Guiding Through Community

When Ruben Barrales was elected to the Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County, California, in 1992 with barely over 50 percent of the votes, he was jokingly dubbed Landslide Barrales. However, there was no diminishing the importance of this victory for Latinos and for himself.

The son of Mexican immigrants, he became the first Latino to be elected to the county board of supervisors in San Mateo County. This election and the one in 1996, which he really won in a landslide, enabled Barrales to influence criminal justice and education reform measures key to Latinos and other minority constituents. Politics was only one element in a career that took Barrales from working with his father on the roofs of San Mateo, to an office in the White House and, more recently, to a crucial role at one of the nation's largest financial institutions.

Last January, Barrales became a member of Wells Fargo's new Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion (DSRI) group, as part of the external engagement team.

Barrales' devotion to enabling Latinos to achieve equity and inclusion as well as an appreciation of his culture largely stems from his upbringing in a world, he said, to which he was not accustomed. "Inside the house it was all about family, about hard work and a real appreciation for the opportunities this country provides for anyone who is willing to work hard.”

Growing up, he lived in a neighborhood where few Latinos resided and many of his peers came from college-educated professional families. Barrales' parents had migrated to northern California with no formal education. His father, who he said is the hardest working person he knows, taught himself to read in Spanish, then in English. He also went from being a laborer to starting his own home-based roofing company. Barrales' mother cleaned houses and worked in factories. "She never left the home we grew up in," he said, and now her neighborhood is mostly Latino.

Barrales attended the same Catholic high school that turned out sports standouts such as Tom Brady and Barry Bonds and was guided by a college counselor who influenced him to apply for a program for minority students at the University of California at Riverside. After being admitted, Barrales majored in political science and administrative studies. The latter was the university's answer for a business degree and merged governmental, political and business components.

After graduation, it was back to roofing. "I think I hold the distinction as being the best educated roofer in all of California," Barrales joked. "I learned how to run a business and to be an entrepreneur," he added.

Barrales also began to volunteer. "I realized I enjoyed being involved in nonprofit organizations and being active with my local government." Thus, he entered the political arena and became the only Latino, so far, elected to the San Mateo board of supervisors. In 1998, while still active politically, he became the chief executive of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a regional organization of government, education and high-tech executives.

Barrales had no plans to leave his hometown of Redwood City, but in 2000 he was recruited to join the White House as deputy assistant to President George W. Bush, and as director of intergovernmental affairs. His job entailed working with local and state officials around the country. "I was working with the elected leaders who were responsible for improving conditions in our communities," he said. He and his

wife planned to leave California for only two years, but he found his work so “compelling “ that it was six years later before they returned to the West Coast. Barrales became president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In January 2019, Barrales joined Wells Fargo, returning to Washington, DC, as a senior vice president at a time when the bank wanted to buff up its image and brand. "All these experiences helped me to prepare for the work I am doing now," Barrales said, “which is to help identify and support talented Latinos and who are making a difference in our communities.”

Barrales praises Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf, DSRI group head Kleber Santos and other new leaders for their attention and commitment to diversity. Although Barrales' focus is external, he said, the diversity process all starts internally. "Our primary audience for demonstrating our credibility is our employees," he said. He recognizes the bank needs to understand and connect with what employees think, and the activities, groups and causes they value. Looking ahead, Barrales said, "you see the growth of the Latino community and there is no denying that we need to do more in terms of our employees, our customers, our suppliers and the communities we serve."

On a personal level, Barrales said, "There is so much diversity within the Latino community in this country and I like to think of myself as part of that diversity."

He added, "I am always trying to bring Latinos together to see what we can do to help each other as much as possible and to help develop talent in our community."