Washington, D.C. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today congratulated Tucsonan Liz Rabago on being named a Latina Leader by the Imagen Foundation. Grijalva nominated Rabago for the honor through his membership in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), which helped organize the original Latina Leaders event in 2001.

Rabago is the Director of Women’s Economic Advancement at YWCA Tucson and has helped organize women’s financial literacy events in English and Spanish for several years in the Tucson community. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Pima Community College and is on track to complete a Bachelor’s in Business Management at the University of Phoenix in 2013.

She will be recognized at an event in Washington, D.C., on March 27 in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the U.S. Senate.

“I couldn’t be prouder to have nominated Liz, and I couldn’t be happier to see her recognized this year,” Grijalva said. “Each year, she makes Tucson a better place to live for hundreds of men and women of all backgrounds. This is a recognition not only of her hard work and her contribution, but of the importance of saying ‘thank you’ and saluting leaders who have earned our admiration.”

Latina Leaders first began in 2001 as part of Hispanic Heritage Week. It was organized by the CHC and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, who was then a first-term Representative from California. In 2008 Latina Leaders became an independent event organized by The Imagen Foundation at Solis’ suggestion. Past honorees have included talk show host Cristina Saralegui, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, CNN and PBS news reporter Maria Hinojosa, and actress America Ferrera. In 2010, Imagen began inviting members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to nominate an outstanding Latina from their respective districts to be honored as a Latina Leader.