Vanessa Guerra, former Michigan State Representative and Saginaw County Clerk, has been appointed to the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan, succeeding Monica Reyes whose term expired.
The Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan was created to develop a unified policy and plan of action to serve the needs of Michigan’s Hispanic and Latino people. The law directs the Commission to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the office concerning the coordination and administration of state programs serving the Hispanic and Latino population.
Guerra served three terms in the State House representing Michigan’s 95th House District, which includes the cities of Saginaw and Zilwaukee and Bridgeport, Buena Vista, Carrollton, James, Kochville, Spaulding and Zilwaukee townships in Saginaw County. She previously served on the House Law and Justice and Judiciary Committees, and was the Democratic vice chair for the House Elections and Ethics Committee.
Following her appointment, Guerra made the following statement:
“Yesterday I was fortunate to be appointed to the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to serve my community and believe firmly in my responsibility to ensure our Latinx community is reflected in policies and programs created by our state. From the moment I was old enough to speak, my parents and grandparents made sure I knew about my culture and took pride in being a Mexican American. I have carried those same values with me through adulthood and reflect on them often in my role as County Clerk. I know the strength of our democracy requires that all our voices be heard, and I am honored to serve in this capacity. I also want to thank former Commissioner Monica Reyes for her years of service on the commission representing the Great Lakes Bay Region. I look forward to working with her and other Latino leaders in our region to build a better future for our community, together.
“As a commissioner I hope to focus largely on issues of education in our community, both education generally but also working to ensure students have access to a high quality curriculum that highlights the contributions Latinos have made throughout the history of our country and state.
“Throughout my time as a State Representative and now as County Clerk I have been able to forge strong relationships with legislative leaders and community leaders who I know will work with me to ensure legislation and programming are reflective of the Latino community. We are blessed with some tremendous Latino based community groups here in the Great Lakes Bay Region and I look forward to promoting the good work they’ve been doing for years in our region.
“I am always excited to see younger Latinos getting involved in their community, whether that’s joining your school’s Parent Teacher Association, hosting a basketball tournament, or organizing cultural events for the community. All those acts of selflessness should be honored because all of those acts take courage and commitment. I also think it is important we reflect on those who came before us that have inspired and encouraged us to take a leap of faith and get involved. Being angry about an issue is easy, but taking charge to change it, is a whole lot harder. I know that I would not be where I am today if it were not for those in the Latino community who believed in me and have supported me throughout the years.”
Guerra is appointed for a term commencing April 13, 2023, and expiring December 31, 2026.
