The U.S. Census Bureau today announced 10 new members of its National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, bringing the total membership of the committee to 32. The National Advisory Committee advises the Census Bureau on a wide range of variables that affect the cost, accuracy and implementation of Census Bureau programs and surveys, including the once-a-decade census. The committee, which is comprised of members from multiple disciplines, advises the Census Bureau on topics such as housing, children, youth, poverty, privacy, race, ethnicity and sexual-orientation issues.

“The expertise of this committee helps the Census Bureau in producing high-quality statistics,” said Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau’s acting director. “By helping us better understand a variety of issues that affect statistical measurement, this committee ensures that the Census Bureau continues to provide relevant and timely statistics used by federal, state and local governments as well as business and industry in an increasingly technologically oriented society.”

The new members are:

• Randall Akee, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Public Policy, University of California, Los Angeles
• Carol Gore, president/CEO, Cook Inlet Housing Authority
• Timothy Harjo, member, Fort Sill - Chiricahua Apache Tribe
• Pauline Medrano, mayor pro tem and city council, Dallas
• Ann Morning, Ph.D., professor of sociology, New York University, New York
• Mee Moua, president and executive director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC
• Alisu Schoua-Glusberg, principal, Research Support Services Inc.
• Desi Small-Rodriguez, lead advisor of policy and research, Office of the President, Northern Cheyenne Tribe
• Maile Taualii, Ph.D., assistant professor, Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Arturo Vargas, executive director, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund

The National Advisory Committee members, who serve at the discretion of the Census Bureau director, are chosen to serve based on their expertise and knowledge of the cultural patterns, issues and/or statistical needs of “hard-to-count” populations. The new members will be seated on Aug. 1.

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