A MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
As I begin my second term as your Association President of the Chicano Correctional Workers Association (CCWA). I can’t help but think back on how far our organization has come since I proudly took office 3 years ago. We have grown our membership, reestablished strong connections with organizations such as CCSO, CCPOA, and SEIU. We have increased recruitment efforts and have attended more family days, health fairs, and other events at our institutions. I, as well as several members of the executive board, have supported, networked, and represented CCWA proudly by attending chapter meetings, chapter events, as well as other CDCR/CCHCS events such as Battle of the Badges, CCPO,A and CCSO conferences. I have made it a priority that the CCWA executive board meet yearly with the Secretary of CDCR. I am beyond proud of how far our organization has come and will always do my best to continue to support our executive committee, chapters, and fellow organizations. As well as always do what’s best for the Association as a whole.
As we start a new term and year, I’d like to thank all of you for supporting me as your Association President and allowing me to move this organization in a positive direction. I look forward to a very fruitful year and am proud that we can continue our mission as an organization going forward for many more years to come.
I would like to take the time to thank past executive members, Fernando Rodriguez, who was our Southern Region Vice President, Jessica Gastelo, who was our Membership Coordinator, and Frank Velez, who was a CCWA executive board member for over 25 years. Thank you all for your service.
I am pleased to congratulate Estelina Lopez, who will be returning for a 2nd term as Northern Region Vice President, and Florence Cote, who will be returning for a 2nd term as Central Region Vice President. We were happy to welcome Chris Gonder as our Interim Southern Region Vice President, as well as Lisette Robles as our Interim Association Secretary, Carlos Lopez as our newly elected Association Sgt at Arms, and Alba Panuco, who is our newly appointed Membership Coordinator. I am very energized by this new beginning, and I think everybody on the Board is excited about the opportunities and accomplishments that lie ahead of us.
Our 501c3 Foundation, The California Correctional Workers Charitable Foundation (CCWCF), has rolled. The motto is “Assisting the community while helping out brothers and sisters in need.” The foundation will assist in donations when a member passes, community needs in our local towns, as well as support our local chapters. We are hoping to get this going strong to be an asset to our chapters, members, and our communities.
Meanwhile, the 2025 CCWA Conference is coming up fast. Our Biannual Training Conference will be held November 7th, 2025, at The Tachi Place Casino in Lemoore, CA. Please keep an eye and ear out for more information, as you will not want to miss this conference hosted by the Central Region. A lot of hard work and time is being put into the planning of this by our Central Region Vice President, Florence Cote, and her team. We hope to see you there!
As you can see, this is shaping up to be a busy year, and I believe it will be an amazing one. We are headed in the right direction and have all the pieces in place to make the next few years a great success for CCWA. I want each one of our members to feel free to reach out to me or our executive board with any concerns or issues. Even though we’re confident about the course ahead, that doesn’t mean we don’t want your feedback on how we’ve been doing and how we can do even better in our efforts to serve you. We are truly building for the future right now, ensuring that CCWA is in a strong position to be a force for good in our members’ lives and careers for years to come.
Nicholas A. Gonzales
Association President