Beatriz Zavala

María Beatriz Zavala Peniche ( born October 23, 1957 in Mérida ) is a Mexican politician and member of the Partido Acción Nacional ( PAN). She is since 2006 Senator of the state of Yucatán and since December 1, 2006 Secretary of the Secretaría de Desarrollo Social ( SEDESOL; German: Secretariat of Social Development ) of the government of President Calderón.

Training

She studied at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán ( UADY ), is a graduate Bachelor of Social Anthropology and completed a master's degree in sociology at the University of Kentucky (UK). At the UADY she also worked as a professor.

Political offices

Zavala is since 1995 active member of the PAN, from 1997 to 2000 ( 57th legislature ) President of the Commission for Social Development of the Chamber of Deputies, 2001-2003 local deputy in the Congress of Yucatán from 2003 to 2006 ( 59th legislature ) again federal deputies.

In 2006 she was elected for the Mexican Senate as a representative of Yucatán, before she got in December of the same year the post of Secretary ( the government) for social development in the Office of the President.