Speaker: Mark
Job title: United States Representative
Company: 

About the spreaker
Former Secondary Teacher in Langauge Arts and Social Studies, Mark Takano was first elected to the United States House of Representives in 2012 and has been reelected six times consecutively. His 2012 win was hailed as the first time an openly gay person of color was elected to the House. He previously served twenty-two years on the Riverside Community College Board of Trustees.   He is currently ranking Democratic Member for the Committee on Veterans Affairs and served as its chair 2017-2023.  He is also a senior member of the Education and Workforce Committee. He has been Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus since 2025, successfully leading the opposition to numerous anti-LGBTQ bills.  He is also lead sponsor of the Equality Act, a comprehensive LGBTQI+ Civil Rights bill.