WASHINGTON. D.C. – MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) paid tribute on April 15 to three leaders who have dedicated their careers to promoting and protecting the rights of the Latino community.
“Our three honorees represent the critical work and leadership across multiple sectors that the Latino community provides to our country,” said Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. “In a time when our national leadership continually foments division and seeks to reestablish exclusion of Latinos and many others, the efforts of our honorees and other community leaders are essential to the survival and future success of our American democracy.”
Félix V. Matos Rodríguez received the Lifetime Achievement – Excellence in Community Service Award for his historic contributions to higher education and student equity. As chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY), he has led the university in launching initiatives to expand career opportunities, streamline transfer processes, increase access to online degree programs, and provide groundbreaking student debt relief through the CUNY Comeback program. Matos Rodríguez is the first educator of color and the first Latino to lead the nation’s largest urban university. A historian by training, he has served CUNY for nearly 25 years, including as faculty at Hunter College and as president of Hostos Community College and Queens College.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized by MALDEF, whose advocacy for Latino civil rights in education, immigration, voting, and political representation has expanded opportunity in this country for more than 50 years and continues its vital work under the leadership of Tom Saenz,” said Matos Rodríguez. “Advancing equity has been a driving force of both my personal journey and CUNY’s mission to ensure that where a person starts does not determine how far they can go. I am proud to stand with MALDEF in this commitment; this award reflects the progress we have made and the urgency of the road ahead.”
Raul A. Reyes also received the Lifetime Achievement – Excellence in Community Service Award for his influential work as an attorney, journalist, and commentator who amplifies Latino voices and issues in politics and culture. Reyes has written for NBC News Latino, the Los Angeles Times, CNN Opinion, the New York Times, and more. He has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, NBC Nightly News, Fox News, and international outlets, reporting on immigration, civil rights, and the Latino community’s contributions. Reyes has interviewed prominent Latinos, providing a platform for their stories on both national and global stages.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Excellence in Community Service Award. This means so much to me because I grew up reading and learning about the pioneering advocacy work that MALDEF has done for our community,” said Reyes. “Its efforts helped make it possible for people like me – and so many other Latino attorneys and journalists – to succeed in our professional lives. MALDEF paved the way for our opportunities.”
Shaheena Simons was awarded the Excellence in Legal Service Award for her outstanding leadership in civil rights law. Simons currently serves as Senior Advisor for Strategy & Programs at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She previously spent nearly 18 years in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Chief of the Educational Opportunities Section, where she led enforcement efforts protecting students in PK–12 schools and colleges from discrimination based on race, national origin, language, sex, religion, and disability. Earlier in her career, she served as a Civil Rights Fellow at MALDEF, litigating immigrants’ rights and employment discrimination cases, and later as Acting Regional Counsel in MALDEF’s National Public Policy Office.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from MALDEF, the organization where my civil rights journey began,” said Simons. “I remain guided by the lessons I learned from my extraordinary clients and colleagues at MALDEF. And I continue to be inspired by MALDEF’s work to safeguard the civil rights of Latinos at a moment when those rights are under grave and growing threat.”
MALDEF President and General Counsel Thomas A. Saenz and MALDEF Washington, D.C. Regional Counsel Andrea Senteno delivered remarks.
MALDEF recognized the significant contributions of these outstanding leaders and their dedication to advancing civil rights for all. The event drew notable government and community leaders from around the nation.