President Ginny Arthur elected Board Chair of Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES)

Metropolitan State University President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur has been elected Board Chair of the Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES).

CLUES is Minnesota’s largest Latino-led nonprofit organization, founded in 1981 by and for Latinos. Its purpose is to ensure the advancement of social and economic equity and wellbeing for Latinos in Minnesota. CLUES has offices on the East Side of Saint Paul, Lake Street in Minneapolis, and also Willmar and Austin in greater Minnesota.

CLUES turns 40 in 2021 and launches year-long celebrations. Cultural arts and community celebrations are planned for the summer with culminating events in the fall during Hispanic Heritage Month.  This spring, CLUES leadership is unveiling its new Strategic Direction and Goals. President Arthur heads newly elected executive board leadership which will guide the organization’s impact and success into the new decade. She has been a CLUES Board Member for four years.

“I am honored and humbled to serve as the chair of the CLUES board and to support the excellent work of President Ruby Azurdia-Lee and her talented staff in building empowered capacity in the Latino community,” President Arthur says. “The new Strategic Direction and Goals will guide the work of CLUES and the Board in achieving its inspiring vision. I am excited about the work ahead!”

The new Strategic Direction is the result of a thorough process conducted in 2020 with valuable input from the Board of Directors, staff, and community stakeholders. The culmination of this work resulted in CLUES’ new direction and new institutional values that deeply embody our intent for transformational impact on individuals and the community at large.

CLUES’ new vision will be “a Latino community that is growing in strength and unity, with diverse and amplified voices, equal representation, and the resources needed to lead healthy and thriving lives. Its mission, “to advance social and economic equity and wellbeing for Latinos by building upon our strengths and cultures, uplifting our community, and activating leadership for systemic change.” CLUES President Ruby Azurdia-Lee is an alumna of Metropolitan State, graduating in 1993 with a bachelors degree from the College of Individualized Studies.

With a growing Latino student body at Metropolitan State, the university holds strong interest in supporting the Latino community in Minnesota, which has experienced unprecedented growth over the course of the last two decades. Latinos are one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. population. This is illustrated by the fact that today the United States is the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico.