DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION REQUESTED OF NOMINEES TO
DC BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
PERSONAL INFORMATION
1.
Name: Alberto Figueroa-Garcia, EdD, MBA
2.
Position to which nominated: Member of the DC Commission on Human Rights
3.
Date of nomination: May 7, 2014
4.
Address: 1028 Park Road, NW, Washington, DC 20010 (Ward 1 – Columbia Heights)
5.
Date and place of birth: August 7, 1960; Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, California
6.
Marital status: Single.
7.
Names and age of children: None.
EXPERIENCE
8.
Education (List secondary and higher education institutions, dates attended, degree
received, and date degree granted)
A.
Merced Union High School, Merced, California: 1974 – 1978; Diploma;
June, 1978
B.
The Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico: 1978 – 1979; no
degree earned.
C.
University of Maryland University College, Heidelberg, Germany; 1982 – 1986;
Bachelor of Science; June 1, 1986
D.
Stayer University, Washington, DC: 1996 – 1998; Master’s of Business
Administration; September 1998
E.
Argosy University, Washington, DC: 2007 – 2014; Doctorate of Education;
May 7, 2014
Biographical Information
FIGUEROA-GARCIA, A.
DC Boards & Commissions Nominee
June 22, 2014
Page 2
9.
Employment record: (List all jobs held over the past 10 years, including the title or
description of job, name of employer, location of work, and dates of employment)
American Psychological Association (APA), Washington, DC: 1989 – present.
APA Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs: Program Officer, 1990 – 1994; Assistant
Director, 1994 – present.
10.
11.
Government experience: (List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time
services or positions with federal, state, or local governments, other than those listed
above).
A.
Member, Community Action Group, Latino Civil Rights Project, Washington,
DC; 2001 – present.
B.
Vice Chairperson, Board of Directors, Health Families, Thriving Communities
Collaborative Council, Washington, DC; 2006-2009
C.
Member, Board of Directors, Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support
Collaborative, Washington, DC; 2005-2009
D.
Student tutor, Lincoln Middle School, Washington, DC; 2007-2008
E.
Member, D.C. Mayor’s Commission on Latino Community Development,
Washington, DC; 2003-2006
F.
Tutor - Cesar Chavez Public Charter High School for Public Policy, Washington,
DC; 1998-2000
Business relationships: (List all positions currently or formerly held as an officer,
director, trustee, partner, agent, representative, or consultant of any corporation,
company, firm, partnership, or other business enterprise, educational, or other institution).
Other than employment with the APA and volunteer activities with non-profit
organizations listed previously, none.
12.
Licenses: (Please list any professional or occupational licenses that you hold).
None.
13.
Memberships: (List all memberships and offices currently or formerly held in
professional, business, fraternal, scholarly, civic, public, charitable, and other
organizations).
A.
Member, Community Action Group, Latino Civil Rights Project, Washington,
DC; 2001 – present.
B.
Vice Chairperson, Board of Directors, Health Families, Thriving Communities
Collaborative Council, Washington, DC; 2006-2009
Biographical Information
FIGUEROA-GARCIA, A.
DC Boards & Commissions Nominee
June 22, 2014
Page 3
C.
Member, Board of Directors, Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support
Collaborative, Washington, DC; 2005-2009
D.
Member, D.C. Mayor’s Commission on Latino Community Development,
Washington, DC; 2003-2006
E.
Affiliate Member: American Psychological Association
F.
Member: Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Race & Ethnicity
(APA Division 45)
14.
G.
Member: American Educational Research Association (AERA)
H.
Member (Professional): National Latina/o Psychological Association
I.
Member: National Alliance for Hispanic Health
Do you have any experience deciding cases of unlawful discrimination in employment,
real estate transactions, public accommodations, or educational institutions? If so, give
examples.
No.
15.
Do you have a demonstrated background or interest in human rights? If so, please
provide examples.
Yes. I feel strongly that my education and training, current job, and my volunteer efforts
support my interest in and demonstrate my commitment to human rights.
I am currently the assistant director of the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs (OEMA) of
the American Psychological Association. In this role, I am responsible for providing
review, consultation, recommendations and suggestions to the APA leadership regarding
issues and concerns of psychologists and students of color pursuing careers in
psychology. There continues to be a large gap in the representation and participations of
ethnic minorities in higher education in general, and in psychology in particular, when
compared to non-ethnic minorities/Whites. Although my position at APA’s OEMA does
not involve the evaluation of psychology programs nor does the Office critique such
education and training programs/departments, I am in a position to offer
recommendations and suggestions for overcoming challenges and/or strategies for
promoting ethnic/racial diversity in psychology education and training. Through my
contacts and networks in psychology and in higher education, I have worked diligently to
increase the numbers of doctoral-level trained psychologists of color. I also have offered
advice and consultation with students of color pursuing careers in psychology and/or
considering higher education in general.
I have completed training sponsored by Northern Arizona University and Navajo
Community College in the area of cross–cultural education from the Navajo and Hopi
Biographical Information
FIGUEROA-GARCIA, A.
