At its November 3 Annual Luncheon, the Latino Policy Forum honored Paul Roldan with its “2023 Champion of Change Award.” Paul received the award for his decades-long leadership and staunch advocacy for improving Latino communities throughout Illinois. In accepting the award, Paul shared that he had been associated with the Latino Policy Forum for 38 years. His complete acceptance speech for the award is below.
“Thank you. I sincerely appreciate this recognition, especially from the Latino Policy Forum – an organization that for decades has successfully advocated for the equitable growth and prosperity of the Latino Community in Illinois. I have been associated with the Latino Policy Forum for 38 years – since the days of Mayor Harold Washington, when the precursor of the Forum was initiated as the Mayor’s Committee on Latino Affairs.
As Hispanic Housing Development Corporation’s first employee, I’ve been privileged to serve as its president for 47 years. During this time, like the Latino Community in Illinois, our organization has grown and prospered. We currently have a staff ofa over 283 employees and have develop over 4,600 affordable apartments in 59 distinct projects in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Puerto Rico, and manage a portfolio of 8,200 apartments which house over 24,000 residents.
In 1988, by quirk of fate, I was awarded an unsolicited $275,000 MacArthur Fellowship grant – the so-called genius award, – in recognition of my community development work. By the way, my children know better about me and the genius part. My wife Ida and I decided to use $100,000 of that award to start a scholarship fund for Latino and Latina students who were sorely under-represented in the field. The Teresa & Hipolito Roldan Community Development Scholarship Fund, named after my parents, was established at Roosevelt University’s real estate school in Chicago. To date, we have 26 Roldan Scholars who have entered the Community Development field through our graduate award program. I can’t imagine a better way of seeding the career of future Latino leaders. This investment in human potential has an infinite rate of return – better than gold, stocks, or real estate – a 30-year career in service to our Community.
My long, soul-fulfilling vocation is soon coming to an end. Afterall, I would like to retire before I expire. Take the time to smell the roses and recalibrate my spiritual existence on this planet. So, thank you for the privilege of participating with you on this vital mission of service to our community.
Thank you."
