State Rep. Dagmara Avelar was named to the leadership team of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus just a few weeks into her career as a state elected official.

Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, was tapped as the new secretary of the caucus made up of 15 Latino state legislators in the General Assembly.

In a statement, the caucus said, “The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism figure prominently in the Caucus’s Agenda developing policy solutions and advancing advocacy for equitable resource allocation that remedy disparities perpetuated by economic, education, health, housing, immigration, and justice systems that undermine the human potential and generational prosperity.”

Avelar was elected to the Illinois House last November. Her district includes parts of Bolingbrook, Lockport and Romeoville.