June 12, 2014

RNC ROUNDS OUT SOUTHWEST HISPANIC FIELD TEAM

RNC Hires Hispanic State Directors and Hispanic Field Directors in Southwest

WASHINGTON –  In an ongoing effort to strengthen the Republican Party’s relationships in Hispanic communities across the country, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is announcing its Deputy Director of Hispanic Initiatives as well as its second wave of Hispanic engagement staff hires in four Southwest states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. The engagement staff is part of the RNC’s unparalleled commitment to engage voters year-round to build a permanent foundation for future campaigns. Over the past year, the Hispanic engagement team has attended over 600 events and  reached over 150,000 Hispanics across the country.
 
The new set of hires joins a growing Hispanic field team that is part of larger engagement effort which is active in 19 states.
 
“Today’s announcement strengthens our unprecedented efforts to ensure the Republican message of ‘opportunity for all’ reaches every voter,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.  “We have a growing ground game that will outlast any one cycle or campaign and will allow us to compete for every vote for years to come.  Our investment in Hispanic communities across the country provides us with a lasting presence in these communities and builds an infrastructure for more Republican victories at the local, state and national levels.”
 
“Long-term face-to-face contact between voters and volunteers from the same community is the best way to inform and motivate Hispanics voters to get to the polls,” said Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. “The RNC’s effort is extremely important and a step in the right direction to helping Republican candidates make gains in our communities.”
 
NATIONAL HIRE
 
Hannah Jane Nunez, Deputy Director of Hispanic Initiatives
Hannah Jane Nunez most recently served as the Hispanic Engagement Director for the Republican Party of Virginia. Last year, Hannah received the MLK Drum Major Service Award for her more than 10 years of volunteer service for children and teens. She is a native of Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. 
 
SOUTHWEST STATE STAFF HIRES
 
Sergio Arellano, Arizona Field Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Sergio Arellano is an Army combat veteran who also serves as Republican Party Chairman in Legislative District 2. He previously served as Outreach Director for the Arizona Attorney General, where he coordinated engagement events statewide and collaborated with city officials and community leaders to educate communities on different programs. He is a native of Tucson and attended the University of Arizona.
 
Will Batista, Nevada State Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Will Batista most recently served as a Regional Field Director in Fairfax, Virginia, for the Republican Party of Virginia. During the 2012 presidential campaign, he served as a Regional Field Representative for the RNC in Reno. Will is a veteran of the United States Air Force Reserve and served in Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a native of Miami, Florida, and attended Brigham Young University–Idaho. 
 
Matt Morales, Arizona Field Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Matt Morales most recently served as Managing Principal of 5Thirty5 Public Affairs and brings 18 years of campaign experience. He previously served as Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs for Arizona’s government information technology agency. He is a native of Phoenix and attended Arizona State University.
 
Jose Orozco, New Mexico State Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Jose Orozco previously served in the United States Marine Corps. In 2012, he ran for the New Mexico House of Representatives District 13 and he brings four years of campaign experience. Jose is a native of Arizona and attended the University of New Mexico.
 
Paulo E. Sibaja, Colorado State Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Paulo E. Sibaja most recently served as Director of Coalitions for the Leadership Institute (LI). At LI, he spearheaded Issues That Unite: Latinos & Conservatism (ITU), an eight-city, seven-state national tour engaging America’s Latino community. He previously served as Deputy Director of Coalitions in Colorado in the 2012 presidential campaign, Hispanic Outreach Director in New Mexico for the RNC and also worked for the California state legislature. Paulo is a native of Costa Rica and attended the University of California, Riverside.
 
Oliver Riggle-Pérez, New Mexico Field Director for Hispanic Initiatives
Oliver Riggle-Pérez previously served as a production editor for Entravision Communications where he shot and edited commercials for broadcast, and later became an Account Executive. He brings over a year of campaign experience, is native of New Mexico and attended the University of New Mexico. 
 
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