Anna Escobedo Cabral
Anna Escobedo Cabral | |
---|---|
42nd Treasurer of the United States | |
In office January 19, 2005 – January 20, 2009 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Rosario Marin |
Succeeded by | Rosa Gumataotao Rios |
Personal details | |
Born | San Bernardino, California, U.S. | October 12, 1959
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Victor G. Cabral |
Alma mater | University of California, Davis (BA) Harvard University (MPA) George Mason University (JD) |
Profession | Attorney |
Anna Escobedo Cabral (born October 12, 1959)[1] is an American politician who served as the Unit Chief for Strategic Communications in the External Relations Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) from 2009 to 2018. Today, she and her husband serve as partners of the Cabral Group, a consulting and public policy firm. She also serves as an independent director for Navient, a member of the Comcast NBCU diversity council, and as an advisor to the Libra Group, and Valaurum. Her current nonprofit commitments include serving as chair of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, chair of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, and Treasurer of Lideramos, a national Latino organization focused on providing leadership training to grassroots community advocates. Prior to joining the IDB, Cabral served as the 42nd Treasurer of the United States from January 19, 2005, to January 20, 2009. She became the highest-ranking Latina in the George W. Bush administration after the resignation of Rosario Marin.
Early life
Cabral, a third-generation Mexican-American, was born in San Bernardino, California to Francisco Escobedo and Teresa Beltran. Her father's family had come to the United States from Mexico in the early 1900s as did her maternal grandmother. Alfred Escobedo, her paternal grandfather, also participated in the Bracero Program. Cabral's maternal grandfather was a Native American, born and raised on a reservation in Southern California and her maternal grandmother was from Mexico.[2][3][4]
The oldest of five children, Cabral managed to attend Burbank Elementary School in the 1960s despite her family's hectic schedule: her father picked the fields of the Santa Clara Valley and both parents obtained various types of employment throughout the San Bernardino and Riverside counties.[5] By the time Cabral entered high school, the family had moved 20 times.[6]
At very early ages, Cabral and her siblings had to collect scrap metal and salvage old motor parts with their father that they would then sell to help the family survive. Her father had seriously injured his back, significantly impacting his ability to provide.[7][8] Her mother worked several jobs, so, as the eldest child, Cabral often had the additional responsibility of caring for her siblings.[9]
By age 16, Cabral was already on track to finishing high school early; after graduation, she intended to find a full-time job to help her parents financially. Her math teacher, Philip Lamm, convinced her instead to consider higher education. Lamm, she recalled in a later interview, "hand wrote the application. He told me that this was a better plan and found scholarship money for me to go to college." Lamm also helped her overcome her family's initial misgivings.[6][7][8]
Cabral initially attended the University of California at Santa Cruz majoring in political science. In her sophomore year, she met Victor Cabral, a law student at the University of California, Davis; not long after this, she transferred to Davis. Between her sophomore and junior years, the couple was married and Cabral soon left school for a few years to raise a family. During this time, she also managed her husband's law firm.
Cabral eventually returned to the university and graduated in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in
Public career
In 1990, Cabral's husband obtained a job with the
In 1993, in addition to her work with the Republican Conference, Cabral assumed the post of Deputy Staff Director for the US Senate Judiciary committee for Senator Hatch, helping it to oversee federal judicial nominations as well as various Justice-related legislation.
After several years, Cabral left government service but remained in the public sector. In 1999, she was hired as president and
Cabral participated on a number of advisory panels during this time. In 2002, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to his Council on the 21st Century Workplace, providing guidance to the White House and the Department of Labor on work-related issues. That same year, she was named to a two-year term on the Diversity Council of the Premier Automotive Group, an outreach effort of the
In 2003, Cabral was named Director of the Center for Latino Initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution. While at the center, she led a pan-institutional effort to improve Latino representation in exhibits and public programming among the Institution's 19 museums, five research centers, and the National Zoo.[9][12]
Cabral was nominated for the post of U.S. Treasurer by President Bush on July 22, 2004, and confirmed by the
U.S. Treasurer
Cabral was sworn in on January 19, 2005, becoming the highest-ranking Latina in the Bush administration and ending a seventeen-month vacancy in the office brought about by the resignation of Rosario Marin.
