Gilbert V. Meza

Award-winning public affairs specialist and Phoenix native Gil Meza died on Friday, April 30, 2010. He was 63 years old.

Over his lifetime, Meza carved out a career in journalism that crisscrossed the breadth of this country, from California to Washington, D.C., and back to his beloved Arizona.

His travels took him from South Phoenix to the White House, working and meeting with national, state and local policy makers, community-based organizations, elected and appointed housing and health officials, and cabinet secretaries and commissioners.

Meza is preceded in death by his parents, Hilario and Elvira Meza, and a brother, Richard. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Olivia; two sons, Daniel of Waterbury, CT and Jonathan of Gilbert, and a grandchild, Tegan Nicole of Vacaville, CA. Gil is also survived by a brother, Larry (Esther) of Phoenix, and a sister, Hortencia Chavez of Phoenix, several nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and extended family.

Gil was also active with state and national advocacy volunteer organizations that sought parity in government hiring and employment for Latinos. He served on the national staff of National Image Inc., vice-president of Image de California, and the League of United Latin American Citizens in Yuma.

Born Gilbert Valenzuela Meza on December 11, 1946, he attended four Phoenix-area public elementary schools – Washington, Booker T. Washington and Wilson – before graduating from Sierra Vista Elementary School and South Mountain High School. He attended Phoenix College and Northern Arizona University; where he earned an undergraduate degree in journalism. He earned a master’s degree in secondary education from Pepperdine University in 1974. He was the first member of his family to graduate from college.

Gil’s decision to pursue journalism studies was greatly influenced by his high school experience on the student newspaper, yearbook, and photography. That interest let to his tenure as managing editor of the student newspaper at Phoenix College, photo editor of the student newspaper, magazine and yearbook at NAU, photo lab technician and photographer for the university public information office.

In the late 1960’s, Gil was one of 18 charter members of Sigma Delta Chi, the journalism society at NAU.

He began his professional journalism career at The Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff as a staff photographer and darkroom technician while completing his university studies. Meza also tried his hand at radio news briefly at KAFF in Flagstaff.

In 1969, Meza accepted the director of public information position at Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado. There he also taught news writing and photography, and served as faculty adviser to the student newspaper and yearbook.

He returned to Arizona accepting a teaching position in journalism at Arizona Western College in Yuma. Meza grew the program to more than 100 students, expanded the curriculum, established scholarships, and advised student publications that garnered top awards for excellence in national and regional competition for writing, typography and photography. He worked summers as a general assignment reporter and editorial page editor for The Yuma Daily Sun.

Meza joined Honeywell Information Systems in Phoenix in 1974 as editor of communication programs, editing the weekly employee newspaper and in-house publications. He also assisted with benchmarks for corporate clients seeking to procure Honeywell computer systems during the early years of information technology.

In 1975, Meza married Olivia Villarreal, of Yuma, Arizona in Phoenix. At the time of his death, they had been married 34 years.

Meza joined the federal government in 1976, serving more than 33 years as public affairs specialist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). His federal career and service spanned three states – Arizona, Washington D.C., and California.

He became public affairs specialist for HUD in Los Angeles, representing the federal agency before media, community-based organizations and interest groups in Southern California and Arizona.

In 1980, he reached one of his many dreams of working in Washington, D.C., when he was appointed special assistant to an Assistant Secretary at HUD. Working with city and county managers and state housing directors from across the country, Meza coordinated senior-level meetings and conferences at the White House on national housing policy.

He subsequently joined HUD’s public affairs office in Washington as a senior public affairs specialist. Meza served as the agency’s media specialist on fair housing and related issues such as FHA mortgage financing, public housing, tenant relations and housing authorities.

He returned to Arizona in 1987 transferring to HUD in Phoenix. Meza oversaw a multimillion dollar portfolio of federal housing monies and grants for the state’s public housing authorities. He worked with public housing tenants, and met with housing officials throughout Arizona.

In 1991, he returned to his first love – public affairs- with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, managing FDA activities and outreach in Arizona. He also served as media spokesperson, appearing on television, conducting radio and newspaper interviews, and speaking before health professionals, academic and educational institutions, and consumer and industry groups. He was also a member of a federal working group on health fraud with government officials from Mexico and Canada.

In the early to mid 1990’s, Gil also served on the adjunct faculty at Phoenix College where he taught news writing to evening and summer students. He also consulted on media, design and development of publications for school districts, and resume development.

His many achievements included several national awards in recognition of his work with the diverse publics served by FDA, planning and organizing health conferences and fairs, national health campaigns on women’s health, community outreach to seniors, women and low-income families.

A visitation for family and friends will be on Friday, at 10AM on May 7, 2010, followed by the funeral at East Resthaven Park Mortuary Chapel. Interment will follow at East Resthaven Park Cemetery, Garden of Peace, 4310 E. Southern Avenue in Phoenix