide range of grassroots organizing experience to the Victory Fund, along with strong political, policy, and advocacy expertise, having fought for the civil rights of racial and sexual minorities and for social justice for more than 20 years.  In 1984, she became the first female president of Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos in Los Angeles.  Soon afterwards, she co-founded both the Los Angeles-based Lesbianas Unidas and LLEGÓ—the first national Latino/a lesbian and gay organization—earning her recognition as one of the “madres” of the Latino LGBT civil rights movement in the US. 

Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta commented on Ms. Esquivel’s hiring saying, "My friend Laura is a strong and committed advocate for people whose voices are not always heard by the powerful, and she knows what it takes to change that.  Her political acumen combined with her passion for social justice will be vital as the Victory Fund helps to advance a human rights agenda by electing more LGBT leaders.”  Ms. Huerta is the First Vice President Emeritus of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), which she co-founded along with the legendary civil rights and labor leader César Chávez.

Prior to coming to the Victory Fund, Laura headed her own consulting practice, and prior to that served as the Director of Research and Issues Marketing for People for the American Way and People for the American Way Foundation.  Esquivel became the first Director of Public Policy and Government Relations for LLEGÓ in 2003, where she was responsible for increasing visibility of LGBT Latino issues on Capitol Hill and in the national public policy arena, and for developing strategies to successfully advance LLEGO’s policy agenda. 

Robert Raben, a highly-regarded Democratic strategist, said he watched in amazement as Esquivel garnered significant new opposition to the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment,  saying,  "Laura has a rare gift: she can move people with equal parts passion, borne of activism, and pure smarts, borne of raw intelligence and political savvy.  I've watched her do what people said could not be done in our movement; getting diverse interests to agree to support equality for us.  Chuck Wolfe and the Victory Fund have made an excellent choice to bring her on; Laura will burnish further the terrific work they do."  Mr. Raben is the president and founder of The Raben Group, a Washington, D.C. public affairs firm. 

Esquivel’s resume also includes eight years of service as a legislative deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Jackie Goldberg—the first openly gay person elected to that body.  Laura later went on to become Goldberg’s campaign manager in her successful first-time bid for State Assembly in 2001. She has also worked on the two most recent Democratic presidential campaigns, overseeing regional field organizing in Arizona and Colorado in 2004, and local get-out-the-vote efforts in both California and Iowa in 2008.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa praised Esquivel’s political and organizing skills, saying, "I have known Laura for many years and have always been impressed with her passion for equality and social justice, strategic thinking, political savvy—and her personal warmth. Laura understands the importance of electoral politics in advancing true equality for all Americans. Congratulations to the Victory Fund for recognizing all of these qualities; she will be a tremendous asset to a great organization."

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is the only national organization dedicated to increasing the number of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elected officials at all levels of government.  It is the nation’s largest LGBT political action committee.  Since Victory’s founding in 1991, the number of out elected officials in the U.S. has grown from just 49 to more than 410. 

###