Jeb Bush to Co-Chair Hispanic Leadership Conference in Miami

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will co-chair the Hispanic Leadership Network’s third regional conference, scheduled for late January in Miami just before the state’s Republican primary.

The network, a right-leaning advocacy group seeking to expand its reach, “is providing business leaders, elected officials, and Americans — all with shared common values — a platform to collaborate and turn their vision into a real grass-roots effort," Bush said.

Co-chairing the organization’s third conference with Bush is former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

"Hispanics see the value in a free enterprise system to succeed economically," said Gutierrez, noting that the recession has hit many Hispanic communities hard, with an all-time high of 11.4 percent of Hispanics unemployed nationwide.

The organization’s “Inspiring Action” conference will take place Jan. 26 and 27 at the Doral Hotel and Resort in Miami. Jennifer Sevilla-Korn, the network’s executive director, says the focus will be on discussing solutions to the nation’s economic problems and also developing a plan of action.

The network was founded in January, when a first conference took place in Miami. A second conference was in September in New Mexico, where the organization has assembled a team of local and regional organizers. Following the Miami conference in January, local and regional organizers will be named for Florida.

The Hispanic Leadership Network is an initiative of the American Action Network, which was founded by former Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Fred Malek, a former Bush administration official and Marriott executive.