Oralia Garza de Cortés
Ms. Oralia Garza de Cortés is a Latino children’s literature specialist. She serves as a member of the Executive Board of REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Literacy Services to the Spanish Speaking. She became the first Latina to be appointed to the prestigious Caldecott Committee for the year 2000. Oralia co-founded the Pura Belpré Award and also serves on the Américas Award Committee. Oralia has served on both the Regional and National Committees of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award for 1995 to the present.

Manuel Martín-Rodríguez
Dr. Manuel Martín-Rodríguez is a Professor of Literature and founding faculty at the University of California-Merced. His books include, Rolando Hinojosa y su cronicón chicano: Una novella del lector (1993), La Voz Urgente: Antología de literatura chicana en español (1995, and 1999), Life in Search of Readers: Reading in Chicano/a Literature (2003), and Otra Historia de la Literatura Chicana (2007). He has also published articles in the Cambridge History of Latin American Literature and has over 30 other Publications and journal articles. He serves on the editorial boards for The Bilingual Review/La Revista Bilingüe, Ventana Abierta, and Silva: Estudios de Humanismo y Tradición Clásica. He has served on the National Committee of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award from 1999 to the present.

Josué Cruz
Dr. Josué Cruz recently served Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Bowling Green University in Ohio. He served as Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of South Florida. He has held administrative and tenured faculty positions at the University of Virginia and Ohio State University. Dr. Cruz serves on the executive board for NCATE and is member of Ohio Solutions Group for School Readiness. He is also a reviewer for the Journal of Research in Children’s Education. Presently, he is the President and CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition. He has served on the National Committee of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award since its inception in 1995.

Mary-Agnes Taylor
Mrs. Mary-Agnes Taylor is a Professor Emerita of English and Distinguished Alumna of Texas State University. She was among the scholars who pioneered the establishment of the Children’s Literature Association and has been a regular speaker at their annual international meeting. After retiring, she began writing poetry and is now a published poet. Mrs. Mary-Agnes Taylor served on the National Committee of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award from 1995 until 2008.

Rolando Hinojosa-Smith
Dr. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, a native of the Rio Grande Valley, is a professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the holder of the Ellen Clayton Garwood Endowed Chair for Creative Writing. He has held faculty and administrative positions and has an outstanding publication record. Dr. Hinojosa-Smith has served on the National Committee of the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award since its inception in 1995. Dear Rafe/Mi Querido Rafa is his most recent publication.

Patricia Enciso
Dr. Patricia Enciso is an Associate Professor of Education and Coordinator of Latino Studies at Ohio State University. She serves as the Chair of Trustees of the Research Foundation for the National Council of Teachers of English. Patricia was recently awarded the co-editorship of Language Arts, the premier journal of literacy education for elementary and middle level teachers and scholars. She developed the first course in the College of Education in Ohio State University that is exclusively focused on the study of Latinos in education called “Ethnic Studies in Education: Latino Youth and Community Perspectives.” Dr. Patricia Enciso has recently been invited to serve on the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award as of 2008.