The Honorable Delia Garcia is the Regional Administrator for the Women’s Bureau Region 5 for Southcentral U.S. in the states of Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Previously, Garcia served as the Co-Lead Equity Expert for the Office of Unemployment Insurance’s Central Response Division at USDOL. Delia continues to leverage her 25+ years in state & national partnership building in her public service career. She recently wrote her first book on national women leadership titled Latina Leadership Lessons, with book activities launching in Spring 2023.
Delia made history by being elected the first Latina to the State of Kansas Legislature and youngest female in 2004 where she served six years in the House of Representatives. She made history again, by being appointed the first Latina Secretary of Labor in Kansas in 2019. As Secretary of Labor, Delia established the Kansas Anti-Labor Trafficking Initiative and worked with USDOL and partner states on this. She also led their translation initiative of the UI website and important documents. In 2011, Garcia moved to Washington, DC. Delia led two national non-profits- ReflectUS to increase women representation in elected/ appointed leadership and the National Migrant Seasonal Head Start Association with farm worker families, and served at the National Education Association as Senior Liaison to minority communities.
Delia has served in many state and national leadership roles, including the Executive Board of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), Board of Latino Legislative Leaders, Co-Founder of the National Latina State Legislative Caucus, and Kappa Delta Chi Latina Service Sorority Alumni Association. Delia is a servant leader, author, social innovator, and influencer with 25 years of public service and non-profit leadership experience in advocating for economic security. As CEO of her own firm, she fostered diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, leadership development, legislative and philanthropic initiatives. In Kansas, she managed her family’s small business for ten years, which is Kansas’ oldest family-owned Mexican restaurant. Delia earned her Master’s Degree in Political Science at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and Bachelor’s Degree from Wichita State University in Kansas. Garcia is a graduate of the Harvard University Executive Leadership Program and Aspen Institute of Executive Leadership, and received her Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Certification from the University of Southern Florida.