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Qualifications & Accomplishments
Qualifications and Accomplishments
Mateo, Chairman of the Latino Redistricting Committee has met with several community leaders and community organizations who have asked him to run for the newly created City Council District #9 based on the need to have a representative with a proven record by responding to the needs of underserved residents of San Diego. He has agreed to run.
Mateo is an immigrant; a long time resident of the District; City Heights and Kensington; a champion of the rights of the underserved; and a proven record of performance who has walked in their shoes. Other accomplishments and relevant information as follows:
- Attended SDSU (San Diego State University) and received two degrees.
- Local business owner since 1976 (McDonalds franchise) which had the first bilingual menu board in the Country. He was also owner of several startup companies including the 1st Spanish language, FCC licenses radio station in San Diego. He successful challenged the FCC licenses of San Diego TV stations for lack of balance news reporting and lack of on camera minorities.
- Served 10 years as chairman of the California Universal Lifeline Telecommunications Service Marketing Board that provides telephone service and information for immigrants and low income ratepayers in 10 languages.
- Worked with state legislatures in California to pass the Bilingual Services Act.
- Is a trained social worker who has been president and CEO of several non-profit organizations and has taught at 2 different universities, including SDSU where he was Alumni of the Year 1989.
- As Chairman of Trabajadores the la Raza, organized workers and families to convince the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to recognize the ability to speak and write a second language to use in their work as a skill meriting a 10% pay bonus. The benefits to the employers are quality services that reduce length of time of dependency since clients are able to understand and become self-sufficient in a shorter period of time, 1969. Mateo focused on other large employers such as the City of San Diego and SDG&E and convinced them to establish a bilingual pay program to improve services.
- As Chairman of the Universal Lifeline Telephone Services Committee, (appointed by the Public Utilities Commission (1995-2005), I insured that information to eligible telephone users bee available in 10 languages in California and rates be affordable.
- When the FCC deregulated the AM band, Mateo applied and successfully competed against multiple applicants and won the radio station license, 1040AM, opened 1991.
- Was elected Chairman of the Latino Redistricting Committee that recommended to the City Redistricting Commission that the new D 9 be located in City Heights with a majority Latino population to comply with the Voting Rights Act, 2011.
- As Chairman of Trabajadores de la Raza and San Diego County Social worker, convinced the County to start a food program for low income individuals and families. There were 2 food programs available to Counties: food stamps and food commodities. One of the County supervisors owned grocery stores and was against food stamps, hence the initial program was food commodities, and it's first location was in San Ysidro, 1969.
- As a student, Mateo organized the San Ysidro YWCA Women's Club to achieve their top priority goal, obtain medical services for Families and individuals, the SanYsidro Medical Clinic in 1969, currently the San Ysidro Medical Center.
- President & CEO of numerous non-profit organizations such as LAPA (Latino American Political Association) non-partisan; Communities United for Economic Justice; Chicano Federation; PTE; HOPE (multicultural, Anglo, African American, Latino and Asian for cultural understanding).
- I have advised ELECTED OFFICIALS as Chairman of the Mayor's Latino Advisory Board for 15 years on the needs and solutions impacting underserved populations. I have been involved in empowering community leaders and underserved groups to participate in educational, civic and business opportunities to advance communities facing challenges achieving the American Dream by helping our youth stay in school, get a job, register to vote, start businesses and become homeowners.
- A Board member, House of Mexico 2003-2010