Joe Garcia
(born Jose Antonio Garcia
on October 12, 1963) is a Cuban American politician. Garcia, the former executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation, was nominated by President Barack Obama to be director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact and Diversity of the Department of Energy [1] and was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 25th congressional district, running against incumbent Republican Mario Diaz-Balart during the 2008 election.
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Early life and education
Garcia was born in
Miami Beach, Florida, to Joe Garcia Sr. and his wife, Carmen, who had fled
Cuba after
Fidel Castro took over. He graduated in 1982 from
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. Garcia attended
Miami-Dade Community College before earning his
Bachelor of Arts degree in
political science and
public affairs in 1987 from the
University of Miami, where he was elected president of
student government. He earned his
J.D. from the
University of Miami School of Law in 1991.
Career
Garcia served on the
Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) and also served as its chairman. While serving on the FPSC, he also was chair of the
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). He was also Second Vice-Chair of the
Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC). Garcia was also appointed to the
Federal Communications Commission Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. Garcia was a member of the
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).
Garcia currently serves on the board of the
Spanish American League Against Discrimination (SALAD) and on the board of directors of
Regis House, a
drug addiction treatment and prevention center for
inner-city youth in
Miami. Garcia is a member of the board of directors of the Cuban American National Foundation, and is a past president. He is currently the director of the
New Democrat Network Hispanic Strategy Center, and chairman of the
Democratic Party of Miami-Dade County.
2008 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives
Garcia announced on February 7, 2008, his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 25th congressional district. Garcia was defeated by
Mario Diaz-Balart.
Personal life
Garcia is married to Aileen Ugalde,
general counsel for the University of Miami. They have one daughter.
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2008#District 25
References
- http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/breaking-news/story/1131730.html