Ed Pastor, congressman and Arizona State University alumnus, will address the 2014 graduating class of the College of Public Programs. He will be introduced by ASU President Michael M. Crow.

Since being elected to the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Pastor has served on the House Appropriations Committee, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, the Education and Labor Committee and the Committee on Small Business.

Pastor is the son of a miner from Claypool, Ariz., and the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from ASU.

“Congressman Pastor exemplifies the story of so many of our graduates. He used education to change his own life, but also to better his community. Through his service to Arizona, both locally and on the national stage, Pastor offers a shining example for our new graduates as they embark on the next phase of their careers,” says Jonathan Koppell, dean of the College of Public Programs.

“ASU provided the educational foundation and experience that allowed me to take advantage of the opportunities afforded me throughout my adult life,” said Rep. Pastor.

After graduating from ASU, Pastor became a teacher at North High School, where he taught chemistry, and later went on to serve as the deputy director of the Guadalupe Organization Inc., a nonprofit, community-based organization. Pastor’s work with students, families and seniors motivated him to enroll in the College of Law at ASU, where he received his juris doctorate in 1974.

Following law school, he joined Governor Raul Castro’s staff, where he enforced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure that every worker had an equal opportunity to work in a discrimination-free environment. In 1976, Pastor was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, where he served three terms. In 1991, Pastor was elected to Congress. In addition to serving on numerous committees and subcommittees, he has also served as a chief deputy whip. He was appointed to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 113th Congress, and serves on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

In the community, Pastor has also served on local and national boards of directors, including Neighborhood Housing Services of America, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), National Job Corps Alumni Association, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Arizona Association of Counties and Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc. (CPLC), among many others.

Pastor recently announced that he will retire this year, after serving 23 years in Congress.

“We could not be more pleased to honor Congressman Pastor and share his story with our students. His service offers an iconic benchmark and role model for our students,” says Koppell.

College of Public Programs convocation ceremony
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
8 a.m.
Wells Fargo Arena