MLTers in Politics Series – Jessie Hernandez

Jessie Hernandez, Career Prep 2011

We are excited to share the MLTers in Politics blog series. The goal of this series was to highlight MLT Fellows and Alumni working in grassroots organizing, advocacy, government roles and politics. Through these interviews, MLTers shared with us what sparked their interest in working in politics, what it means to work in politics in today’s environment and biggest takeaways from working in the sector. We now present our last post in the series.

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From his work as an Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator to being a political appointee, Jessie Hernandez is successfully paving his way in the world of politics. Jessie Hernandez is the youngest appointee in the Homeland Security Secretary’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. His political savviness has made him a respected representative for DHS to mayors and top-level public safety officials nationwide. As part of the Intergovernmental Affairs staff that works with state and local governments on topical matters, he’s worked on issues such as immigration, Ebola, Zika, refugee resettlement, countering violent extremism and the “If You See Something, Say Something^TM” public awareness campaign. This year, he was also recognized in the Huffington Post as “40 under 40: Latinos in Foreign Policy.” Outside work, he is also heavily involved in the community, and it has not gone unnoticed by local leaders. Just a few month ago, the District of Columbia Mayor appointed Jessie as Commissioner to a special body that represents the interests of Latinos in the city. A 2011 Career Prep Alum, below, Jessie shares how his passion for politics started at a young age and how he’s been able to use the MLT know-how in his current work.

Tell us about your background?

I grew up in the city of El Monte, California which is primarily a low-income, first-generation community. Like many El Monteans, I am the son of two tireless and caring factory workers from Central Mexico who immigrated here in the late 80’s. I went to UC Berkeley, and while an undergrad, I found my calling in public service while visiting multiple high schools throughout the state of California where I spoke to hundreds of underrepresented students about college readiness.

After I became the first in my family to graduate from college, I joined President Obama’s re-election efforts in the battleground state of Florida and then worked for the District of Columbia Government. I now serve as an Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator and I am also the youngest political appointee in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Office of Intergovernmental affairs.

What sparked your interest to work in politics?

From a young age, I was very active in public service. I was student body president in high school, I ran for office at UC Berkeley, and was elected to a seat in the University’s Senate my junior year.

I continued pursuing this passion for public service in 2012 by working with the Obama campaign on grassroots and GOTV efforts in Florida.

Fluent in Spanish, I was among the first to launch a vigorous Latino outreach program in the region. From this rewarding and foundational experience in grass-roots and community organizing, I was able to gain first-hand insight on local issues and the potential influence of a public servant through politics and higher level decision making.

Motivated by my experience in Florida and a desire to use my insight to guide effective policy initiatives, I came to D.C. and joined D.C. government. I was later selected to a position at the Department of Homeland Security. Working for DHS under this President’s administration, I have been able to transfer and grow skills from my experiences from El Monte, Berkeley, the MLT program, and Florida to better understand the political environment and the optimal way to serve a community. 

What is your current role?

I am an Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, I work with a select team to travel the country to meet with mayors, governors and public safety officials on behalf of DHS. In these meetings, we discuss the Secretary’s priorities for DHS, including working with the local and state officials to set their own security priorities and protocol.

In this role,, I have been able gain experiences outside of the realm of national security. Two years ago, I was asked by my leadership to represent DHS on a special task force dedicated to shaping federal policy in aid of Puerto Rico. In 2015, I was also chosen by the Department’s White House Liaison’s Office to sit on an interagency working group that works to create opportunities for Hispanics in education. In that role, I have been able to meet with people from other agencies within the executive branch to discuss how different agencies are supporting Hispanics in education and creating access for them in government. 

What skills did you learn from MLT that you now use on a day – to day basis?

The 90 second elevator pitch. That was the first thing that was taught to us, and it was the toughest for me to learn. In my current position, I meet with people who don’t have much time to sit and go over an entire program or initiative. Sometimes, I only get about two or three minutes of their time, when they are in an elevator or a hallway, to brief them on intricate programs.  As you can imagine, I have to be very concise when I approach these situations; here is where my training at MLT has been the most useful. While at MLT, I was able to gain feedback about my speaking style in addition to learning from other people’s stories and participating in seminars about crafting a rich narrative and delivering an impactful pitch.

The MLT program really enhanced my outlook towards my professional experiences, my approach to personal growth, and my commitment to furthering opportunities for others. As the first person in my family to even consider higher education, it was invaluable to have a mentor in the finance industry coach me on the do’s and don’ts of the workplace, provide interview tips and more. The network that I was given access to through MLT is a constant motivator for me to continue MLT’s vision to help younger people of color and provide them with the same resources I was granted.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I see myself continuing as a public servant, as the work is very close to my heart. I’ve been in government for a few years now, but it is still the most rewarding experience to come home and see people on TV talking about the programs we are working on and the positive effect on local communities. This drives me, and in the future, I hope to continue shaping government policy and working to represent the interests of communities nationwide.  It’s where I firmly believe I can enact the greatest change.