Miguel del Valle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Miguel del Valle | |
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Member of the Illinois State Senate
from the 2nd district |
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| In office 1987 -2006 |
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| Succeeded by | William Delgado |
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| Born | July 24, 1951 Vega Baja, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lupe |
| Profession | City Clerk of Chicago |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Miguel del Valle is the current City Clerk of Chicago and the former Illinois State Senator for the 2nd district of Chicago, which he had served since 1987.
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[edit] Early life
Del Valle was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the predominately Puerto Rican West Town and Humboldt Park neighborhoods of Chicago. He graduated from Tuley High School (now Jose de Diego Community Academy) in 1969 and went on to Northeastern Illinois University where he joined the Union for Puerto Rican Students and wrote for the Puerto Rican/Latina/o publication Que Ondee Sola. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Education and Guidance.
[edit] Public service
Miguel del Valle was appointed- by Mayor Richard M. Daley -as City Clerk after the elected sitting clerk was indicted on federal charges. Del Valle won election to the post in 2007, becoming the first Latino elected to city-wide office in Chicago.
Del Valle was previously a State Senator. Before becoming state senator, del Valle served as a Unit Director of Barreto Boys and Girls Club and Executive Director of Association House. He also worked for the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Pilsen-Little Village Mental Health Center.
Additionally he served on several non-profit organizational boards, including Josephinium High School, the Latino Institute and the Spanish Coalition for Housing. He has also served as Chairman of the Mayor Harold Washington’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, and taught a class at Roosevelt University called “Latinos and Public Policy.”
[edit] Senate career
Del Valle was the Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois Senate, and he was the first Latino to hold that position. He served as an outspoken advocate for Latino representation in the legislative and judicial branches of government. He was the Co-Chair of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus and was the first and only Latino member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. His leadership in redistricting cases in 1981, 1991 and 2001 led to the creation of Latino majority districts on the city, county, and state levels.
Del Valle sponsored legislation to protect homeowners by stopping the forgery of quitclaim deeds which is the process of transferring the title or deed of property to another individual or company. He has also sponsored legislation to provide harsher punishment for ATM crimes; provide Illinois with more Early Childhood Teachers; provide comprehensive health coverage for every child in Illinois; and increase funding for Advanced Placement courses in Illinois high schools.
Del Valle is the founder of the Illinois Association of Hispanic State Employees (IAHSE). He is the co-founder of several Latino organizations, including the Illinois Latino Advisory Council on Higher Education (ILACHE); the Alliance of Latinos and Jews; and the Illinois Hispanic Democratic Council (IHDC). He also developed the annual Department of Children and Family Services Hispanic Families Conference.
Del Valle is the former Vice-Chairman of the Education Committee, Co-Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Education Funding Reform and the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus. He also served on the Senate Executive Committee, the Senate Labor Committee, and the Higher Education Committee.
[edit] Personal life
Senator del Valle is married to Lupe, and has four children: Miguel Jr., Ivan, Esteban, and Vanessa.
