Catalina Vasquez Villalpando

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Catalina Vasquez Villalpando bigraphy, stories - Treasurer of the United States

Catalina Vasquez Villalpando : biography

April 1, 1940 –

Villalpando’s signature as used on American currency

Catalina "Cathi" Vásquez Villalpando (born April 1, 1940) was the 39th Treasurer of the United States from December 11, 1989 to January 20, 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. She had previously held minor positions under President Ronald Reagan and was also a chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly. In 1994, Villalpando was found guilty of obstruction of justice and tax evasion, becoming the only U.S. Treasurer ever to be sent to prison.

Political career

Villalpando was an early supporter of George H. W. Bush for the 1980 election cycle.David Johnston, The New York Times (October 31, 1992). After Ronald Reagan secured the GOP nomination, she enthusiastically volunteered in the Reagan-Bush campaign effort in Texas. She was rewarded with a position as staff assistant in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel when Reagan took up office in 1981. Later that year, she returned to Texas where she served as the voter groups coordinator for the TRP.

For the next two years, Villalpando was a prolific activist in both Republican and Hispanic circles, serving on the boards of the Texas Federation of Republican Women, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the American GI Forum. Additionally, she was appointed to seats on the Texas Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at the Department of Transportation.

In 1983, Villalpando’s work was noted by the Reagan Administration and she was brought back to Washington as a Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison. In this capacity, she dealt with public interest groups, lobbyists, and the general public and soon stood out for her "formidable…administrative skills."John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters, The American Presidency Project (Santa Barbara: University of California). Accessed on June 17, 2009. Villalpando’s political profile also rose considerably when her skills and ethnicity were utilized in outreach efforts to attract Hispanics to the Republican Party.Jerry Thomas, "Hispanics at Dinner Trade Loyalty Pledges With GOP," The Boston Globe (August 6, 1989).

Family life

Villalpando married her high school sweetheart in 1970. The marriage ended in divorce a few years later and produced no children. She resides in Reisterstown, Maryland.Lloyd Grove, "The Reliable Source," The Washington Post (June 18, 2003).

Post-Treasurer years

Villalpando technically remained in her post on leave of absence until the Clinton Administration was inaugurated in January, 1993.United States Department of the Treasury, History the Treasury. Accessed on June 28, 2009. In 2003, she appeared on a list produced by the D.C. government of notorious tax scofflaws. According to this report, the former treasurer owed the district government $168,417.72 in back taxes. As of 2008, she was still in arrears.Dennis Cauchon, USA Today (April 13, 2008).

In 2006, Villalpando was awarded an honorary doctorate for her work from Atlantic Union College, a small liberal arts institution. She also served as that year’s commencement speaker, admonishing the graduates to "embrace the tough times encountered in life." Villalpando also thanked the Seventh-Day Adventist Church – under whose auspices the college operates – for being there when she was at her lowest."Yesterday’s Commencements," The Boston Globe (May 15, 2006).Mary Jo Hill, Telegram & Gazette (May 15, 2006).

Villalpando currently works as a quality assurance specialist at the Amerix Corporation call center in Columbia, Maryland.

Notes

Category:1940 births Category:American people convicted of tax crimes Category:American politicians of Mexican descent Category:Hispanic and Latino American politicians Category:Living people Category:People convicted of obstruction of justice Category:People from San Marcos, Texas Category:Reagan Administration personnel Category:Texas Republicans Category:Treasurers of the United States Category:American politicians convicted of crimes Category:George H. W. Bush administration controversies Category:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Category:American government officials convicted of crimes Category:American politicians convicted of fraud