BY JOE ARCE AND COREY CRABLE
Hispanic residents are seeing more representation at City Hall these days as the faces of leadership change in Kansas City.
Councilman Crispin Rea, whose district includes the Westside and Northeast neighborhoods, introduced two new Hispanic leaders to the community late October at the Guadalupe Centers. Rea introduced Mario Vasquez and Jaime Guillen. They joined other Hispanic leaders at the reception, where they discussed their roles in guiding the city as its Latino population grows each year. Vasquez is the new director of the Planning Department, and Guillen is the director of the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Department.
Vasquez discussed his background, including his 27 years working for the city.
“I’ve been in the United States for 37 years. Anybody who knows South American history knows that the ‘80s was tough in South America,” he said. “And so when the opportunity came for me to immigrate to the United States, I didn’t think much as I’m going. And I was fortunate enough to go to college, high school, and have all the experiences I’ve been able to have and actually make a life in this country.”
Vasquez thanked Rea for organizing the event, adding that he had special praise for City Manager Brian Platt.
“I don’t think he realizes how much of a life-changing opportunity he’s given me to be part of this team,” Vasquez said. “To become part of, I don’t like to say leadership, but to become part of the group of people who work, day in, day out, trying to make it the best for the city -- it’s a pretty unique opportunity and a pretty unique responsibility. So I thank you for that.”
Platt said he appreciated the hard work Vasquez and his colleagues put into their work, saying that the diversity in City Hall is to be celebrated.
“We’ve got the most diverse leadership team in the city’s history -- period -- and I’m really proud of that. We’ve got a lot of work to do, supporting a lot of different communities in Kansas City, and it starts in rooms like this,” Platt said. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve done, and I’m really humbled by the opportunity here.”
Vasquez said he wants to eventually use his position to better not only housing opportunities for the city’s residents, but the entire community as well.
“I see the department becoming more than just a zoning and permits kind of department. I wanted to become the development department, and when I talked about development, I’m not just talking about real estate development, I’m talking about community development, narrowed development, housing development, things that uplift community. Those are the kinds of things I want to work in.”
Guillen, meanwhile, called himself the “newbie” of the group, calling challenges faced by the city opportunities to learn and grow.
“I think being part of this team has really emphasized that for me. There is work to do. We have an awesome team. We have a lot of support and I think what we do, especially in my department, is work with the community,” Guillen said. “At the end of the day, everything that I do affects you guys. It affects the community. It affects employees individually. It affects small businesses. Yes, the work is hard. The work is challenging. I have some of my team here that they do an awesome job. They’re carrying on the mission, not only of our department, but of the city.”
Mayor Quinton Lucas called the leaders gathered “the best in the business,” adding that he is proud to see Hispanics and Westside residents represented in City Hall.
“You are making a true difference in this community,” Lucas said, “and it truly matters.”
Rea told Kansas City Hispanic News that he has wanted to see such an event for years, since he was a 21-year-old employee in the mayor’s office.
“It’s an historical moment for our community because the status quo has been ordinarily we didn’t have a single Hispanic department director, but now we have two, and they are over very powerful and very important departments,” Rea said. “So I thought it was important to recognize them.”