DC Boards & Commissions Nominee
June 22, 2014
Page 4
perspectives, as well as training offered by the Multicultural Institute of the International
Counseling Center and George Washington University in the exploration of cultural
assumptions.
I have served as a volunteer in various programs sponsored by the Columbia
Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative, such as its education program, its parent
development workshops, and its community outreach and capacity building and
development efforts. Those efforts lead to my election to the Collaborative’s Board of
Directors. As a Board member we were often asked to review and offer comment and
feedback on materials and information related to grants and funding, as well as on
program development issues and public policy that may have had an impact on the
Collaborative and the successful achievement of its mission. My work on the
Collaborative’s Board resulted in my appointment to the larger Collaborative Council’s
Board of Directors, representing the Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support
Collaborative.
16.
Business relationships
A.
Are you an officer or director of any corporation, partnership, or other
organization in the District of Columbia, either for profit or non-profit, that is
doing business with the District government?
The American Psychological Association holds its annual convention every three
years in Washington, DC as part of an agreement with the District of Columbia,
and to the extent possible hires DC residents whenever possible as employment
opportunities become available. Beyond these issues, I am not aware of any
business agreements that my current employer maintains with the District
government.
B.
Do you or any member of your immediate family hold an ownership interest in
any firm that is now or has ever done business with the District of Columbia
government?
No.
C.
Do you or any member of your immediate family have any interest, financial or
otherwise, that may directly or indirectly pose a conflict of interest for you in
performance of your duties as a member of the Commission to which you have
been nominated?
No.
D.
Please provide the Committee the name of each business entity transacting any
business with the District Government in which you have a beneficial interest,
excluding publicly traded stock.
None.
Biographical Information
FIGUEROA-GARCIA, A.
DC Boards & Commissions Nominee
June 22, 2014
Page 5
17.
18.
Other appointments: Are you presently a member of any board or commission connected
with the District of Columbia government? Please list all boards and commissions
connected with the District of Columbia government of which you are or have been a
member, including the term of service for each.
A.
Vice Chairperson, Board of Directors, Health Families, Thriving Communities
Collaborative Council, Washington, DC; 2006-2009
B.
Member, Board of Directors, Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support
Collaborative, Washington, DC; 2005-2009
C.
Member, D.C. Mayor’s Commission on Latino Community Development,
Washington, DC; 2003-2006
Taxes: Do you have any outstanding liability for any taxes, fees, or other payments to the
District, federal or other state or local governments, either contested or uncontested? If
so, please provide documentation of any attempts to pay the amount owed or to resolve
the disputed claim.
No.
19.
Legal matters:
A.
Have you ever been investigated, disciplined, or cited for a breach of ethics for
unprofessional conduct by, or been the subject of a complaint to any court,
administrative agency, professional association, disciplinary committee, or other
professional group? If so, please explain.
No.
B.
To your knowledge, have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or
convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo contendere) by any federal, state, or
other law enforcement authority for violation of any federal, state, county, or
municipal law other than a minor traffic offense? If so, please explain.
In 1986 or 1987, while serving in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Belvoir,
Virginia, I was detained by Fairfax County police on suspicion of driving under
the influence. Although not arrested nor convicted, at a court hearing, represented
by legal counsel, I did agree to voluntarily complete a driving enhancement
course. No additional incidents of this nature, involving any federal, state or other
law enforcement authority has transpired since that incident.
C.
Have you or any business or which you are or were an officer, director, or owner,
ever been involved as a party in interest in any administrative agency proceeding
or civil litigation? If so, please explain.
No.
Biographical Information
FIGUEROA-GARCIA, A.
DC Boards & Commissions Nominee
June 22, 2014
Page 6
20.
Has any employee, subordinate, supervisor, client, or other person of interest ever filed a
written complaint against you for any reason? If so, please identify the situation, provide
relevant facts, and state the disposition of the matter.
No.
21.
Please advise the Committee of any additional information, favorable or unfavorable,
which you feel should be considered in connection with your nomination.
I have been a resident of the District of Columbia for more than 20 years. I am a
homeowner and long-time Latino community advocate. The exceptionally diverse and
ethnic/racial composition of the District’s population makes this a wonderful place to live
and work. However, merely living here, abiding by the laws and paying taxes is not
enough. It may indeed take a village to raise a child, but unless that village has active and
engaged members, little progress and ultimate success can be assured to that child or
other children. I’m civic-minded and advocacy-oriented. Moreover, I believe strongly
that while government and the law can accomplish a lot to protect the rights and meet the
needs of its citizens, it’s also incumbent upon citizens to do their part to aid in the
development of effective and equitable public policy and laws that serve and protect, as
well as inform elected or appointed law- and/or policy-makers about the needs of the
communities where they live and work.
I am honored to be considered for appointment to the DC Commission on Human Rights
and pledge to do my part to accomplish the work of the Commission and/or to support the
mission and goals of the DC Office of Human Rights.