 Governor of Guanajuato
Henry Vargas and Ernest Rodriguez meet with the Governor of the State
of Guanajuato, Mexico, Juan Carlos Romero-Hickes, in Moline at the open house
of the Casa Guanajuato in March of 2004. Vargas and Rodriguez were two of the
most prominent founding fathers of LULAC Council 10 in 1959. They have served
and continue to serve on numerous community and state boards, committees,
etc., in the furtherance of civil rights for all people.
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 Alvino Peña
Alvino Peña received the 2003 Quad-City times Sports Hall of Fame award
on May 7, 2003. Alvino has been a boxing trainer for youth for 35 years and
has produced champions like Anton Echols and Michael Nunn. Peña, 71, was
one of the charter members of LULAC Council 10 in 1959. Besides running his
boxing gym, Peña coaches women's softball two to three nights a week. Charter
members Henry Vargas and Ernest Rodriguez were on hand to honor Peña's
induction into the Quad City Times Sports Hall of Fame.
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 Hector Flores
Hector Flores gives an inspiring keynote speech at the LULAC Iowa State
Convention in May, 2003 at the LULAC Center in Davenport, Iowa. Flores
recounted the early history of LULAC and underlined some of the current
issues that LULAC needs to address. He challenged LULAC members to become
involved in bringing about educational programs to lower the dropout rate of
Hispanics and to improve the quality of education at all grades. The
Convention held on Saturday, May 10, 2003 featured a Civil Rights Conference
that drew people as far away as Des Moines, Texas, and Chicago.
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 Blanca Vargas
Blanca Vargas lauds the efforts of LULAC Council 10 members for
organizing a Civil Rights Conference in conjunction with their Iowa State
Convention. Blanca is the LULAC Midwest Vice President. Vargas has organized
a number of LULAC councils in the Midwest during her tenure as Midwest Vice
President. She works for the State of Illinois Department of Civil Rights.
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 Gilbert Sierra
Gilbert Sierra introduces guest speaker Lane Evans, Congressman from
Illinois at the LULAC Iowa State Convention in May 2003. Sierra is the LULAC
Iowa State Director, and a former member of the Davenport City Council. He
was the first Hispanic to be elected to public office in Davenport, Iowa.
Sierra is active in a number of organizations that work for the betterment of
the Hispanic and Native American communities, including: The Quad Cities
Mexican American Organization, Casa Guanajuato, Viva Quad Cities Committee,
and the Urban Indian Tribal Organization.
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 LULAC Council 10 2004 officers
LULAC Council 10 officers for 2004 are sworn in by Blanca Vargas,
Midwest Vice President at the Iowa LULAC State Convention held in May of 2003
in Davenport, Iowa. Back row from left to right are: Ray Rangel, past Midwest
Vice President and past LULAC Council 10 President; Pete Bata, Treasurer;
Salvador Lopez, Parliamentarian; Adolph Lopez, Vice President; Ernest
Rodriguez, President; and Henry Vargas, Sgt. of Arms. Front row are: Juanita
Lopez, Chaplain; Celia Spicer, Secretary; and Blanca Vargas.
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 Juanita Lopez
Juanita Lopez, Chairperson of the 2003 Annual Fiesta introduces
coworkers who helped with all the preparations for the State Convention.
Juanita Lopez is a very active member of LULAC Council 10 and has organized
the Annual LULAC Fiesta for a number of years. She played a key role in
organizing the entertainment and awards related to the LULAC Iowa State
Convention of 2003.
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 Father Rudy Juarez
Father Rudy Juarez gives keynote speech at the LULAC State Convention
2003 in Davenport, Iowa. Rev. Juarez applauded the Council for its past
accomplishments and challenged them to continue to form alliances with other
social action groups to make more progress. Rev. Juarez is pastor of St.
Mary's Catholic Church in Davenport, Iowa. He conducts masses in Spanish on
Sundays for the many Spanish-speaking people that make up his parish. Rev.
Juarez is active in the Quad Cities Interfaith and other civic organizations.
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 John Terronez and his wife Florence
Terronez, former Iowa state director and Council 10 president, was
recognized posthumously for his years of service to the League, including
working for the Grape Boycott Committee in the 1970s, which supported the
United Farm workers Union headed by the late Cesar Chavez. The award was
accepted by his widow, Florencia Terronez. Terronez also received the most
prestigious award from the Department of Justice for his years of excellent
service as a mediator with the Community Relations Service. Terronez died October
14, 1997. He was buried in a pine box according to his wishes like his hero
Cesar Chavez. Terronez name is legend in the Community Relations Service for
his work in mediating disputes at Wounded Knee, fishing rights of Native
Americans in Wisconsin, easing farm worker/immigration issues and he promoted
harmony in other race relations ethnic situations.
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 Ray Herrera
Ray Herrera a long-time LULAC member died in March of 2002. Herrera,
himself a former Golden Gloves amateur and a veteran of 40 professional
fights, helped countless Illinois amateur boxers over a coaching career that
spanned 20 years. "Even when he wasn’t able, he was in the gym,"
said Roger Baumann, a longtime Herrera associate who also is a trainer at the
East Moline club.
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 Rita Vargas
Rita Vargas was elected County Recorder for Scott County. Vargas has
over a decade of experience in serving the public while serving as District
Representative for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. In her capacity as a U.S. Senate
assistant for Eastern Iowa, including Scott County, she worked closely with
constituents, as well as numerous municipal and county officials on a variety
of local government matters. Vargas understands the role of public service
and is committed to making the Scott County Recorder office more accountable
to the public. Rita Vargas has been a LULAC member for 25 years, first
joining the organization when she was just 18 years old. At the LULAC
National Convention in Phoenix, her 25 years of hard work and dedication were
recognized when she was honored as the 2001 LULAC Woman of the Year.
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