Jose "Pepe" Diaz
District 12

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 US Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in December of 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.  Following his services as mayor, Diaz was elected to represent District 12 on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in September 2002. He was re-elected without opposition in September 2006.

As Mayor of Sweetwater, Diaz worked to resolve the ongoing flooding issues throughout Miami-Dade County. 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.

As commissioner, he serves in various capacities on different committees of the Miami-Dade County Commission.  He is the chairperson of the Airport and Tourism Committee, vice-chair of the Governmental Operations and Environment Committee and is 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.  More recently, Commissioner Diaz was appointed as Miami-Dade County's Military Liaison.  Having served proudly as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, Commissioner Diaz is especially honored to be holding this title and carrying out the responsibilities of this new role.

Shortly after being elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, he was appointed to represent the county internationally as chairman of the Jay Malina International Trade Consortium (ITC). Commissioner Diaz held that position until January 2006.  During his tenure, he was instrumental in making profitable connections for businesses in Miami-Dade County and in the Caribbean and Latin America.  One of the commissioner's most important trips was to several Asian cities, including Tianjin, Hong Kong and Shangia in 2005.  During that trip, Commissioner Diaz 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.  Tianjin is China's third largest city and a major commercial and industrial center and is potentially a lucrative trade partner for Miami-Dade County.

In addition to his leadership role with ITC, he is also a member of the Florida FTAA Board.  Florida FTAA was formed to support hemispheric free trade with the ultimate goal of bringing the permanent Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) to Miami.  In December 2005, the Florida FTAA Board created the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. The FTAA Board unanimously approved the committee to be co-chaired by former Secretary of State Glenda Hood and Commissioner Diaz.  As co-chair, Commissioner Diaz will continue to work diligently with other countries to secure Miami as the home of the Secretariat. Commissioner Diaz's efforts to become heavily involved in both the FTAA and ITC stem from his goal to secure jobs for thousands of residents in Miami Dade County and to participate in making Miami-Dade County the true "Gateway to the Hemispheres".

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. Along with the county manager George Burgess, the commissioner is also working diligently to secure a stadium for the Florida Marlins.

As a strong supporter for our elderly community, the commissioner has spear-headed a program aimed at serving our seniors. The "Seniors Never Alone" program makes sure seniors enrolled in the program receive a call at least twice a week. The program is operated by the Switchboard of Miami, Inc. and each reassurance specialists will engage seniors in conversation and also provide them with emergency assistance, as well as their medical treatments and alert physicians of any healthcare issues.

The commissioner is also a member of the Military Affairs Committee and the Greater Miami Chambers Board of Governors. Due to his commitment to the military, he strongly advocated for the USS Gridley, the first navy warship to be commission in Miami. The commissioning became a reality on Saturday, February 10, 2007.

11/2007