Pauline Medrano appointed Vice Chair of the 2010 Census Advisory Committee

Dallas – Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke has named Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano vice chair of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Advisory Committee, which provides advice on the design and implementation of the 2010 Census.

“Pauline has a long history working on behalf of diverse communities,” said Mayor Tom Leppert. “Her experience will help to ensure a complete and accurate count during the 2010 Census.”

Twenty organizations are represented on the 2010 Census Advisory Committee, including data users and experts in the statutory and constitutional uses of decennial census data. The committee membership also includes ex-officio members representing the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“An accurate census count is important because population determines how more than $3 trillion will be allocated to local, state and tribal governments over the next 10 years,” Medrano said. “We want to make sure everyone across the country and especially in Dallas are counted in the 2010 census.”

Medrano, who holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a graduate of Leadership Dallas, was first elected to the Dallas City Council in June 2005. She was recently appointed to the leadership position of Deputy Mayor Pro Tem; serves as the Chair of the Quality of Life Committee; and serves on the Housing Committee, Trinity River Corridor Committee, Transportation and Environment Committee and the Legislative (Ad Hoc) Committee on State Priorities. In addition to her work on the Dallas City Council, Ms. Medrano was elected in November 2007 to the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) and sits on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino and Appointed Officials (NALEO).

The Census is mandated by the Constitution. The questionnaire for the upcoming 2010 Census will be one of the shortest in history: just 10 questions that will take only about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are kept strictly confidential. The Census data are used to apportion the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data are also used to distribute more than $300 billion in federal funds each year.

The Decennial Advisory Committee, now to be named the 2010 Census Advisory Committee (2010 CAC), was first established in July 1991 to advise the Secretary of Commerce about the design of Census 2000. The 2010 CAC provides recommendations to the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau from the perspective of the data user community. The 2010 CAC also offers a broad, national level perspective on issues as they relate to special populations, as well as state, local, and tribal populations. The Committee’s input has enabled the U.S. Census Bureau to assess issues related to the decennial census, including Census 2000 data dissemination, the American Community Survey (ACS), and planning for the 2010 census.

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Contact: Brett Wilkinson - Intergovernmental Services
(214) 670-5797