Irene Tovar

NAME: Irene Tovar

AGE: 59

HOME: Mission Hills

PROFESSION: Executive director of the Latin American Civic Assn., based in San Fernando

LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: When she took over LACA in 1993, the county Department of Education found the agency had violated federal spending guidelines and threatened to take over the embattled Head Start program that serves 1,400 children. Earlier this month, LACA finished paying off $100,000 in debt that would have closed the agency. “It’s a Christmas gift to the children of the Valley,” she said. Tovar also recently has taken an active role on a committee formed to study the effect Valley secession would have on Latinos.

GOALS FOR 1999: Developing a literacy and computer-training program for the low-income immigrant parents of LACA’s Head Start children. In addition, focusing on finding jobs for unemployed parents. Tovar also hopes to purchase a building in the Valley that would be converted to affordable housing. If successful, the new project would be LACA’s third housing development.