Roger Garcia represents District 1 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Garcia was elected to his first term in 2021, becoming the seven-member board’s first-ever Latino commissioner. He’s up for reelection this year but is running unopposed.

Garcia was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Honduras and Mexico. He was raised in Columbus, Nebraska and moved to Omaha in 2005. He holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Latino/Latin American Studies, a master’s in public administration, a master’s in theological studies, a doctorate in ministry, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Administration.

In addition to his tenure as a county commissioner, Garcia co-founded the Metro Young Latino Professionals Association (MYLPA) and serves on the boards for the Women’s Center for Advancement and the Immigrant Legal Center.

In this episode, Garcia is in conversation with Michael Griffin are talking about what exactly a county commissioner does, how Garcia's family background influences his policy, and how to increase civic engagement among youth and immigrants.