While Treasurer, Cabral oversaw the latest infusion of new currency designed to defeat counterfeiting efforts. She also served during the Hurricane Katrina incident along the southern coast. In the wake of the disaster, Cabral dedicated much of her time in developing methods to help people affected in rebuilding and managing their financial well-being. She also provided advice and counsel to the Treasury Department in its efforts to provide economic assistance to devastated areas.[7]
Despite a heavy work schedule and numerous speaking engagements, Cabral returned to school in order to obtain her
Cabral's expertise in financial education was also tapped by the
When Cabral was appointed Treasurer the banknote series was changed from series 2003 to series 2003A to indicate that a new Treasurer had been appointed, but not a new Secretary of the Treasury. Her signature appeared on all of the series 2003A and series 2006 banknotes which began production in May 2005. While her 5-year term as Treasurer ended on January 20, 2009, with the beginning of the
After leaving Treasury, Cabral went to work with the Inter-American Development Bank as a senior advisor.[22]
Family
Cabral is married to Victor G. Cabral. After working with the Justice Department, Victor had been vice president for government and Hispanic relations with
Cabral began her family while still in college, causing her to delay her education by several years. She had her first child, Raquel, by the age of 20 with the remainder coming in the following five years. When she returned to school and to work, Cabral brought some of her children along. She recalls that while on Capitol Hill, her kids would fish for loose change at the vending machines: "They'd routinely come up with $20 or $30." At Harvard, her son Victor—then three years old—would ask her professor questions despite her best efforts to quiet him.[3][6]
Cabral is also an accomplished seamstress, having sewed her children's clothes when younger in order to save money. She made the gowns for her three daughters' and her daughter-in-law's weddings (prominent Republican consultant Leslie Sanchez did the flower arrangements) for the eldest two daughters' weddings.[3][24]
The Cabrals have four children: Raquel Cabral Terry (married to Adam Terry), Viana Cabral Greene, Catalina Cabral McCarthy (married to Brendan McCarthy), and Victor Christopher Cabral (married to Charmi Oza). Additionally, they have six grandchildren, Lilyana Cabral Greene, Joseph Milton Greene IV, Vivienne Holland Greene, Henry Matthew Sours, Ava Grace Terry and Maya Victoria Cabral. [citation needed]
Three of Cabral's daughters have followed her into government service. In 2005, Raquel Cabral served in the Bush White House, the
See also
- List of Hispanic and Latino Republicans
Notes
- ISBN 978-0-16-074693-2.
- ^ Committee on Finance, United States Senate, "Nomination of Anna Escobedo Cabral to be U.S. Treasurer," Archived August 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine S. HRG. 108-811: Hearing Before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Second Session (October 8, 2004).
- ^ a b c d e Barbara Hagenbaugh, "Treasurer promotes value of education," USA Today (November 14, 2006).
- ^ a b c d Fresia Rodriguez Cadavid, "An Autograph to Treasure," Archived August 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Latina Style Magazine (January/February 2005).
- ^ Irma Lemus, "From local fields to D.C.," The Sun (May 19, 2005).
- ^ a b c Rebecca Christian, "U.S. Treasurer credits a teacher for her success...", Telegraph-Herald (August 26, 2006).
- ^ a b c "The money maker: Anna Escobedo Cabral, U.S. Treasurer'" Latino Leaders (October 1, 2005).
- ^ a b Michael Hooper, "Newly minted treasurer offers recipe for success- American dream found," The Topeka Capital-Journal (September 16, 2005): 1.
- ^ a b c "Anna Escobedo Cabral: a presence at the Smithsonian. (My Style)(Biography)," Latino Leaders (October 1, 2004). Ferraez Publications of America Corp.
- ^ United States Department of the Treasury,"Anna Escobedo Cabral". Archived from the original on February 25, 2005. Retrieved August 12, 2009. Treasury Officials (archived). Accessed on August 11, 2009.
- ^ http://www.linkedin.com/pub/anna-escobedo-cabral/13/8a8/114 [self-published source]
- ^ a b c d Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury, "Anna Escobedo Cabral Sworn in as U.S. Treasurer," Archived June 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (press release) JS-2203 (January 19, 2005).
- ^ a b Hispanic PR Wire-US Newswire, "Smithsonian Names Anna Escobedo Cabral Director of the Institution's Center for Latino Initiatives," HispanicBusiness.com (June 9, 2003).
- ^ United States Department of the Treasury, "Treasurers of the U.S.," Archived July 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine History the Treasury. Accessed on June 28, 2009.
- ^ "Cabral Sworn in As Treasurer," APOnline.com (January 19, 2005).
- ^ "New U.S. treasurer gets her name on the currency," Associated Press (April 26, 2005). Via the Union-Tribune.
- ^ Lee Benson, "U.S. official treasures basketball," Deseret News (March 29, 2006).
- US Federal News Service(March 22, 2007).
- ^ White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans "Partnership for Hispanic Family Learning." Archived May 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Accessed on August 18, 2009.
- ^ David Goldman, "Who is Signing Your Money?" CNN Money.com (July 28, 2009).
- ^ Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Monthly Production Figures. Accessed June 11, 2015.
- ^ "Media Advisory: AARP & LULAC Present Free Health And Economy Forum," (press release) LULAC.org (March 25, 2009).
- ^ "NAB 100-Day DTV Countdown Press Conference: Speaker Biographies (in order of appearance)" DTVAnswers.com, (November 10, 2008): 2.
- ^ Bree Hocking, "From Republican Insider to Martha Stewart Confidant?" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Roll Call (September 13, 2005).
- ^ "Raquel Cabral Sours," Archived May 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (archived) White House Initiative Staff. Accessed on July 27, 2009.