Photo By Public Affairs Office | R.I. Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea, the first Hispanic elected to state office...... read more read more
R.I. Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea told Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport employees that Hispanics, women, and other minorities bring a different but essential perspective to the workforce during a talk honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month on Oct. 11.
“You bring a different perspective to the table,” Gorbea said. “This calls you to find allies that you would never expect ... You can find bridges to bring people together. You can’t be shortsighted. It’s important that you take the time to know the people who are around you.
“I believe our best solutions come with a diversity of opinions from around the table,” she added. “It may not always be the fastest way but it is the surest way. Diversity in opinions is absolutely necessary in public policy and in our everyday work life.”
Gorbea, who in 2014 was the first Hispanic elected to state office in New England, has rapidly emerged on the national scene as a leader who is taking on some of the toughest issues involving voter and lobbying reforms. Since taking office she has successfully sponsored laws for automatic voter registration and online voter registration. She also fought to simplify and strengthen lobbying laws in Rhode Island.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Gorbea is from a family who has served in the U.S. Army – her grandfather during the Korean War and her brother is a colonel in the Army Reserves. Gorbea, a graduate of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs, holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
She talked about how one person can make a significant difference in another’s life or in the community and noted her experiences at Princeton where she started a Latino Alumni Association.
“I absolutely believe that one person can have an impact on the community,” Gorbea said and related a story of a campus tour she gave to a young girl, and her mother and grandmother, while at Princeton. “I took them on a revised tour to the chapel and showed them all the safety phones thinking the mother and grandmother would feel more comfortable knowing she would be safe away from home. It was a culturally appropriate tour.”
Ten years later, after that girl had graduated, she thanked Gorbea because the revised tour is what she credits with being allowed to go to Princeton. “I made a difference in her life,” she said. “It set her path in life in a different direction.”
Gorbea, who is married to a University of Rhode Island science professor and has three young girls, also talked about her experiences since being elected in Rhode Island. She noted that she is only the eighth woman to be elected to state office in Rhode Island history. She believes the reason for this has much to do with working women and mothers struggling to find the right work-life balance.
“There is that overwhelming feeling that you are not meeting anyone’s needs on any level,” Gorbea said about her struggle to find the balance between working long hours and being with her family.
“We have to create our own worlds with balance and peace and not compare it to others,” Gorbea said. “That peace with yourself does translate to others.”
Part of the problem is that governmental structures are set up to accommodate “gentlemen farmers” or those with the freedom to be available during the week after 3 p.m. – the time when most children are arriving at home from school. The state legislature, which meets January through June, Tuesdays through Thursdays, is one example of how difficult it can be for a primary caretaker to be available. In 2017, the state legislature was comprised of less than 30 percent women.
“We need a different set of rules to strike a balance,” Gorbea said. “Part of the challenge is that we need to create spaces for different types of people so they can fully participate.”
A 2016 Associated Press story said that Rhode Island was ranked among the 10 worst states in the nation for representation of Hispanics in the legislature. Out of 75 House of Representative seats and 38 Senate seats, there were only five Hispanic lawmakers – four in the House and one in the Senate.
Financial issues are another obstacle to minorities when it comes to running for state offices, Gorbea said, noting that campaign fundraising can be a daunting task.
Prior to her election as secretary of state, Gorbea headed a leading organization working to make housing affordable in Rhode Island, served as deputy secretary of state (2002-06) and led the creation of the R.I. Latino Civic Fund.
Serving as secretary of state has allowed Gorbea many new opportunities, she said, including being a part of the discussions surrounding Deferred Action for Childhood (DACA) policies.
“DACA goes to the heart of who we are as a country,” she said. “We need immigration reform that is reasonable and considers what our economy needs.
“When you are an elected leader people are listening to you,” she added. “You get the ability to speak to others about your experiences.”
Gorbea thanked Division Newport employees for the work they do for the nation and U.S. Navy. At the end of the hour-long presentation, Capt. Michael Coughlin presented her with a book about NUWC Division Newport’s history and mission.
For more information on Gorbea and her office, visit http://sos.ri.gov/about-us.
For more information on NUWC Division Newport, visit http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/
NUWC Division Newport, part of the Naval Sea System Command, is one of two divisions of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. NUWC Division Newport’s mission is to provide research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures. NUWC’s other division is located in Keyport, Wash.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2017 10:38 |
| Story ID: | 251596 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RI, US |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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