HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2026-4697
HR 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
WHEREAS, Dr. Bernal Baca was always proud of his heritage. He was born and raised in Trinidad, Colorado to a pioneer family that founded the city, which was part of Mexico prior to 1846. His father was the first Latino Mayor protempore for the city of Trinidad; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Baca attended the University of Colorado Boulder, Washington State University, and Seattle University; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Baca was a life-long teacher, organizer, and community builder who was well respected in the state for his tireless work on justice, education, and labor issues; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Baca was instrumental in the establishment of the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs. He was a leader in the formation of the Commission in the early 1970s and was appointed to the Commission by Governor Jay Inslee in August of 2020, serving two one-year terms as the Chair, two terms as Vice Chair, and almost two terms on the executive committee; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Baca dedicated himself to education, spending 30 years as a professor at Yakima Valley College, and serving as the President of the American Federation of Teachers – Yakima; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Baca also served as the Government Relations Specialist of the American Federation of Teachers – Washington for ten years, from which he retired; and
WHEREAS, Following retirement from his first and second careers, Dr. Baca embarked on a third career serving as Executive Director of a Tacoma-based nonprofit that provides social, cultural, and educational services to the greater Pierce County Latino community; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Baca was generous with his time and talents, serving on two nonprofits centered around equity; as a trustee of the Tacoma Art Museum; board member of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce; board member of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and through volunteering on the Washington State Board of Education under Governor Christine Gregoire and as President of the Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development; and
WHEREAS, Most importantly, all who knew him knew that Dr. Baca was first and foremost a Denver Broncos fan and was a proud season ticket holder since 1970;