Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Honoring and celebrating the life and work of Lucía Nuñez
Body
WHEREAS, Lucía Nuñez was a leader both in the Latinx and LGBTQIA+ community for her entire life; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía brought people together, worked with children and in education, and worked to support the disenfranchised; and,
WHEREAS, as the first Director of the Department of Civil Rights for the City of Madison, she worked not only with employees and residents, but also with local businesses as she assisted them in finding and working with people of color; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía Nuñez initially moved to Madison in 1999 after accepting the position of Executive Director of Centro Hispano of Dane County; and,
WHEREAS, in this role, Lucía worked to help school systems create more equitable classrooms in response to the tremendous growth of the Latinx community in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest during the time; and,
WHEREAS, in 2003, she became Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, where she confronted statewide issues facing the Latinx community, rural women, and Indigenous communities around the state; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía then worked as an Administrator of the Equal Rights Division for the State of Wisconsin; and,
WHEREAS, in 2006, Lucía Nuñez became the first Director of the Department of Civil Rights for the City of Madison and served that position until 2015; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía then left City government to accept a position at Madison College, where she served as Vice President of Equity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement; and,
WHEREAS, in all of her positions, Lucía’s work was driven by a strong belief in education as an agent for positive change; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía had been honored as one of Wisconsin’s most impactful LGBTQ+ community members by Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD), a statewide initiative dedicated to promoting community engagement opportunities for Latino artists; and,
WHEREAS, she was further recognized by the City of Madison for being an Outstanding Leader and the First Director of the Department of Civil Rights; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía was a member of the inaugural Dane County Tamara Grigsby Office of Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board; and,
WHEREAS, Lucía Nuñez’s warmth and sincerity were genuine, and her legacy was established throughout her career and life;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and the Common Council honors and celebrates the life and work of Lucía Nuñez.