ST. PAUL, MN – Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL—St. Paul) was recently selected as a Bush Foundation Fellow.
He joins legislative colleague Rep. Raymond Dehn (DFL—Minneapolis), North Dakota State Rep. Ron Guggisberg, and U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Official Christine Sorensen. This final round of selections was made exclusively from applicants who serve as elected and government officials.
Rep. Mariani’s fellowship will focus on shaping a statewide Latino network that breaks through the regional social-political isolation of our fastest emerging community and strengthens their ability to come forward as local leaders.
“The inevitability of major immigration reform will transform our social-political landscape and will occur in the context of major racial/cultural shifts in our body politic,” said Rep. Mariani. “I see a historic need to work on several agendas that must come together: 1) nurturing new leadership from Latino people who are not currently part of social power; 2) promoting new social policy goals of this rising Latino leadership aligned with the new racial diversity of Minnesota; and 3) connecting with other emerging communities to construct new social policy to guide a multiracial Minnesota society.”
“As elected and government officials, these Bush Fellows have a unique vision and opportunity for improving the quality of life in their communities,” said Martha Lee, manager of the Bush Fellowship Program.”
The Bush Foundation began offering fellowships in 1965. Since then, more than 2,200 individuals have been named Bush Fellows. The Foundation’s focus on building the capacity of individuals to solve problems in their communities sprang from founder Archibald Bush’s belief that providing opportunities for people with energy and ideas would have great impact on the community.