Anna Escobedo Cabral
Encyclopedia
Anna Escobedo Cabral currently serves as the Unit Chief for Stakeholder Communications in the External Relations Division of the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...

 (IDB). Prior to joining the bank, Cabral served as the 42nd Treasurer of the United States
Treasurer of the United States
The Treasurer of the United States is an official in the United States Department of the Treasury that was originally charged with the receipt and custody of government funds, though many of these functions have been taken over by different bureaus of the Department of the Treasury...

 from January 19, 2005 to January 20, 2009. She became the highest-ranking Latina in the Bush Administration
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 after the resignation of Rosario Marin
Rosario Marin
Rosario Marin , was the 41st Treasurer of the United States from August 16, 2001 to June 30, 2003 serving under President George W. Bush. She is the first person to assume the post since William Clark who was not born a United States citizen . She is the only U...

.

Early life

Cabral, a second-generation Mexican-American, was born in San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 to Francisco Escobedo and Teresa Beltran. Her father's family had come to the United States from Mexico in the early 1900s as did her maternal grandmother. Alfred Escobedo, her paternal grandfather, also participated in the Bracero Program
Bracero Program
The Bracero Program was a series of laws and diplomatic agreements, initiated by an August 1942 exchange of diplomatic notes between the United States and Mexico, for the importation of temporary contract laborers from Mexico to the United States.American president Franklin D...

. Cabral's maternal grandfather was a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

, born and raised on a reservation in Southern California.

The oldest of five children, Cabral managed to attend Burbank Elementary School in the 1960s despite her family's hectic schedule: her father picked the fields of the Santa Clara Valley
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County and its county seat, San José, are in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its high concentration...

 and both parents obtained various types of employment throughout the San Bernardino
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...

 and Riverside
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...

 counties. By the time Cabral entered high school, the family had moved 20 times.

At very early ages, Cabral and her siblings had to collect scrap metal and salvage old motor parts with their father that they would then sell to help the family survive. Her father had seriously injured his back, significantly impacting his ability to provide. Her mother worked several jobs, so, as the eldest child, Cabral often had the additional responsibility of caring for her siblings.

By age 16, Cabral was already on track to finishing high school early; after graduation, she intended to find a full-time job to help her parents financially. Her math teacher, Philip Lamm, convinced her instead to consider higher education. Lamm, she recalled in a later interview, "hand wrote the application. He told me that this was a better plan and found scholarship money for me to go to college." Lamm also helped her overcome her family's initial misgivings.

Cabral initially attended the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...

 at Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...

 majoring in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

. In her sophomore year, she met Victor Cabral, a law student at the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...

; not long after this, she transferred to Davis. Between her sophomore and junior years, the couple was married and Cabral soon left school for a few years to raise a family. During this time, she also managed her husband's law firm.

Cabral eventually returned to the University and graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

. After considering several graduate schools, Escobedo enrolled in a joint-degree program with the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...

 at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 and the Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley. She and her family moved to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

. However, half way through the program, Cabral decided to withdraw in order to take care of family needs. In 1990, she obtained her Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...

 degree from Harvard. She eventually completed her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 degree at George Mason University School of Law
George Mason University School of Law
George Mason University School of Law is the law school of George Mason University, a state university in Virginia, United States...

 in 2008.

Public career

In 1990, Cabral's husband obtained a job with the Justice Department; the rest of the family moved with him to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

  The following year, Cabral became Executive Staff Director of the Task Force on Hispanic Affairs in the Senate Republican Conference. In this capacity, she managed a caucus of 25 U.S. Senators working on issues related to the Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

 community.

Cabral's work came to the attention of Senator Orrin G. Hatch, who was chair of the Task Force as well as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 1993, in addition to her work with the Republican Conference, Cabral assumed the post of Deputy Staff Director for the Committee, helping it to oversee federal judicial nominations as well as various Justice-related legislation.

After several years, Cabral left government service but remained in the public sector. In 1999, she was hired as President and CEO of Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility. A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit coalition of 16 of the largest Hispanic organizations in the nation, HACR worked with Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...

 companies to increase Hispanic representation in employment, procurement, philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...

, and governance. Under Cabral's leadership, HACR published a best practices series, and instituted a partnership with Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...

 to provide executive training programs in Corporate Governance Best Practices to community leaders.

Cabral participated on a number of advisory panels during this time. In 2002, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to his Council on the 21st Century Workplace, providing guidance to the White House and the Department of Labor on work-related issues. That same year, she was named to a two-year term on the Diversity Council of the Premier Automotive Group, an outreach effort of the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

. She also served on the boards of the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum
Sewall-Belmont House and Museum
The Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States, is a historic house and museum of the U.S. women's suffrage and equal-rights movements.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974....

, a historic center commemorating women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...

, and Martha's Table
Martha's Table
Martha's Table is a non-profit organization, an active charity and volunteer center in Washington, D.C. The mission of Martha's Table is to help at-risk less fortunate individuals in the surrounding communities to develop their living situation into a better one through volunteer programs.-...

