Commencement Speaker Bio: Gaddi Vasquez, Director of the United States Peace Corps

Gaddi H. Vasquez is the 16th Director of the Peace Corps.   He was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on January 23, 2002.  In an Oval Office ceremony attended by the President, Mr. Vasquez was sworn into office on February 15, 2002 by Judge Al Gonzalez.  Upon taking the oath of office, Mr. Vasquez became the first Hispanic American to serve as Director of the Peace Corps.

Under Mr. Vasquez’s leadership, the Peace Corps has realized a 28-year high in the number of volunteers serving in 70 countries and is focusing its efforts to meet the challenges of the world in the 21st Century.   Mr. Vasquez’s priorities as Director have been to revitalize the Peace Corps through a comprehensive outreach and recruitment program focused to attract the best and the brightest that America has to offer, including a diverse group of volunteers and administrative staff.

The work Mr. Vasquez is most proud of is his 22 years spent in public service and 27 years in community affairs activities.   His work includes service at the city, county, state, and federal levels of government.  He began his public service career as a police officer in the City of Orange, California, when he was only 19-years-old and continued to serve as a Reserve Police Officer until the date of his nomination.

Mr. Vasquez has served in the administrations of three California governors.   Additionally, Mr. Vasquez was appointed twice by former President George H.W. Bush to federal commissions.  Prior to his nomination to the Peace Corps, Mr. Vasquez also spent several years in the corporate world, where he was Division Vice President of Public Affairs for the Southern California Edison Company. 

Among Mr. Vasquez’s professional and civic activities are service on the National Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.   At the local level, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Orange County Council for the Boys Scouts of America, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, KOCE-TV Foundation (a PBS affiliate) and was a co-founder and honorary chairman of the Orange County Hispanic Education Fund, which has raised over $1 million to fund scholarships for Latino students in Orange County.  Mr. Vasquez also served on the Advisory Board of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and on the Board of Directors of Olive Crest, an organization dedicated to the protection and development of children and youth who are neglected, abandoned and abused.

A native of Carrizo Springs, Texas, Mr. Vasquez’s parents were migrant farm workers of Mexican descent who instilled in him a strong work ethic and the desire to always put his best foot forward.  As a result of these values, Mr. Vasquez became the first member of his family to earn a college degree.  He is a graduate of the University of Redlands and has served as a trustee professor at Chapman University.

Mr. Vasquez has been recognized by many organizations for his leadership and community service.  Most recently, Hispanic Business Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States.  He has been named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary and was recently awarded the William H. Booth Award by the Salvation Army.  The Marine Corps Scholarship Fund has recognized him with the Globe and Anchor Award for Leadership and Service.