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Rios as U.S. Treasurer adds another Latina to Obama administration

Rios is Managing Director of Investments for MacFarlane Partners

The confirmation of Rosa “Rosie” Gumataotao Rios, 43, as U.S. Treasurer adds another Latina to the Obama administration and increases gender parity in the government and financial sectors.

Rios is Managing Director of Investments for MacFarlane Partners, a top real estate investment management firm in the U.S. with more than $11 billion in assets.

Rios serves as a primary liaison with the firm’s development and global capital partners to facilitate equity transactions for large mixed-use development projects in key urban areas and recently closed on more than $345 million worth of equity commitments.

Following her work on the Latino vote in Virginia during the presidential campaign, Rios took a leave of absence from MacFarlane to serve as a member of the Treasury/Federal Reserve Transition Team on behalf of the Obama administration. Rios has more than 20 years of real estate and community development experience.

Rios also has served as Director of Economic Development for Fremont, Calif.; Development Specialist for the City of San Leandro, Calif.; and as Manager of the Union City, Calif., Redevelopment Agency.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Latinos comprise 11 percent of President Barack Obama’s first 300 nominees for senior administration positions requiring Senate confirmation. Former President George W. Bush had appointed 5.5 percent Latinos during his first 18 months and former President Bill Clinton had filled 4.5 percent of his confirmable positions with Latinos, the paper reported.