, a nonprofit that assists the less fortunate to better themselves through volunteer activities.

In 2003, Cabral was named Director of the Center for Latino Initiatives at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...

. While at the Center, she led a pan-institutional effort to improve Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...

 representation in exhibits and public programming among the Institution's 19 museums, five research centers, and the National Zoo
Smithsonian National Zoological Park
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, and as part of the Smithsonian Institution, does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to provide leadership in animal care, science, education,...

.

Cabral was nominated for the post of U.S. Treasurer by President Bush on July 22, 2004 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 20.

U.S. Treasurer

Cabral was sworn in on January 19, 2005 becoming the highest-ranking Latina in the Bush Administration and ending a seventeen month vacancy in the office brought about by the resignation of Rosario Marin. John Snow
John Snow
John Snow or Jon Snow may refer to:* Jon Snow, British newscaster* John Snow , founder of epidemiology and a major contributor to the development of anaesthesia* John W. Snow, 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury...

, the Secretary of the Treasury, presided over the ceremony which was also attended by Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...

, the chief White House Counsel
White House Counsel
The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States.-Role:The Counsel's role is to advise the President on all legal issues concerning the President and the White House...

 who had just been nominated as the first Hispanic Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...

. The first currency with Cabral's signature was printed in April the same year.

While Treasurer, Cabral oversaw the latest infusion of new currency designed to defeat counterfeiting efforts. She also served during the Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

 incident along the southern coast. In the wake of the disaster, Cabral dedicated much of her time in developing methods to help people affected in rebuilding and managing their financial well-being. She also provided advice and counsel to the Treasury Department in its efforts to provide economic assistance to devastated areas.

Despite a heavy work schedule and numerous speaking engagements, Cabral returned to school in order to obtain her juris doctorate. She was inspired in this move by her mother who returned to school at age 52 to get her diploma. In 2005, she began taking night courses at the Arlington campus of the George Mason University School of Law
George Mason University School of Law
George Mason University School of Law is the law school of George Mason University, a state university in Virginia, United States...

. In her second year, her daughter Catalina was a fellow George Mason student.

Cabral's expertise in financial education was also tapped by the Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...

. In 2007, she was named by Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson as his representative to the Community Development Advisory Board. The Board's purpose is to advise the Department on the use of funds, tax credits, and investment capital in distressed communities across the nation. In June of that year, Cabral co-hosted the Pathways to Hispanic Family Learning conference with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
Margaret Spellings
Margaret Spellings was the Secretary of Education from 2005-2009 under the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush and previously served as White House Domestic Policy Adviser to President George W. Bush....

. The meeting resulted in a new program, led by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanicsis a multi-agency working group within the Department of Education charged with strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high quality education while increasing opportunities for Hispanic American participation in federal...

, that developed tools for financial literacy and provided resources to Hispanic families seeking academic success for their children.

When Cabral was appointed Treasurer the banknote series was changed from series 2003 to series 2003A to indicate that a new Treasurer had been appointed, but not a new Secretary of the Treasurer. Her signature appeared on all of the series 2003A and series 2006 banknotes which began production in May 2005. While her 5 year term as Treasurer ended on January 20, 2009 with the beginning of the Obama Administration, as of June 2011 her signature is still on the series 2006A $100 banknote which is still being printed pending the resolution of production problems with the new color $100 banknote.

Cabral is currently employed with the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...

 as a Senior Advisor.

Family

Cabral is married to Victor G. Cabral. After working with Justice, Victor had been vice president for government and Hispanic relations with Verizon and, since 2003, has been the Senior Counsel for NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...

/Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

 in the Government Relations department.

As previously noted, Cabral began her family while still in college, causing her to delay her education by several years. She had her first child, Raquel, by the age of 20 with the remainder coming in the following five years. When she returned to school and to work, Cabral brought some of her children along. She recalls that while on Capitol Hill, her kids would fish for loose change at the vending machines: "They'd routinely come up with $20 or $30." At Harvard, her son Victor- then three years old- would ask questions of the professor despite her best efforts to quiet him.

Cabral is also an accomplished seamstress, having sewed her sibling's clothes when younger in order to save money. She made the gowns for both daughters' weddings (prominent Republican consultant Leslie Sanchez
Leslie Sanchez
Leslie Sanchez is a prominent American author, political pundit affiliated with the Republican Party, and founder/CEO of Impacto Group LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based market research and consulting firm.-Early life:...

 did the flower arrangements).

The Cabral's have a total of four children: Raquel Cabral Sours (married to David Sours), Viana Cabral Greene (married to Joseph Milton Greene, III), Catalina Cabral, and Victor Christopher Cabral. Additionally, they have two grandchildren, Lilyana Cabral Greene and Joseph Milton Greene, IV.

Three of Cabral's daughters have followed her into government service. In 2005, Raquel Cabral Sours served in the Bush White House, the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...

, and the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...

 while Viana Greene worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee and Catalina Cabral worked at both the Bush White House and the Department of Justice. In July, 2008, Sours became the deputy director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
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