Katherine Archuleta
Inductee Name
Katherine Archuleta
Place of Birth
Denver
Date of Birth
1947
Year Inducted
2020
Category
Politics, Government & Military Service
Sponsor
Metropolitan State University
Impact
Nation
Katherine Archuleta has had an extraordinary and influential career that has allowed her to guide policy at the state and national level on significant issues that impact all Americans and has changed the landscape for what is possible for women. Her core values have led her to provide women, especially women of color, with opportunities we might not have imagined for ourselves. She is an exceptional role model for what it takes to be successful in the public and private sectors, with an unwavering commitment to justice and equality.
In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Archuleta to be the first Latina to lead the U.S. Office of Personnel Management with a budget of approximately $250 million. In this role, she had the enormous job of managing human resources for the federal government’s 2 million employees.
Archuleta also served as Chief of Staff for two U.S. Cabinet members, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena. In one of the most important and influential roles in government, she was responsible for providing direct policy, program, and managerial support and served as the designated liaison between the Secretary, the White House, and other Federal departments and agencies.