Jose "Pepe" Diaz
District 12

Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz was inducted as the Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on December 18, 2008. The commissioner serves as the representative of District 12, which includes the communities of Doral, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Sweetwater, Virginia Gardens, and a large portion of unincorporated Miami-Dade County. He was first elected as commissioner in September 2002 and re-elected without opposition in September 2006.

Commissioner Diaz has served in various capacities on different committees of the County Commission.  He was chairperson of the Airport and Tourism Committee, vice-chair of the Governmental Operations and Environment Committee and was also a member of the Budget and Finance, and Health and Public Safety committees. The commissioner is also the chairman of the Tourist Development Council and a member of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. Additionally, Commissioner Diaz, who proudly served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, was appointed as Miami-Dade County's Military Liaison.

Before joining the Commission, Commissioner Diaz worked to resolve the ongoing flooding issues throughout Miami-Dade County as Mayor of Sweetwater. He spent countless hours lobbying in Tallahassee and Washington, DC, and acquired the funds necessary for a Comprehensive Street Drainage Project.  Commissioner Diaz continues to work with local and state emergency management teams to avoid future flooding.  Former Governor Jeb Bush appointed Diaz to the Everglades Restoration and Eco-System Task Force, where he advises on suggested regulations that could adversely affect West Miami-Dade's water levels.

On an international level, Commissioner Diaz has remained an advocate for trade and forging partnerships with other nations. He was appointed to represent the County as chairman of the Jay Malina International Trade Consortium (ITC), a position he held until January 2006. During his tenure, he was instrumental in making profitable connections for businesses between Miami-Dade County and the Caribbean and Latin America.  The commissioner toured several Asian cities in 2005 - Tianjin, Hong Kong and Shangia - and met with government officials and business organizations to promote trade partnerships and participated in a ceremony to mark a joint venture between Florida International University and Tianjin University of Commerce. The commissioner and the Asian delegation also secured a cooperative agreement for the County with Tianjin's Municipal People's Government.

In addition to his leadership role with ITC, he is also a member of the Florida Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Board, which was formed to support hemispheric free trade with the ultimate goal of bringing the permanent Secretariat of the FTAA to Miami.  The Florida FTAA Board created the Intergovernmental Relations Committee in December 2005 and unanimously approved the committee to be co-chaired by former Secretary of State Glenda Hood and Commissioner Diaz.  As co-chair, Commissioner Diaz has continued to work diligently with other countries to secure Miami as the home of the Secretariat.

Commissioner Diaz also serves as co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade County Sports Commission, which is charged with attracting youth, adult amateur, and professional sporting events to the county and engendering support for those events.

The commissioner is a strong supporter of issues involving the elderly community and military. Commissioner Diaz spear-headed "Seniors Never Alone" program, which makes sure enrolled seniors receive a call at least twice a week. The program is operated by the Switchboard of Miami, Inc. and each reassurance specialist engages seniors in conversation, and provides emergency assistance if necessary. The commissioner is also a member of the Military Affairs Committee and the Greater Miami Chambers Board of Governors. He strongly advocated for the USS Gridley, the first navy warship to be commissioned in Miami. The commissioning became a reality on Saturday, February 10, 2007.

Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz was born in Cuba and has lived in Sweetwater, Florida for more than 30 years. In 1979, Commissioner Diaz enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in December 1984.  In 1986, he began his career in public service as Chairman of the City of Sweetwater Police Retirement Trust Fund Board. For the next seven years, he served on the City of Sweetwater Commission and was ultimately elected Mayor in May 1999.