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Eduardo Jesus Arismendi-Pardi was sworn in on Saturday, Jan. 21 as the first male president of MANA de Orange County, a Latina leadership and advocacy organization.
Patricia Sullivan, who was succeeded by Arismendi-Pardi, said that about 65 people, most of them college educators and leaders, attended the swearing-in event.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Helios J. “Joe” Hernandez II swore in the new officers, who include Sullivan, now vice president, Arlette Lozano, secretary; and Nelida Yanez, treasurer. They will serve two-year terms.
Sullivan succeeds Tish Leon as vice president, and Lozano succeeds Lupe Gutierrez as secretary.
Arismendi-Pardi is a math professor at Orange Coast College.
“When he gave his inaugural speech, there was not a dry eye in house,” Sullivan said. “He talked about Latinas and his support of their education, and especially their getting into the STEM fields. What is significant is that 90 percent of the people we had there were educators…He commented that he was so humbled with crowd that was present.”
In an interview with Register columnist Yvette Cabrera, Arismendi-Pardi said his role models were primarily the women who raised him in his native Venezuela.
He plans to launch a series of what he calls “Manamathons,” daylong community service events where volunteer professionals will tutor and mentor Latina high school and college students on everything from homework to career advice.
“There has been this emergence of STEM interest,” Sullivan said. “Having Eduardo as a math professor and advocate of Latina education, it’s a beautiful marriage, a timing ready to happen.”
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