Pedro A. Cortés was nominated as Secretary of the Commonwealth by Governor Edward G. Rendell on April 2, 2003 and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on May 13, 2003, making him the first confirmed Latino Cabinet member in Pennsylvania history. The Secretary of the Commonwealth administers the Department of State. The Department protects the public's health, safety and welfare by licensing more than one million business, health and real estate professionals; maintaining registration and financial information for thousands of charities soliciting contributions from Pennsylvanians; overseeing Pennsylvania's electoral process; maintaining corporate filings; and sanctioning professional boxing, kick-boxing and wrestling in the Commonwealth. By statute, the Secretary is a member of the Board of Property, the Board of Finance and Revenue, the Pennsylvania Municipal Retirement Board, the State Athletic Commission and the Navigation Commission for the Delaware River and its Navigable Tributaries. The Secretary is the keeper of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth and has the duty of authenticating government documents through the seal's use. Secretary Cortés is also the Commonwealth's Chief Election Official. Previously, Secretary Cortés was the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. As Executive Director, he made recommendations to the Governor and the administration on policies, procedures and legislation that enhanced the status of the Latino community in Pennsylvania. As the Governor's liaison to the Latino community, he ensured that state government was accessible, accountable and responsive to the needs of Latinos and that strategies and programs were developed to enhance the community's social and economic status. Secretary Cortés has also served with the PA State Civil Service Commission and the PA Department of Public Welfare. For years, he has also been active with many community and government related organizations, including the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). He currently serves as NASS President-Elect. In July 2008 he will become the association's President, making him the first Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth to serve in that role in the organization's 104-year history. Secretary Cortés has been the recipient of numerous awards, including: Hispanic Business Magazine's 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States; the National Notary Association’s 50 Most Influential People in Notarization in the Last 50 Years and March Fong Eu Achievement Award; Multicultural Affairs Congress' Delaware Valley's Most Influential Latino; American Lawyer Media Lawyer on the Fast Track; Central Penn Business Journal's top Forty Under 40 business leaders in Central Pennsylvania; and The Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow, the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. In June 2004, Secretary Cortés was one of 40 state leaders from across the country selected to participate in the renowned Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by The Council of State Governments. His peers elected him 2004 Class Representative. Secretary Cortés earned his Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts, a Master in Public Administration from Penn State University and a Law Degree from Penn State Dickinson School of Law. He also holds a certificate in Public Sector Human Resources Management from Penn State University. A native of Puerto Rico, Secretary Cortés has lived in Harrisburg since 1990. He is married to Lissette Lizardi-Cortés and they have a daughter, Gabriela.