Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has appointed Mike Gonzalez, Economic Development Manager, to the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
In a letter dated October 14, Governor Inslee confirmed Gonzalez’s appointment to the State’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs through August 2025.
The Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs was created by a Governor’s Executive Order and established in statute in 1971. As mandated by the state legislature, the Commission’s functions are to improve public policy development and the delivery of government services to the Hispanic community through the following means:
•Identifying and defining issues concerning the rights and needs of Washington State’s Hispanic Community
•Advising the Governor and state agencies on the development of relevant policies, plans, and programs that affect Hispanics
•Advising the legislature on issues of concern to the state’s Hispanic community
•Establishing relationships with state agencies, local governments, and private sector members.
The Commission is composed of eleven commissioners throughout the state of Washington. Commissioners are recruited and appointed for their diverse views, locales, and community connections to represent the diversity within the Latino population of Washington State.
Gonzalez has been with the City of Pasco since 2021 after serving as Franklin PUD’s Public Relations/Government Affairs Director. Before the PUD, Gonzalez had a long career in broadcast TV journalism, working in cities such as Phoenix, Spokane, Raleigh, Omaha, and a stint in the Tri-Cities at KVEW as News Director/Anchor.
Gonzalez said of his appointment, “Thank you, Governor Inslee, for trusting me to always work across the aisle. I truly love our Hispanic community in Pasco and the entire state. I will work hard to make a difference in the Hispanic community. But more importantly, I will work diligently to enhance the lives of all Washingtonians regardless of race, color, or creed. Because now more than ever, we need to unite.”