Florida's Hispanic Leaders

Sonia Sotomayor

She is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace retired Justice David Souter . Her nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 6, 2009, by a vote of 68-31, and she was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on August 8. Sotomayor is the Court's 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice.

Sotomayor is of Puerto Rican descent and was born in the Bronx. She played an active role on the boards of directors for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board. Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, and her nomination was confirmed in 1992.

Jorge Labarga

Jorge Labarga is a Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, taking office on January 6, 2009. He was a Judge for the 15th Circuit Court in Palm Beach County, Florida from 1996 until 2009. He is notable as the judge who refused a new vote during the 2000 U.S. Presidential election on the grounds that the Constitution stated that an election must be held everywhere in the United States on the same day, not just in one area. He is the second Cuban-American ever appointed to the Florida Supreme Court and the only Hispanic currently serving.

Marco Rubio

In 1971, Marco was born in Miami to Cuban-born parents who came to America following Fidel Castro's takeover.

From 2000-2008, Rubio served in the Florida House of Representatives. During this period, he served as Majority Whip, Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, effectively promoting an agenda of lower taxes, better schools, a leaner and more efficient government and free market empowerment. Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, have been married since 1998. They are the parents of four children.

Senator Rubio currently serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Armando Codina

A Cuban-American self-made millionaire, Codina's first venture was the creation of Professional Automated Services, Inc. (P.A.S.), a firm created in 1970 to provide data processing services to physicians. As a result of the firm's success, Codina is recognized as a pioneer in the development of comprehensive medical management systems, including processing, accounts receivable, management reporting and multiple financial services. In 2006, Codina Group and Flagler Development merged into one company, thus establishing one of the most respected real estate investment, development, construction, brokerage and property management firm corporations in Florida.

Ninoska Pérez Castellón

Ninoska Pérez Castellón (1950-) is a prominent member of the Cuban exile community in Miami, and outspoken opponent of Fidel and Raul Castro. In relation to this mission of hers, she was one of the founding members of the Cuban Liberty Council with her husband Roberto Martin Perez.

She is a notable Spanish radio talk show host and political commentator on Radio Mambi and Radio Martí. She is also an occasional columnist for the Miami Herald.

Emilio & Gloria Estefan

She was born Gloria Fajardo, in Havana, Cuba and fled as a toddler with her family when Communist dictator Fidel Castro rose to power.

In 1975 Gloria met keyboardist Emilio Estefan, a sales manager for the rum dealer Bacardi who also led a band called the Miami Latin Boys. Born in Havana, Cuba. Estefan moved to the U.S. as a teenager. He started his musical career playing in restaurants and for weddings and other events. Developing Estefan Enterprises into an entertainment empire that incorporates music, television, and film production, restaurants and hotels, most recently, the Costa d'Este resort in Vero Beach, Florida, they give new meaning to the word, multitaskers.

Emilio Azcárraga Jean

The son of Mexican media mogul Emilio Azcárraga Milmo and French citizen Nadine Jean, Azcárraga Jean leads Grupo Televisa, currently Mexico's leading broadcaster. Jean took the reins of Grupo Televisa, now Mexico's leading broadcaster, after his father passed away in 1997. He is one of Latin America's richest business persons with a fortune estimated at 1.6 billion dollars according to Forbes.

A Board Member of Teléfonos de Mexico, Univision and Banamex and Jean owns almost 15% of the company's outstanding shares.

Ernesto de la Fé

Originally from Cuba, Ernesto de la Fé is a results oriented leader and business builder with a strong track record of achievement. He has over twenty years of experience in global financial markets with an extensive background in wealth management, private banking, and mid-tier institutional sales. He is active in community and professional organizations including serving as Chairman of the Miami-Dade Public Health Trust, and on the boards of the Florida International Bankers Association, the New America Alliance Institute, Baypoint Schools (for at risk boys) , Belen Jesuit Prep School and the Cuba Study Group.

Jorge Ramos

Born in Mexico in 1958, Ramos is the eldest of five children. He graduated with a degree in Communications from Universidad Iberoamericana de México and later received his M.A. from the University of Miami. He immigrated to California in 1983, and just one year later began broadcasting for the network that would become Univision, where he serves as the main news anchor today. His newscast is seen by over one million viewers in the United States and in 13 Latin American countries. He is also a writer as well as a highly regarded radio commentator

Manuel Díaz

Diaz immigrated to the United States with his mother, Elisa, in 1961 and grew up in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. First elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005, Diaz is now recognized as one of America's most innovative mayors, chosen to lead the United States Conference of Mayors as its president beginning in the summer of 2008.

Melquíades 'Mel' Martínez

Martinez arrived in the U.S. at 15 as part of the humanitarian mission, Operation Peter Pan. Having come from Cuba without his family, Martinez lived in youth facilities and foster homes until 1966, when he and his family were reunited. A successful trial attorney, Martinez served as the 12th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George W. Bush. At the urging of the president, he sought the open U.S. Senate seat in Florida. He won and was sworn in as Florida's 33rd U.S. Senator in January 2005. The first Cuban-American to serve in the U.S.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

She was born in Cuba in July 15,1952, she is a Republican United States Representative for Florida's 18th congressional district having held that office since 1989. She is currently the most senior Republican woman in the United States Congress. Ros-Lehtinen is the Ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for the 110th Congress. Prior to entering political life, Ros-Lehtinen was an educator and the owner/operator of a private school in Miami-Dade County. Upon her election to succeed the late Congressman Claude Pepper, she became the first Cuban American congresswoman elected to the United States Congress.

