Biographical Summaries of Outstanding Hispanic/Latino Americans

Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H. is the thirteenth New York State Health Commissioner. She heads one of the leading public health agencies in the nation, being responsible for a $32 billion budget. The budget of her Department is over one-third of the entire New York State budget.

Dr. Novello's major program responsibilities include: Medicaid; Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus; Youth Tobacco Enforcement and Prevention; regulation of hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies; Managed Care, and Bio-terrorism Preparedness. The Department's general goals and objectives include promoting and sustaining the health status of all New Yorkers; providing access to affordable health care; improving the quality of health care; and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department.

In March 1990, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor swore in Dr. Novello as the 14th U.S. Surgeon General. Her appointment marked two firsts: the first woman and the first Hispanic ever to hold this position. As Surgeon General, in addition to advising the public on health matters such as smoking, AIDS, diet and nutrition, environmental health hazards, and the importance of immunization and disease prevention, she also directed the 6,100 members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

After her tenure as Surgeon General, she served as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Special Representative for Health and Nutrition. Before becoming New York State Health Commissioner, Dr. Novello was Visiting Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and Special Director for Community Health Policy. She is currently Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and Adjunct Professor of International Health at Johns Hopkins, Professor, Department of Health Policy at SUNY and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan.

Born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Dr. Novello earned her B.S. and M.D. degrees from the University of Puerto Rico, her MPH degree from Johns Hopkins University, and her Dr.P.H. degree from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. She has received numerous awards and holds over forty-five honorary doctoral degrees.

Administrator, researcher, lecturer, and author, Dr. Antonia Coello Novello is first and foremost a physician whose motto is good science and good sense.

Cesar A. Perales, J.D. is Founder, President and General Counsel of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF), a major civil rights advocacy organization. Prior positions held include Senior Vice President for Community Health, of the New York Presbyterian Hospital (the University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell); Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services of the City of New York, where he was responsible for the Departments of Health, Mental Health, Youth, Human Resources and the Health and Hospitals Corporation (municipal hospital system); and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services. During the latter tenure, Mr. Perales was twice elected Chairman of the National Council of State Human Service Administrators. Additional organizations in which he has held senior leadership positions include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the New York City Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Mr. Perales earned his B.A. degree from the City College of the City University of New York, and his J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law.

Dr. Rios serves as President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association, (NHMA), representing Hispanic physicians in the United States. The mission of the organization is to improve the health of Hispanics. Dr. Rios also serves as President of NHMA’s National Hispanic Health Foundation at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, to direct educational and research activities.

Dr. Rios also serves on the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and the Partnerships for Prevention Boards of Directors, the American Medical Association Commission on Ethnic/Racial Health Disparities, and is Co-Chair for the Hispanic Health Coalition. Dr. Rios has lectured and published articles on health policy.

Dr. Rios earned undergraduate degrees and an MS degree from Stanford University and UCLA School of Public Health, and her M.D. degree from UCLA School of Medicine. She then served an NIH fellowship focusing on access to care for minorities, and management skills among family practice physicians.

Sandra Trujillo is Deputy Director of both the Children's Defense Fund (CDF)-New York State office, and National Field Operations. CDF is a national organization that provides a strong and effective voice for all children of America, who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. She has played a lead role in many CDF-NY signature programs/coalition efforts including the Child Vaccination Program (CVP), a nationally recognized public/private partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Chase Manhattan Bank, and the successful Child Health Now. She is currently leading CDF's national nonpartisan Voter Registration Project for 2004: "Children Can't Vote. You Can." Before joining CDF, Ms. Trujillo was Deputy Director of the Mayor's Office for Children & Families under the David N. Dinkins Administration. She has played an active role in various citywide coalitions/organizing efforts including the New York City Public Health Partnership, and has, on a non-professional basis, been an activist for Mexicano/Chicano, Puerto Rican and Dominican communities.

A Mexicana/Chicana born in San Francisco, California, Sandra's family/ancestors are natives of New Mexico who were there since before its annexation to the United States--they did not cross the border, the border crossed them. She earned her BA degree from Barnard College, Columbia University.