This month we are honored to be joined by Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.  Early in her career, Sheriff Valdez served in the United States Army, where she attained the rank of Captain. Her law enforcement career began as a jailer, first in a county jail and then a federal prison. She then moved on to investigative roles as an agent of the General Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and, finally, the U.S. Customs Service where she was a leader in the Federal Counter Smuggling Initiative. With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, she was made a Senior Agent, serving in that role until her retirement in 2004. In January 2004, Lupe Valdez retired to run for the office of Dallas County Sheriff, and triumphantly has served four consecutive terms.  As the first female, Latino, openly gay, and Democratic elected official, Sheriff Valdez has been a trail blazer in her field, shattering her share of glass ceilings.

Sheriff Valdez holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, and a Master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Click here to RSVP for the January Lunch.