Lincoln Rafael Diaz-Balart

Lincoln Rafael Diaz-Balart (born Lincoln Rafael Diaz-Balart y Caballero on August 13, 1954), an Cuban-American politician, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, the Florida Senate, and since 1993 has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 21st congressional district.

Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart

Mario Rafael Diaz-Balart (born September 25, 1961) is an American politician. Since 2003 he has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 25th congressional district. The district includes large portions of western Miami-Dade County and most of Collier and Monroe counties.

David Rivera

Rivera's legislative career began in 2002 when he was elected to represent District 112 in the Florida House of Representatives. He was subsequently re-elected three times. During the 2010 legislative session, Rivera served as the Chairman of the House Full Appropriations Committee that oversees the state of Florida's budget in areas such as education, transportation, housing and economic development. As a State Representative he worked to balance Florida's budget eight times. He also served as the Chairman of the Rules Committee during his tenure in the Florida House. Rivera has been appointed to serve on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Carlos Alvarez

Carlos Alvarez, Alvarez was born in Cuba, and was eight years old when his family came to the United States. He was elected Mayor of Miami-Dade County in November of 2004. Prior to his election as Mayor, Alvarez was director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, having served the community in various capacities for more than 27 years, beginning in 1976.

Helen Aguirre Ferré

Helen Aguirre Ferré is an award-winning, bilingual journalist in both print and broadcast media. With over two decades of reporting, she is the Opinion Page Editor of Diario Las Américas, an independent, family-owned Spanish-language newspaper founded in Miami in 1953. Her commentary also extends to a Sunday column in Diario Las Américas, covering current, national and international affairs. She provides regular political analysis on WQBA 1140 AM highest-rated afternoon program "Prohibido Callarse."

Committed to community service, particularly in education, she is the first woman to chair the Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College, the largest community college in the country, and serves on the board of directors of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) in the United States and the Council of Board Chairs of the AGB.

Jaime Tamayo

Mr. Tamayo has worked for the MAPFRE Group in Spain and America since 1993, holding several executive positions such as Underwriting Manager for the Auto & Casualty Division and Claims Manager & Vice President for the MAPFRE Puerto Rico Group of companies as well as Chairman, President & CEO of MAPFRE's primary insurance operations in the US in Miami, Florida. Mr. Tamayo served as Chairman of the Board of the MAPFRE Puerto Rico Group of companies from 2004 until November 2008. In 2008 after the acquisition by MAPFRE of The COMMERCE Group in Massachusetts, Mr. Tamayo became its President and Chief Operating Officer becoming Chief Executive Officer of MAPFRE USA in 2010.

Remedios Díaz Oliver

The President of All American Containers, Díaz-Oliver oversees a major global supplier of containers and caps. The Cuban native graduated from Havana Business University and Havana College but eventually left the island with an infant daughter to pursue freedom in the U.S. She got a job with American International Container and later became the company's president. She resigned from AIC in 1991 to found her own supplier, All American Containers. Her client list includes Coca-Cola, McCormick, Schering, and PepsiCo, however more than 50% of the company's revenues come from abroad, largely South America and the Caribbean.

Fernando Perez-Hickman Munoz

Fernando Perez-Hickman Munoz was born in Valladolid, Spain in 1967. In February 1991 he joined McKinsey & Company as a consultant where he remained until September 1992. In June 1998 he joined Banco Central Hispano as Director of International Private Banking and Chief Executive Officer of BCH USA, located in New York. In 2002 he became Managing Director of International Banking for the Santander Private Banking division. In June 2007 he joined Banco Sabadell as Managing Director of the Americas. He is the Deputy General Manager and also serves on the Management Committee for Banco Sabadell S.A. Fernando is Chairman of the Board for Sabadell United Bank (formerly known as Mellon United National Bank).

Emilio C. Sánchez
Spain Florida Foundation, President

Emilio C. Sánchez is the president of the Spain-Florida 500 Years Foundation, a private, non-profit organization whose sponsors include leading companies such as Banco Santander, Telefónica, Univision, MAPFRE, Iberia and others. Mr. Sánchez is also the President and CEO of the new internet site VoXXI that will be launching in October targeting the Bicultural and Bilingual Hispanic population of the United States. Mr. Sánchez's career in the United States spans 20 years, including stints in Washington and Miami. As managing director of Efe's News Services and leader of a team of more than 300 professionals in 25 offices across the Americas, he has gained extensive media experience in the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets.

Marcelo R. Caputo
Chief Executive Officer
Telefonica USA & Puerto Rico

Marcelo Caputo was recently appointed CEO of Telefónica USA, Inc. the Telefónica Group's U.S. subsidiary based in Miami. In addition to this role, Marcelo is responsible for the Americas' arm of the Telefónica Multinational Solutions area which is focused on providing global telecommunications services to multinational corporations in the U.S. and Latin America. Mr. Caputo is a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, with degrees in electronic engineering and business administration. He is an accomplished international sportsman who recently ran the New York City Marathon.