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Ricardo Acevedo

District Manager, Social Security Administration
President-Elect, Greater La Crosse Area Diversity Council

As a Social Security Administration District Manager, I personally work very hard to recruit a diverse workforce.  I am also dedicated to assisting employees with their benefits, so that they can have a solid future retirement.

I have been involved with the Chicago Regional Hispanic Affairs Advisory Council (CR-HAAC) since 1993.  This council advises the Chicago Regional Commissioner on issues that affect the service to Hispanic communities in a six state region.  Over the years, I have served in numerous positions on the CR-HAAC executive board, including CR-HAAC Chair.  I am currently serving as the CR-HAAC Secretary in order to stay involved.  During my tenure as CR-HAAC Chair, we hosted and I emceed the National Conference in Chicago.  I also presented at past CR-HAAC Regional Conferences on Diversity.

Over the years, we have had great Regional Chairs that have helped break glass ceilings in our Agency and have worked to ensure Hispanics are represented at all levels and all discussion tables within the Agency.  By ensuring we are represented in discussions and decisions across the Agency, we are able to influence service to our Hispanic Communities.  I bring to the table two decades of HAAC history, where we have been, and where we still need to go.  In fact, during my time as CR-HAAC Chair, I along with all the other regional chairs began discussions on the establishment of the National HAAC that we now have today and today I am the National HAAC Chair to the Office of the Commissioner for Social Security.

Over the years, I have had the privilege to mentor employees both formally and informally.  I am honored to serve SSA, HAAC, and our Hispanic Public.

In addition to my volunteer service in HAAC, I also have experience serving as:

  • SSA State of Wisconsin and Minnesota area employment contact.
  • Representative in the Eighth Congressional District for the Council on Affairs of Chicano/Latino People (appointment by Governor Jesse Ventura, 1999-2003) – Council advised the Office of the Governor and the Minnesota State Legislator on issues that affect the Hispanic community
  • Vice Chairperson for the Duluth Public Schools Desegregation/Integration Council 1996-2002 – I focused on recruitment of Teachers of Color and closing the performance gap between students.  On my own time, I volunteered to go with the school district’s human resources employees to recruit Teachers of Color at college job fairs.
  • State Chairperson for the Minnesota Knights of Columbus 2009-2011 where I focused on Hispanic outreach in the Catholic Parishes in Minnesota.  I was the first Hispanic in Minnesota history to serve as State Chair.
  • American Legion and Life Time VFW member

I welcome the opportunity to discuss how to recruit a diverse workforce in the Coulee Region and the advantages to having diversity in any service organization or any work environment that represents all of the people we service, no matter how small that segment may be.