Janet Murguía

Janet Murguía
President & CEO, UnidosUS

Twitter: @JMurguia_Unidos

When she took her place as President and CEO of the UnidosUS (formerly NCLR) in 2005, Janet Murguía’s first goal was to revitalize the UnidosUS Affiliate Network by forging stronger ties with the nearly 300 community-based organizations in the network. Murguía and her team developed an Affiliate business plan that transformed the UnidosUS-Affiliate relationship into a true partnership.

Murguía’s tenure has also prioritized giving Latinos a more respected voice in the American political process. In 2008, UnidosUS became one of the nation’s largest voter registration and education organizations for the Hispanic community. More than 500,000 new voters have been registered by UnidosUS since then and the organization has provided information and outreach to millions more across America.

Under Murguía’s leadership, UnidosUS has placed special focus on building bridges and deepening relationships with communities of color and other members of the civil rights community. Murguía has spoken at conferences hosted by the National Urban League and the NAACP and marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. UnidosUS has also established a partnership with the LGBTQ community—which culminated in UnidosUS’s endorsement of marriage equality—and with Native American organizations in support of the Change the Mascot campaign.

As someone who has seen the American dream become reality for her and her family, Murguía has been a tireless advocate for young Hispanics. During her time at UnidosUS, the Líderes Initiative has grown to include hundreds of young aspiring leaders. Murguía received an honorary degree from California State University at Dominguez Hills where the majority of students—like her and her siblings—are the first in their families to attend college.

Murguía began her career in Washington, D.C., as legislative counsel to former Kansas Congressman Jim Slattery. She then worked at the White House from 1994 to 2000, ultimately serving as deputy assistant to President Bill Clinton, providing strategic and legislative advice to the president on key issues. She served as deputy director of legislative affairs, managing the legislative staff and acting as a senior White House liaison to Congress. She then served as deputy campaign manager and director of constituency outreach for the Gore/Lieberman presidential campaign. In 2001, Murguía joined the University of Kansas as executive vice chancellor for university relations, overseeing KU’s internal and external relations with the public, including governmental and public affairs.

Murguía grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. She received three degrees from the University of Kansas: a B.S. in journalism, a B.A. in Spanish, and a J.D. from the School of Law.