UTSA hosts Sept. 23 lecture by U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez

By Jesus Chavez
Marketing Associate

(Sept. 20, 2013) -- The UTSA College of Public Policy will present recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of the Department of Labor Thomas Perez for a lecture at 1:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23 in the Buena Vista Theater on the UTSA Downtown Campus. The free, public event is part of the fall 2013 Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series.

Perez will discuss the Department of Labor's role in building an economy of opportunity in the 21st century. He also will touch upon several administration-wide topics including the Affordable Care Act, Comprehensive Immigration Reform and his vision for the Department of Labor.

Rogelio Saenz, dean of the UTSA College of Public Policy, underscores the significance of Perez's visit to the campus. He remarked that he is especially interested in learning more about Perez's proposal for dealing with a demographic shift in the workforce.

"Thomas Perez's speech should be of keen interest to students, faculty and policymakers who want to learn more about the economic vision of this administration," said Saenz.

"The Latino population will become an increasing share of the nation's labor force with states like Texas representing leaders in this shift and a sound labor policy should account for this new reality," he added.

According to Roger Enriquez, associate professor and director of the UTSA Policy Studies Center, which helped organize this event, Perez has had a distinguished career in public service and has a great reputation as a tireless civil rights attorney.

"As a prosecutor for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, Perez gained a reputation for handling the most notorious and difficult cases at the Department of Justice," said Enriquez. "He has zealously enforced our nation's civil rights laws and worked to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society."

Enriquez add, "Under Perez's watch, the Civil Rights Division prosecuted some of the most egregious hate crimes, combated discrimination in the workplace, fully enforced the Americans with Disabilities Act, investigated a number of police departments across the country due to use of excessive force allegations and challenged voter ID laws with a great deal of skill and success."

The UTSA College of Public Policy contributes to policy dialogue in San Antonio through the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture series features prominent, nationally recognized speakers who address major public policy issues.

Free parking for the lecture will be available in lot D-3 beneath under Interstate 35.

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About the UTSA College of Public Policy

Located at the UTSA Downtown Campus, the College of Public Policy is comprised of the undergraduate criminal justice and public administration programs, and the graduate justice policy, public administration, social work and applied demography programs. The Policy Studies Center is housed within the college. The center's mission is to be a center of excellence through interdisciplinary applied research, training and outreach in areas of critical importance for the local and global communities that it serves.

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