WASHINGTON, D.C., November 8, 1999—Acting Peace Corps Director Charles Baquet III released the following statement today regarding the death yesterday of Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr., a former Peace Corps volunteer who served in Guatemala from 1966-68. "The entire Peace Corps family mourns the loss of Joe Serna, who was a profile in courage. Through his deep commitment to public service, fostered as a young man in the Peace Corps and as a leader of the United Farm Workers, he became an inspiration for the Hispanic community, and indeed for all Americans. "Joe went into the Peace Corps as a community development volunteer in Guatemala. He said he did not go there to find his cultural roots, but that his work there reinforced his political future because he saw people who walked for a day across the mountains just for the right to vote. He believed he could be a catalyst for change, and he was, both in Guatemala and in Sacramento.
"We will miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."