Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Riverside Chats

Douglas County Commissioner Roger Garcia on Increasing Civic Engagement and Building Coalitions in a Divided Time

Roger Garcia's Douglas County Commissioner photo. He is smiling at the camera, wearing glasses, a plaid tie and blue suit with an American flag pin.
Roger Garcia represents District 1 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

Roger Garcia represents District 1 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Garcia was elected to his first term in 2021, becoming the seven-member board’s first-ever Latino commissioner. He’s up for reelection this year but is running unopposed.

Garcia was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Honduras and Mexico. He was raised in Columbus, Nebraska and moved to Omaha in 2005. He holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Latino/Latin American Studies, a master’s in public administration, a master’s in theological studies, a doctorate in ministry, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Administration.

In addition to his tenure as a county commissioner, Garcia co-founded the Metro Young Latino Professionals Association (MYLPA) and serves on the boards for the Women’s Center for Advancement and the Immigrant Legal Center.

In this episode, Garcia is in conversation with Michael Griffin are talking about what exactly a county commissioner does, how Garcia's family background influences his policy, and how to increase civic engagement among youth and immigrants.

Courtney is back in her hometown after graduating from the University of Kansas in 2019 with degrees in journalism and film. While at KU, she was the arts and culture editor of the University Daily Kansan and had a summer internship at KCUR, Kansas City's NPR member station. She has three pet rats and has seen almost every Audrey Hepburn movie.
Related Content