"Just call him Señor Presidente: Latino Activist Joel Arredondo heads both Lorain City Council and Mexican Mutual Society"
Title
"Just call him Señor Presidente: Latino Activist Joel Arredondo heads both Lorain City Council and Mexican Mutual Society"
Creator
Alam Abrams
Source
La Prensa
Date
February 8, 2008
Format
pdf
Language
English
Type
newletter article
Text
LORAIN: Although he has never held elected office, Joel Arredondo, an activist who has long served the needs of Lorain's Latino community and community-at-large, was named president of that city's council on January 31, 2008. He joins Latino Dennis Flores on Council.
And just a few weeks earlier on January 12, Arredondo was also sworn in as president of Lorain's venerable Mexican Mutual Society. The organization, which Arredondo's father and grandfather both helped organize in 1928, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
The Mexican community in Lorain shares a similar history with that of Toledo. The founding familias emigrated from México after the Revolution and came to the industrial Midwest in search of jobs to support their families.
"My father, Apolinar Arredondo Orozco, was born in Salamanca, Guanajuato, México in 1906," recalls Arredondo. "He migrated to Lorain in 1927 and was employed for 44 years at the U.S. Steel Corp. plant in Lorain until he retired in 1971. He served as treasurer of the Mexican Mutual Society (MMS), which was founded as a beneficial society to help transition recent arrivals from México to the United States, and he served in that post for 45 years. At one time they had their own baseball team and they even brought in a band director from México."
Arredondo's mother, the former Eva Zaldivar, was born in Galva, Dlinois, near the Iowa border. Her parents had immigrated to Illinois from México in 1923. She moved to Lorain where her father taught her and four of her sisters to play musical instruments. They formed a small musical group that performed at churches and parties. Eva and Apolinar were married in 1942. "She was a homemaker, a musician and an interpreter," remembers her son.
Eva and Apolinar were the proud parents of four daughters and three sons. Because their parents knew and realized the importance of education, all seven have made significant educational and/or career accomplishments.
Their oldest, Regina, born in 1943, holds an associates degree from Lorain Business College.
Patricia Arredondo, born in 1945, is now in the provost's office of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Joel, born in 1947, earned his Bachelor's Degree in history and Spanish with a minor in business administration from Kent State University in 1971. He works in automobile sales for Sunnyside Toyota.
David, born in 1950, earned his Bachelor's Degree at Miami University of Ohio in 1973 and his Master's Degree at Universidad de México in 1975. For the last eight years, he has been Director of International Studies at Lorain County Community College.
Cynthia, born in 1953, earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in secondary education from Kent State University in 1975.
Monica Graham, born in 1957, is a real estate sales consultant for Smythe Cramer in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Their youngest child, Daniel Arredondo, born in 1963, earned his Bachelor's Degree at Bowling Green State University in 1986. He currently works in food sales in Woburn, Massachusetts.
Joel and his siblings have commemorated the memory of their parents through naming a food program in their honor at the Community Foundation Board of Lorain. Joel sits as a member of the board and is vice president of their Hispanic Fund.
Apolinar died in 2000 and Eva died in 2003.
MMS's annual Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
Because this will be the 80th anniversary of the Mexican Mutual Society, Arredondo expects this year's annual Cinco de Mayo parade and celebration to draw large crowds. Already an institution in Lorain, the parade will be held on May 3. Former Councilman David Flores is coordinating the event, says Arredondo.
When Arredondo was sworn in as MMS's president on January 12, 2008, he was joined by Nancy Kruman (Vice President), Rita García (Treasurer), Rubén López (Auditor), Bill Ortega (Bar Trustee), and Dolores Tenorio (Health & Wellness). The Honorable Judge Gustalo Nuñez administered the oaths at the Club.
The MMS hosts a variety of charitable events in addition to the Cinco de Mayo celebrations and serves-as does the Puerto Rican Home-as one of the Latino community sounding boards. Numerous social events include the upcoming "Oldies 50-60-70's baile on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.
