Nancy Navarro
Venezuelan-American politician in Maryland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nancy Navarro (born August 15, 1965) is a Venezuelan-American politician and the first Latina county council member in Montgomery County, Maryland.[1] She served on the county council from 2009 to 2022, representing District 4, the largest and most diverse district in the county.[2]
Nancy Navarro | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Montgomery County Council from the 4th district | |
| In office 2009 – December 5, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Donald Praisner |
| Succeeded by | Kate Stewart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 15, 1965 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Missouri (BS) |
Navarro was appointed to the President’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics by President Barack Obama in 2011.[2]
Navarro received international attention in March 2021 when two technicians were heard laughing at her accent during a virtual council meeting while she was speaking about inequitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination.[3][4][5][6]
Early life and education
Navarro was born in Caracas, Venezuela.[2] She graduated from University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology.[2]
Career
Before running for public office, Navarro co-founded Centro Familia, a nonprofit organization whose mission was to assist the economic and early childhood educational development of Latino and other immigrant communities.[7] She was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education in 2004.[1] She served five years on the Board of Education and held the offices of both President and Vice-President for two consecutive years.
Navarro was elected to Maryland's Montgomery County County council in a May 2009 special election. She is a Democrat who has championed legislation to protect small businesses located in areas affected by county-initiated redevelopment projects, increase racial equity & Social Justice , promote redevelopment in underserved areas of the county, increase economic development, and she also authored the County’s comprehensive Early Care and Education Initiative.[2]
In October 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Navarro as a member of the President’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, where she served on the Early Childhood Education Committee.[2]
In 2013 and 2019, she served as president of the Montgomery County Council.[8] In 2020, she opposed ballot questions B and D.[9]
In 2022, Rushern Baker chose Navarro as his running mate in the Democratic primary of the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election.[10]
Personal life
Navarro resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, Reginald, and their two daughters, Anais and Isabel.[1]
Awards and accolades
In 2007, Navarro was awarded the Hispanic Hero Award by the U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education.[7] She is also a 2009 recipient of the Heart of the Community Award from the Community Teachers Institute.[11][12] Additionally, she has received the Maryland State Department of Education "Women Who Dare" Leadership Award, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County Leadership Award.[13] In 2020, she was inducted into the County Women's History Archives.[14][15] In 2021, Navarro was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.[16]