Full Biography for Ramon O. Valadez

Candidate for
State Representative; District 10

Ramón Valadez is a native Tucsonan and a lifelong resident of Legislative District 10. He attended Government Heights/Hollinger Elementary School, Wakefield Middle School and graduated from Pueblo High School in 1984. He continued his studies at the University of Arizona and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), in 1989.

In 1996, Ramón was elected to serve as State Representative for Legislative District 10. Currently, he is well recognized as one of the youngest members of the Arizona Legislature as well as its biggest University of Arizona Wildcat fan. Ramón serves on the Arizona House of Representatives Ways and Means, Government Operations and Human Services Committees. He also serves on the Joint Study Committee on State Economic Incentives, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Administrative Property Tax Appeals and Arizona Court Improvement Project Study Committee. Additionally, he serves on the National Conference of State Legislatures Federal Budget and Taxation Committee and the Reapportionment Task Force.

After a serving his first session, Ramón was honored by being named a Flemming Fellow for 1997-98 by the Center for Policy Alternatives (CPA) in Washington, D.C. He also serves on the CPA Southwest Community Policy and Leadership Forum. Following his second session, he was asked to participate in the Program for Emerging Political Leaders at Darden College, University of Virginia at Charlottesville.

While a student, Ramón began his career in community service as an Executive Management Intern for Pima County Supervisor Dan Eckstrom. In 1989, he was hired to serve as an Assistant to U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini. In 1991, he was chosen to serve as the Southern Arizona Campaign Coordinator for the Pastor for Congress Campaign. After directing a successful campaign, he was named as an Assistant to U.S. Representative Ed Pastor. In 1994, Ramón was invited to join the Eddie Basha for Governor Campaign and served as the Southern Arizona Campaign Coordinator. Immediately after the campaign, Ramón accepted a position as a Special Assistant to Supervisor Eckstrom. In each of these positions, Ramón has gained considerable knowledge and experience in the workings of local, state and federal government. He has been directly involved in many areas of governmental service, undertaking and successfully completing important tasks relating to research, issue analysis, report preparation, drafting of legislation, legislative follow-up, constituent casework, interaction with governmental entities and community based organizations and community networking.

Ramón has been actively involved in his community since high school. He has focused much of his time and energies on issues affecting children and youth in such important areas as education, youth employment, homelessness, crime prevention, health care and recreation. In 1990, Ramón was appointed by Governor Rose Mofford to serve on the State Advisory Task Force for Runaway and Homeless Youth. He has served as the on the Board of Directors for Open Inn, Project YES and the University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni, where he was also elected Vice President. He also served as the Hispanic Task Force Co-Chair of the United Way Tucson/Pima County Community Profile. Much of his service has been with a variety of grassroots organizations including the Arizona Hispanic Community Forum, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA).

Ramón is an active participant in the political process, as well as with the Democratic Party. In addition to coordinating and directing campaigns, he has served as a precinct committeeman, advisor to the University Democrats and as a member of the Legislative District 10 Democratic Club. In 1994, the State Democratic Party nominated Ramón as the recipient of an Outstanding Precinct Committeeman Award. In 1992, he served as the Southside Campaign Coordinator for MLK-Victory Together Campaign, which successfully achieved voter approval for a state holiday honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ramón is very active with local labor organizations and is a member in good standing of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 449.

As a result of his community service, Ramón has received numerous awards from organizations including the League of Mexican American Women, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Pima County, Pueblo Gardens Neighborhood Association, Federal Bureau of Investigation, League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Tucson Juneteenth Committee. As a university student he was nominated for the Centennial Achievement Award, Outstanding Senior Award and he was a finalist for the Outstanding Undergraduate Minority Student Award.

Ramón is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. He is proficient in the composition of computer software in various languages and he is experienced in performing computer-assisted analysis on diverse types of data utilizing various computer systems and applications. With any remaining spare time he likes to read, golf and play tennis or basketball.