Manuel Montalvo
Secretary
Manuel Montalvo was born on July 19th 1974 at
St. Catherine’s Hospital in East Chicago, IN. He grew up in a single
parent home headed by Lydia Marie Montalvo whose Father Eleuterio
Montalvo hailed from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and Mother Theresa Marino
who was from Sicily, Italy. Ms. Montalvo soon married Juan Avila
who was from Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Manuel attended Benjamin Franklin Elementary, a
culturally diverse Elementary School on the City’s Harbor Side.
He then attended Joseph L. Block Junior High before attending St.
Lawrence Seminary School in Mt. Calvary, WI. Montalvo had excelled
academically since elementary and really began to distinguish himself
in High School. He was elected class president at the Seminary School.
Mr. Montalvo’s desire to become a priest soon subsided and Manuel
finished High School at Central High in East Chicago graduating
in 1993. Immediately after High School, Manuel attended Indiana
University at Bloomington. He immediately declared Political Science
as a Major and excelled academically adding Spanish as a Second
Major. At the University, Manuel participated in Latinos Unidos
of Indiana University and College Democrats. Mr. Montalvo also actively
supported the successful Mayoral bid of John Fernandez. Mr. Montalvo
graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. Double Major from
the College of Arts and Sciences in May 1998.
After college, Manny was hired by Xerox, SBC, MCI, and then AT&T. Although fascinated
by the technology Mr. Montalvo’s interests stilled lied in Politics.
In 2002 while at SBC Mr. Montalvo formed a P.A.C. and supported
then Councilman George Pabey in his Mayoral bid against eight time
incumbent Robert A. Pastrick. Montalvo was asked to join Pabey’s
Committee and then eventually held the title of Campaign Manager.
After an election marred by fraud, a supreme court hearing and finally
an unprecedented second Primary, George Pabey made history and was
elected first Latino Mayor of East Chicago, IN. Mr. Montalvo ran
unsuccessfully for Councilman in 2004 but was appointed by the Lake
County Council that same year to the East Chicago Library Board
of Trustees. In 2005, Manny was appointed by Mayor George Pabey
to be the City of East Chicago’s Information Technology Director.
In January 2006, Mr. Montalvo became President of the Library Board
and eventually became Interim Director of the East Chicago Public
Library in November of that same year. He was made Director after
receiving his State Librarian Certification in 2008. Manny was also
a Delegate to the Indiana Democratic Convention of 2008. Mr. Montalvo
was elected Secretary of the Lake County Democratic Party in March
of 2009 and was appointed to the Executive Board, by Mayor Thomas
McDermott , of the Lake County Democratic Board of Governors in
May of 2009. Mr. Montalvo has received numerous community service
awards and is married to Estela Montalvo and has two children Abigail
and Manny Jr.