Coalition of Hispanic Issues and Progress
Although the council presidency is the first political position Arredondo has held, he says "I have always been campaigning for people including Jim Smith's recent successful campaign for the Board of Education." Arredondo has a high profile role in the Coalition of Hispanic Issues and Progress (CHIP) and has served as president. The group holds their next annual meeting April 28-29, 2008, at the Lorain County Community College campus.
Arredondo has also enjoyed high visibility through his business ventures. After working in management for the old Burger Chef Restaurant chain and working for the city of Lorain as a loan officer, he and his brother David organized International Hot Dogs in 1980-81. They continued their food industry ventures by operating Los Panchos, a successful restaurant in Sheffield Lake from 1982 until Joel left the business in 1986.
Arredondo then chose another high-profile career as the senior salesman for the Spitzer Toyota franchise, from 1986 to 2002. When Spitzer relinquished his long-term business relationship with Toyota, Arredondo moved to Sunnyside in North Olmstead.
His appointment as City Council president was made by Lorain mayor Anthony Krasienko, who is married to a Latina. Arredondo says the mayor personally called him and urged him to accept the position.
Richard Romero, long-time Democratic Party activist and now a member of Krasienko's inner team as Deputy Service Director, praised Arredondo and his commitment to Lorain.
"I had the honor of nominating him for the Distinguished Spanish Ohioan Award through the governor's office, which he received. I am excited about him becoming council president. He has been a leader in the Latino community for a long time, especially as a leader on school issues. He has supported different programs to benefit kids in Lorain city schools. He is always at the forefront when it comes to issues of cultural and educational leadership.
"He is one of the best examples of a community leader that we have to offer. I am extremely proud of him and expect good things from his leadership," says Romero.
Arredondo and his wife Joyce were married in 1982. She is a compliance manager with the Lorain Metro Housing Authority and was formerly a city planner for Lorain.
Joel and Joyce have two children. Joel Andrew "Andy" Arredondo, 21, is in his third year at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in physical therapy. He is a graduate of Lorain South view High School, as is his sister, María Elysse Arredondo. She is 19 and in her second year at Bowling Green State University, majoring in Sports Management. She is a scholarship recipient in the under-represented students program. During the summer, she works at NASA in Brook Park, Ohio.
And just a few weeks earlier on January 12, Arredondo was also sworn in as president of Lorain's venerable Mexican Mutual Society. The organization, which Arredondo's father and grandfather both helped organize in 1928, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
The Mexican community in Lorain shares a similar history with that of Toledo. The founding familias emigrated from México after the Revolution and came to the industrial Midwest in search of jobs to support their families.
"My father, Apolinar Arredondo Orozco, was born in Salamanca, Guanajuato, México in 1906," recalls Arredondo. "He migrated to Lorain in 1927 and was employed for 44 years at the U.S. Steel Corp. plant in Lorain until he retired in 1971. He served as treasurer of the Mexican Mutual Society (MMS), which was founded as a beneficial society to help transition recent arrivals from México to the United States, and he served in that post for 45 years. At one time they had their own baseball team and they even brought in a band director from México."
Arredondo's mother, the former Eva Zaldivar, was born in Galva, Dlinois, near the Iowa border. Her parents had immigrated to Illinois from México in 1923. She moved to Lorain where her father taught her and four of her sisters to play musical instruments. They formed a small musical group that performed at churches and parties. Eva and Apolinar were married in 1942. "She was a homemaker, a musician and an interpreter," remembers her son.
Eva and Apolinar were the proud parents of four daughters and three sons. Because their parents knew and realized the importance of education, all seven have made significant educational and/or career accomplishments.
Their oldest, Regina, born in 1943, holds an associates degree from Lorain Business College.
Patricia Arredondo, born in 1945, is now in the provost's office of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Joel, born in 1947, earned his Bachelor's Degree in history and Spanish with a minor in business administration from Kent State University in 1971. He works in automobile sales for Sunnyside Toyota.
David, born in 1950, earned his Bachelor's Degree at Miami University of Ohio in 1973 and his Master's Degree at Universidad de México in 1975. For the last eight years, he has been Director of International Studies at Lorain County Community College.
