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During their time in office, both Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Mayor Julián Castro emphasized bipartisan collaboration to push effective legislation through on both the state and federal levels. Their respective skills in political efficiency saw both called to work directly with sitting presidents.
Throughout his career, Speaker McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. Speaker McCarthy’s invaluable perspective as a Washington insider, as well as his sharp insights and analysis, make him the ideal voice on the future of the U.S. Speaker McCarthy’s decade and a half at the pinnacle of U.S. government has imbued him with powerful insights into politics, leadership, and values.
Politician, author, and former mayor of San Antonio Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. From education to technology to safe and affordable housing, the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative partnerships, programs, and achievements in the public sector.
Speaker McCarthy and Mayor Castro engage in a robust conversation on how to align stakeholders, applicable to both boardroom and the White House.
55th Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is described as a man exuding “true American grit.” Prior to his election to Congress, McCarthy served as the fastest rising Minority Leader in the California State Legislature. In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under four Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior. After his election to Speaker, McCarthy went on to secure $2T in deficit reduction. McCarthy’s decade and a half at the pinnacle of U.S. government has imbued him with powerful insights into politics, leadership, and values.
Throughout his career, McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. McCarthy’s invaluable perspective as a Washington insider, as well as his sharp insights and analysis, make him the ideal voice on the future of the U.S.
Politician, author, and analyst Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Castro serves as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation. From education to technology to safe and affordable housing, Castro has been at the forefront of some of the most innovative partnerships, programs, and achievements in the public sector.
His memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream, is a candid account of race and poverty in America. His views on equality, housing, and the future of America have been sought by America Votes, The National Association of Colleges and Employers, New York University, and more. In sharing lessons learned from the struggles and successes of his political journey, Castro gives audiences insight into how any group can make a significant change when it comes to America's most pressing issues.
Kevin McCarthy is the 55th Speaker of the House.
Described as a man who exudes “true American grit,” McCarthy's political journey is the quintessential American story. After starting a small business at the age of 21, McCarthy went back to college to earn his bachelor and master degrees in business. He was rejected for an internship to the congressional seat he later held for seventeen years. Prior to being elected to Congress, McCarthy served in the California State Legislature where he became the fastest rising Minority Leader in the history of the California State Assembly.
McCarthy won the Speakership after a historic 15 ballots, and went on to secure $2 trillion in deficit reduction, all while protecting the full faith and credit of the United States, keeping our government open, and making sure our troops were paid. He also refocused Congress on America’s long-term challenges by creating the first-ever Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Throughout his career, McCarthy fought for a more effective, efficient, and accountable federal government. He also personally recruited and actively supported commonsense candidates for office who have helped reshape the Republican Party – several of whom have become Senators, Governors, and cabinet secretaries. Overall, under his leadership, dozens of new Republican women, minorities, and veterans have been elected to Congress.
In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under three Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior.
Julián Castro has distinguished himself as a strong leader and successful public servant for nearly two decades. A former Democratic candidate for President, Castro served as the 16th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. At HUD, Castro managed 8,000 employees and a budget of more than $46 billion, and he led progress at the Department that earned it recognition as one of the most improved federal agencies. Castro also co-chaired the United States delegation to the United Nations Habitat III conference, spearheaded efforts to reduce homelessness, and created Connect Home, a public-private partnership to deliver broadband to public housing residents.
Previously, as mayor of America’s seventh largest city, Castro brought a strong focus to expanding educational achievement and making San Antonio a leader in the 21st century global economy. Under Castro’s leadership, San Antonio implemented Pre-K4SA, a high quality early childhood learning initiative that has earned praise as one of America’s strongest public pre-kindergarten programs. During his tenure, San Antonio ranked first on the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities List, received an A+ grade for doing business by Forbes, and was the only Top 10 city at the time to achieve a Triple A bond rating with each of the three major ratings agencies.
A native Texan, Castro began his public service career in 2001, becoming, at the age of 26, San Antonio’s youngest city councilman in history at the time. Castro made history again in 2012, when he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, the first Latino to do so.
Following his service in the Obama administration, Castro served as the Dean’s Distinguished Fellow and Fellow of the Davila Chair in International Trade Policy at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Castro’s memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up From My American Dream was published by Little Brown in 2018.
Today, Castro serves on the board of directors of the LBJ Foundation and is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. Castro serves as CEO of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation.
Castro received a B.A. from Stanford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Erica, have a daughter, Carina, and a son, Cristián. Castro’s twin brother, Joaquin, represents the 20th Congressional District of Texas.
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