HR 4697

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2026-4697, by Representatives Mena, Cortes, Stonier,
Simmons,   Ortiz-Self,   Gregerson,   Farivar,   Reeves,   Ryu,   Taylor,   Peterson,   Zahn,
Parshley, Goodman, Berry, Stearns, Walen, Thomas, Pollet, Berg, Jinkins, Leavitt,
Macri, Timmons, Duerr, Santos, Wylie, Hill, Callan, Fosse, Paul, and Street
1     WHEREAS, Dr. Bernal Baca was always proud of his heritage. He was
2 born and raised in Trinidad, Colorado to a pioneer family that
3 founded the city, which was part of Mexico prior to 1846. His father
4 was the first Latino Mayor protempore for the city of Trinidad; and
5     WHEREAS, Dr. Baca attended the University of Colorado Boulder,
6 Washington State University, and Seattle University; and
7     WHEREAS, Dr. Baca was a life-long teacher, organizer, and
8 community builder who was well respected in the state for his
9 tireless work on justice, education, and labor issues; and
10     WHEREAS, Dr. Baca was instrumental in the establishment of the
11 Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs. He was a leader in
12 the formation of the Commission in the early 1970s and was appointed
13 to the Commission by Governor Jay Inslee in August of 2020, serving
14 two one-year terms as the Chair, two terms as Vice Chair, and almost
15 two terms on the executive committee; and
16     WHEREAS, Dr. Baca dedicated himself to education, spending 30
17 years as a professor at Yakima Valley College, and serving as the
18 President of the American Federation of Teachers – Yakima; and
19     WHEREAS, Dr. Baca also served as the Government Relations
20 Specialist of the American Federation of Teachers – Washington for
21 ten years, from which he retired; and
22     WHEREAS, Following retirement from his first and second careers,
23 Dr. Baca embarked on a third career serving as Executive Director of
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1 a Tacoma-based nonprofit that provides social, cultural, and
2 educational services to the greater Pierce County Latino community;
3 and
4     WHEREAS, Dr. Baca was generous with his time and talents, serving
5 on two nonprofits centered around equity; as a trustee of the Tacoma
6 Art Museum; board member of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce; board
7 member of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and
8 through volunteering on the Washington State Board of Education under
9 Governor Christine Gregoire and as President of the Association of
10 Multicultural Counseling and Development; and
11     WHEREAS, Most importantly, all who knew him knew that Dr. Baca
12 was first and foremost a Denver Broncos fan and was a proud season
13 ticket holder since 1970;
14     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives
15 recognize Dr. Bernal Baca for his service, dedication, and commitment
16 to the people of Washington state; and
17     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution  be
18 immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House  of
19 Representatives to the family of Dr. Bernal Baca.
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