Cynthia, born in 1953, earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in secondary education from Kent State University in 1975.
Monica Graham, born in 1957, is a real estate sales consultant for Smythe Cramer in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Their youngest child, Daniel Arredondo, born in 1963, earned his Bachelor's Degree at Bowling Green State University in 1986. He currently works in food sales in Woburn, Massachusetts.
Joel and his siblings have commemorated the memory of their parents through naming a food program in their honor at the Community Foundation Board of Lorain. Joel sits as a member of the board and is vice president of their Hispanic Fund.
Apolinar died in 2000 and Eva died in 2003.
MMS's annual Cinco de Mayo Celebrations
Because this will be the 80th anniversary of the Mexican Mutual Society, Arredondo expects this year's annual Cinco de Mayo parade and celebration to draw large crowds. Already an institution in Lorain, the parade will be held on May 3. Former Councilman David Flores is coordinating the event, says Arredondo.
When Arredondo was sworn in as MMS's president on January 12, 2008, he was joined by Nancy Kruman (Vice President), Rita García (Treasurer), Rubén López (Auditor), Bill Ortega (Bar Trustee), and Dolores Tenorio (Health & Wellness). The Honorable Judge Gustalo Nuñez administered the oaths at the Club.
The MMS hosts a variety of charitable events in addition to the Cinco de Mayo celebrations and serves-as does the Puerto Rican Home-as one of the Latino community sounding boards. Numerous social events include the upcoming "Oldies 50-60-70's baile on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.
Coalition of Hispanic Issues and Progress
Although the council presidency is the first political position Arredondo has held, he says "I have always been campaigning for people including Jim Smith's recent successful campaign for the Board of Education." Arredondo has a high profile role in the Coalition of Hispanic Issues and Progress (CHIP) and has served as president. The group holds their next annual meeting April 28-29, 2008, at the Lorain County Community College campus.
Arredondo has also enjoyed high visibility through his business ventures. After working in management for the old Burger Chef Restaurant chain and working for the city of Lorain as a loan officer, he and his brother David organized International Hot Dogs in 1980-81. They continued their food industry ventures by operating Los Panchos, a successful restaurant in Sheffield Lake from 1982 until Joel left the business in 1986.
Arredondo then chose another high-profile career as the senior salesman for the Spitzer Toyota franchise, from 1986 to 2002. When Spitzer relinquished his long-term business relationship with Toyota, Arredondo moved to Sunnyside in North Olmstead.
His appointment as City Council president was made by Lorain mayor Anthony Krasienko, who is married to a Latina. Arredondo says the mayor personally called him and urged him to accept the position.
Richard Romero, long-time Democratic Party activist and now a member of Krasienko's inner team as Deputy Service Director, praised Arredondo and his commitment to Lorain.
"I had the honor of nominating him for the Distinguished Spanish Ohioan Award through the governor's office, which he received. I am excited about him becoming council president. He has been a leader in the Latino community for a long time, especially as a leader on school issues. He has supported different programs to benefit kids in Lorain city schools. He is always at the forefront when it comes to issues of cultural and educational leadership.
"He is one of the best examples of a community leader that we have to offer. I am extremely proud of him and expect good things from his leadership," says Romero.
Arredondo and his wife Joyce were married in 1982. She is a compliance manager with the Lorain Metro Housing Authority and was formerly a city planner for Lorain.
Joel and Joyce have two children. Joel Andrew "Andy" Arredondo, 21, is in his third year at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in physical therapy. He is a graduate of Lorain South view High School, as is his sister, María Elysse Arredondo. She is 19 and in her second year at Bowling Green State University, majoring in Sports Management. She is a scholarship recipient in the under-represented students program. During the summer, she works at NASA in Brook Park, Ohio.
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Citation
Alam Abrams, “"Just call him Señor Presidente: Latino Activist Joel Arredondo heads both Lorain City Council and Mexican Mutual Society",” Latino Lorain , accessed October 28, 2026, https://latinolorain.oberlincollegelibrary.org/items/show/29.