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Dr. Maria Guajardo Lucero Named 2006 Woman of Vision

WASHINGTON, DC –– Dr. María Guajardo Lucero, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office
for Education and Children in Denver, has been chosen as the 2006 Woman of Vision by Women
Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment. She will be honored on April 6 at the
Women Work! national conference for her achievements as an author, mother, community
volunteer and leader in the field of public education.

"Dr. Guajardo Lucero is a role model for other women,” commented Women Work! CEO Jill
Miller. “She demonstrates vision and courage in her work to help others and we are honored to
have her address our membership at our national conference.”

Guajardo Lucero has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of women and girls in her
community. Serving as a mentor to West High School Latina students for three years, she began
her commitment to moving theory into practice, earning the Volunteer of the Year Award from
the Colorado Alliance for Business. She was also selected as a Kellogg National Leadership
Fellow from 1990-1993, and, she recently was awarded the "Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award" for her
leadership and commitment to excellence in public education.

Helping children succeed at school has been Guajardo Lucero’s passion. She has conducted
research on dropout prevention and severed as the Colorado Department of Education Dropout
Prevention Coordinator and as co-director of the Colorado Preschool Project. She has worked as
a therapist for Denver Head Start, a bilingual school psychologist for Denver Public Schools, an
adjunct professor at Metropolitan State College and University of Colorado, Denver, and is now
a trustee for the University of Denver. In 2004 Guajardo Lucero was invited by Denver Public
Schools to serve as a commissioner on the Secondary Reform Commission.

The Woman of Vision Award is presented annually the Women Work! national conference.

Women Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
organization that advocates for women’s economic security through policies, programs and
partnerships. Since 1978, the Network has assisted more than 10 million women to successfully
enter, re-enter and advance in the workforce. Through supporting, advocating and advancing
women’s economic self-sufficiency, Women Work! members strengthen families and
communities. For more information, visit www.womenwork.org or call (202) 467-6346.

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