Marin, a Republican, served in former governor Pete Wilson's administration and was mayor of Huntington Park, a small city outside Los Angeles. The California Republican Party, meanwhile, has moved the Boxer Senate race near the top of its agenda for next year...California PING!
Treasurer Rosario Marin
Rosario Marin, the Treasurer of the United States, firmly believes that “of him to whom much is given, much is expected.” Today she is the highest-ranking Latina in the Bush Administration and the first U.S. Treasurer born outside of the country.She remembers when her parents first brought her to the U.S. from Mexico. She was fourteen years old, didn’t speak any English and did not want to miss her quinceañera (that’s a young lady’s coming of age party).
Later on, immediately after graduating from high school with honors, she had to find a job to help her family. She attended East Los Angeles Community College for four years to get her two-year degree and three more years at Cal State University of Los Angeles to finish her Bachelors at night. Simultaneously she was moving up the ranks of City National Bank where she had started as the assistant to the receptionist. Six years later she was about to be named Assistant Vice President. God, however, had other plans for her.
Her first son Eric was born with Downs Syndrome. Her love for him spurred her into becoming a fierce advocate for people with disabilities. That in turn led to her being appointed to Governor Pete Wilson’s Administration in 1992 where she served for seven years. Her dedication to people with disabilities earned her the very prestigious Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize given to her at the United Nations in 1995.
She served as Mayor and councilwoman of Huntington Park, California, a city of 85,000 residents with a population that is 99 percent Hispanic. She was first elected to the City Council in 1994 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 1999. In 2000, while serving the people of Huntington Park, Ms. Marin worked for AT&T as Public Relations Manager for the Hispanic Market in the Southern California Region.
Her commitment to public service led Ms. Marin to continue her education. She graduated from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Programs for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. On June 15, 2002, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from her alma mater Cal State University, Los Angeles.
Rosario Marin was sworn in as the 41st Treasurer of the United States by Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill on August 16, 2001. As U.S. Treasurer, Ms. Marin’s traditional duties include oversight of the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. In addition, she is spearheading Treasury’s financial education outreach efforts and the Partnership for Prosperity efforts between the United States and Mexico.
She has graced the cover of various magazines including the Hispanic Business Magazine where she was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics.
In addition to her son Eric, Ms. Marin and her husband Alex have two other children, Carmen and Alex.
As Treasurer Marin has noted, “both God and my parents were wiser than I when they saw fit to bring me to this great country where even unimaginable dreams come true.” Twenty-eight years after she first began, and a whole lifetime of tests later, she is proud to serve as Treasurer of the United States of America.