J. Walter Tejada

By Yadira Feliciano-Lacot

J. Walter Tejada, For All of Arlington

“For All of Arlington”, is the slogan used by J. Walter Tejada to describe his work as Chairman of the Board of Arlington, VA.  Born in El Salvador and the first Latino to hold a political position in Arlington, Walter Tejada is constantly advocating for a better quality of life. 

The interesting part of his story is his initial motivation to make a difference in the community.

Since his arrival to the United States at age 13, Walter Tejada experienced all the different circumstances a Latino immigrants goes through when moving to an unknown country.  Even through all of this, Tejada has led a normal life.  He finished his studies, moved to Washington DC in 1987, and in 1992, Tejada chose to establish his permanent residence in Arlington. Walter Tejada had never felt any particular interest in politics.  The turning point occurred when he and a group of Latinos experienced a very negative incident.  This situation made him understand the importance of defending equal rights for the Latin community.

His career as a community activist began with a brief hearing in front of the Arlington County Board’s members.  Tejada helped keep open the community park used by his Latino neighbors in his neighborhood.   This opportunity opened many doors for Tejada, and helped him to really feel that “call” to serve his community. He then joined organizations such as LULAC (League of United Latinos Committee), where advocacy for a better quality of life for the Latino community was the main objective. 

Between 1992 and 1999, Tejada held different positions that gave him an overview and improved his knowledge of rules and protocols of public policy.  In 1999, Tejada directed the political campaign of Mr. Charles Monroe for Chairman of the Arlington County Board.  Mr. Monroe was elected and became the first African-American to occupy that position in the board. After the sudden and unfortunate death of Mr. Monroe, Tejada decided to run to fill that vacancy.  Because of all work he had already done, Tejada was well known among his community, and they gave him their support.

From 2003 until 2007, José Walter Tejada was elected four times to lead Arlington County’s Board. As Chairman, he is serving not only for all Latinos, but for all races and ethnicities that live in Arlington.  “For All of Arlington is my slogan, because every person is important. It sounds difficult, but not impossible”, he said.

The man behind the politician

As an everyday man J. Walter Tejada enjoys life to the fullest.  This includes enjoying every moment with his family.  Being married for 19 years to his wife Robin Liter-Tejada, he acknowledges the importance of spending quality time with his loved ones.  His philosophy of life only includes family and health, because nothing else is more important. This does not suggest that work is not important, but Tejada makes very clear that family and health are the main reasons to go on. 

You could probably wonder what a busy man like J. Walter Tejada does to clear his mind off of work.  You could probably think he doesn’t have any time at all.  You are totally wrong.  Tejada is a man that loves nature and everything that involves enjoying the wonders of this world, including his favorite spot to visit: National Parks, being Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana his preferred.  Yes, traveling across country with his family is a must for this successful politician. 

Sports are another way to put into practice his philosophy of a healthy life.  Tejada embraces all kinds of activities that involve wellness, such as soccer, bicycling (he rides his bicycle everyday to work), jogging, and dancing!  As a healthy man, he wants his community to stay healthy too.  That’s why he supports private and public activities like the Community Bike Ride and the Battle of the Boulevards.  In addition, Tejada is a true supporter of all the commuting options Arlington has.  If riding the metro to work, taking the county buses or an envirocab, or just walking is possible, everybody will definitely be living a healthy life, but also contributing with the environment. It’s like killing two birds with one stone… and for J. Walter Tejada sounds like a great deal!

Michelle Gardner-Quinn - This I Believe

By Mark J. Mooney Jr.

Her living spirit may be an inspiration to those seeking to make an impact on the environment.  In fact, Michelle’s Earth Foundation has been created, in her memory, to facilitate the role of the community, especially youth, girls, and minorities who are vastly underrepresented in the sciences, in community level efforts towards creating a healthy, sustainable habitat for humans and nature.

Michelle has made an impact on celebrities, including Goldie Hawn, Tipper Gore, the Dutchess of York and many more.  The University of Vermont has set up the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies and her college roommate created a Tribute to Michelle video.  In addition, National Public Radio Weekend Edition featured the essay Michelle wrote, days before her death, in A Reverence for All Life, but Michelle’s words speak for themselves…

This I believe

By Michelle Gardner-Quinn

Copyright (c) 2006 by the University of Vermont

I believe in upholding reverence for all life. I believe that humanity has a responsibility to the

earth and to the life that we share our experience with.

As a child, I found joy digging in the dirt, examining the miracle of life. Everything creepy-crawly was fascinating to me, and I spent countless hours in my backyard exploring what wonders lay beneath. Although some people might be repulsed by this notion, these creatures did not represent slimy pests to me. Rather, such experiences in the natural world taught me about the diversity of life that could be found in any microcosm. I felt attuned with the cycles of life, my favorite being the spring.  During these budding months, I could watch the egg sacks of praying mantises as they opened, or collect robin-blue eggshells that had fallen from the nests. This was where I felt a strong connection to the natural cycles of creation. This connection has inspired awe in me that I feel strongly to this day. It is a feeling deep within me that has inspired my passions and pursuits as an environmentalist.

As I grew older, I discovered that this reverence for life was not shared by all of humanity. Rather than respecting the natural world as a community of life, the environment has been valued in terms of the resources that could be exploited. Industrialization has turned life into an industry, and systematically destroys the essential diversity that provides richness to the human experience. Our self-inflicted ecological crisis has reached such a point that we no longer endanger isolated bioregions. So many toxins have been spewed into the atmosphere as a result of our industrial greed that the climate of our planet is changing at an alarming rate. Climate change threatens all life forms by altering fundamental natural cycles, giving little time for evolutionary responses.

These detrimental impacts are visible today as polar bears lose their habitat of sea ice, the sex of sea turtle eggs is skewed, whales have less krill to feed on, and coral reefs are bleached, to cite just a few examples. Climate change also has a detrimental impact on cultures and humanity’s well-being as more people are becoming environmental refugees.  Little is being done to curb this crisis, and, within our lifetime, the ecological functioning of planet earth will be forever altered.

I believe that my connection to all life forms prevents me from sitting back and watching this catastrophe. I believe that we should understand our place in our regional ecosystems and communities, as well as pledge our allegiance to the earth as a whole. I believe that all creatures, whether they are found in my backyard or halfway around the globe, should not suffer as a result of human greed. The reality of climate change is here and now; it is the environmental battle of our generation and generations to come. In honor of all life, I am dedicating myself to preventing this worldwide ecological crisis.

Other FACES articles:

• Jake McGuire, Photographer - September 2006
• Maj. Rick Nealis, Race Director, Marine Corps Marathon - October 2006
  
• Morrill Worcester, President, Worcester Wreath Company - November 2006
  
• Sona Virdi, Founder and CEO of Radio Clarendon - December 2006
• Paul Ferguson, Arlington County Board Chairman - January 2007
• Megan Shoup, Arlington Athletic & Social League - February 2007
• Bobby & Tiffany Lee, Mr Days - March 2007
• Chris Farley, Pacers Running Stores - April 2007
• Jacob Hemphill, Musician - May 2007