María "Concha" Concepción Ortiz y Pino de Kleven became in 1941 the first female majority whip of a state legislature in the United States. She championed legislation for women's rights, the disabled, and bilingual education. Earlier, she founded the first state vocational school in Galisteo and taught traditional Hispanic arts, woodworking, and weaving. Five U.S. presidents appointed her to boards, including for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Institutes of Health, and altogether she served on 60 national and local committees. A humanitarian, rancher, and advocate for preserving Spanish culture, she was honored by Vista Magazine as "Latina of the Century" in 1999.