NILC Welcomes Noel Candelaria to Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2025 

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Adrian Escárate, 202-609-9976
Emily Morris, 213-457-7458   

NILC Welcomes Noel Candelaria to Board of Directors

WASHINGTON — The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) today announced the addition of Noel Candelaria, secretary-treasurer of the National Education Association, to the NILC board of directors. 

“Noel Candelaria’s professional and lived experiences make him an invaluable asset to the NILC Board,” said Kica Matos, NILC president. “Particularly as our Education for All campaign works to defend the right of all kids to go to school regardless of their immigration status, Noel’s insights from the field are crucial. We look forward to the leadership and expertise he will bring as we continue to fight for the rights and futures of immigrant communities across the nation.” 

“I am honored to join the board of the National Immigration Law Center,” said Noel Candelaria. “As the son of Mexican immigrants whose parents instilled within me the profound power of a public education, I believe NILC’s work to protect access to public school for all children regardless of immigration status is one of the key fights of our time. I look forward to working with the board and the incredible staff at NILC to defend and advance the rights and opportunities of low-income immigrants and their families.”  

Noel Candelaria is the former president of the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA). He also previously served three years as TSTA vice president. Before that, he was president of the Ysleta Teachers Association (YTA) in El Paso, Texas, where he worked in the Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) as a special education teacher teaching subjects including Algebra and World History.   

Candelaria has also held leadership positions at the National Council of State Education Associations, NEA Member Benefits and the National Teacher Hall of Fame (NTHF).  

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