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MYRNA VELASQUEZ
President
CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL STATUS
Ms. Velasquez is currently the President of Middle Tennessee Hispanic Democrats, and the Immigration Case Manager at Mario Ramos, PLLC Immigration Law Firm.
Ms. Velasquez has lived most of her life in Van Nuys, California where she attended Francis Polytechnic High school graduating with honors and receiving acceptance to California State University Northridge during her eleventh grade. In the spring of 2006, Ms. Velasquez acquired her Bachelorette Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Politics and Government.
Shortly after graduating, Ms. Velasquez moved to Nashville, Tennessee to further her education. After receiving acceptance to graduate school at Tennessee State University, she has worked on her Master in Public Administration (MPA) along on a certification in Non-Profit Management and Health Planning and Administration.
In the path of her graduate work, Ms. Velasquez had the honor to be named the only Hispanic student at Tennessee State University. Her outstanding grade point average led her to receive the Golden Key Certificate award from Golden Key International Honour Society thereby granting all honors, benefits, and privileges pertaining to membership in the society.
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Soon after starting her undergraduate studies, Ms. Velasquez volunteered with Hazeltine Elementary School in Van Nuys, California, tutoring and mentoring first and second grade students. Experiencing different career realms, Ms. Velasquez completed 300 hours with CSUN Health Center (Klotz Medical Center); soon after, serving for 4 months as an intern with Los Angeles Superior Court. While completing her graduate studies, Ms. Velasquez volunteered with the Lupus Foundation of America, Mid South Chapter in Nashville, Tennessee. Ms. Velasquez currently volunteers as an animal right advocate; also serving with Latina Women into Action, a group created by the Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Ms. Velasquez served as a political intern with Bob Tuke for U.S. Senate campaign in 2008. After winning the primaries in August of 2008, Ms. Velasquez was promoted to Volunteer/Hispanic Outreach Coordinator reaching out to Hispanic constituents throughout the state of Tennessee, as well as recruiting and coordinating volunteers in Tennessean counties. While working for Tuke for Tennessee, Ms. Velasquez served as editor for Middle TN Hispanic Democrats until the spring of 2009. Ms. Velasquez was elected Vice President of Middle TN Hispanic Democrats in February of 2009. Months after, Ms. Velasquez ran for President of Middle TN Hispanic Democrats becoming the first female president of a Hispanic political organization in the state on January 15, 2010.
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RICARDO CEBALLOS
Vice President
Mr. Ricardo Ceballos is a Colombian-American who is a recent graduate of Austin Peay State University (B.A.A., 2011.) Mr. Ceballos is a Bogota native and has lived in different states throughout the United States in which he shared experiences with different hispanic communities. He recently moved to Nashville, Tennessee, after receiving his bachelor in Business Administration with a Marketing concentration. While attending Austin Peay, he served as a mentor for the Hispanic Cultural Center, for two semesters, and tutored athletes in the Athletic Academic Department. Mr. Ceballos also interned for the Coordinator of Marketing for the Athletics department at APSU where he assisted with Marketing Research and Promotion operations through community programming. He currently serves as the Vice President for the Middle TN Hispanic Democrats.
MILITARY SERVICE
Mr. Ceballos also served eight years in the United States Army where he was discharged honorably as a Non-Commisioned Officer. He served as an Aviation Communication equipment repairer and a Supply Sergeant. Among the numerous awards he received, Mr. Ceballos was a recipient of the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals after serving three tours in the Middle East. |
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Robert D. Tuke
Treasurer
Trauger & Tuke
222 Fourth Ave. No.
Nashville, TN 37219
rtuke@tntlaw.net
PROFESSIONAL STATUS
Mr. Tuke is a partner in the law firm of Trauger & Tuke, a Primerus Law Firm, in Nashville Tennessee, and he is an Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he teaches Professional and Ethical Considerations in Corporate Practice.
Mr. Tuke has been honored as a "Fellow" of both the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the Nashville Bar Foundation. He also is a Past President and Trustee of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America and Who's Who in American Law. He also is listed among Super Lawyers of the Midsouth as a Tennessee corporate and business lawyer. Nashville Post has listed him among Nashville leaders "in charge" in the category of Government/Politics.
He received his education from the University of Virginia (B.A., with distinction, 1969) and Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1976), where he was Order of the Coif, Editor-in-Chief of the Vanderbilt Law Review, and a Patrick Wilson Merit Scholar. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1976 and before the United States Supreme Court in 1986. He also is admitted to practice before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth and Federal Circuits, and before the United States Court of International Trade.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Mr. Tuke is Chairman of the Tennessee State Veterans Homes Board and President of the Board of Operation Stand Down Nashville. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Middle Tennessee Hispanic Democrats and Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. He serves on the Executive Committee of Miriam's Promise adoption agency and the Metro Nashville CATV Special Committee. Mr. Tuke is a member of the Nashville Marine Corps Coordinating Council, a Leadership Nashville alumnus and a member of the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club. Mr. Tuke is a Lay Eucharistic Minister at St. George's Episcopal Church.
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Mr. Tuke ran for the U.S. Senate in 2008, winning the Democratic nomination. He served as Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party in 2005-2006, having previously served as Treasurer. In addition, he served as Political Director of the Obama Campaign in Tennessee.
MILITARY SERVICE
Mr. Tuke served as an active duty Marine Officer from 1969 to 1973. Mr. Tuke was awarded a personal Cross of Gallantry with bronze star by the Vietnamese for his service in combat with Marine and Vietnamese Combined Action Forces in 1971, among other decorations.
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Ateia Howard
Policy Director
Ateia Howard currently serves as Middle Tennessee Hispanic Democrat’s Policy Director. She is a Nashville native and studied at Belmont University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish. After spending fall 2009 studying abroad in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, she returned to Nashville and joined MTNHD. Ms. Howard has been involved in various political campaigns and organizations across the state, and as a member of MTNHD, she has helped with fundraising events and voter outreach.
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MIAH CASTILLO
Secretary
Miah Castillo (also known as Gabi) is a founding member, secretary and former Vice President of MTNHD. A native of Costa Rica, Ms. Castillo has been in Nashville for fifteen years. She has served the Davidson County Community for twelve years as a part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Her studies include Tennessee State University, Watkins College of Art, Design and Film and Middle Tennessee State University. She is an active member of the Gra-Mar Acres Homeowners Association. Ms. Castillo represents Council District 8 on the Davidson County Democratic Party Executive Committee and has represented Council District 4 in the past. She has also served on the board of Conexion Americas, the Tennessee State University Latin-American Student Organization and the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Additional volunteer work include the Pencil Foundation, Nashville General Hospital and several Hispanic faith-based organizations throughout Nashville.
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