House Memorial 20-1002: Memorializing Former Speaker Ruben Valdez

• Ruben Valdez, former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, died on October 1, 2019, at age 82
• Valdez was elected to the House in 1970 representing Denver and became Speaker in 1975 when Democrats gained control following the Watergate scandal
• He earned his high school diploma through a GED program while serving in the General Assembly and became the first member of his family to graduate college at age 37 from Loretto Heights College
• After leaving the House, Valdez served as Secretarial Representative for the U.S. Department of Transportation Region 8, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Social Services, and Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
• Valdez was the first Latino House Speaker in Colorado and worked as an advocate for workers, consumer protections, and bilingual and bicultural education; Denver Public Schools named a school after him in 2015