One on One with Santiago Corrada !
Leading Florida Latinos
Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera
19th Lieutenant Governor of Florida 1 st Latino to hold this office !
Carlos Lopez-Cantera was born in Madrid , Spain on December 29 , 1973 . He was born two months premature and was returned to his intended birthplace of Miami , Florida once he was healthy enough to travel . Lopez- Cantera graduated from Miami-Dade College and continued his studies at the University of Miami , where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration .
From 2004 through 2012 , Carlos served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives . Over the course of his 8-year term in the Legislature , Carlos served as a member of the Governor ’ s Property Tax Reform Committee , the My Safe Florida Home Advisory Council and the Miami-Dade County Mayor ’ s Mortgage Fraud Task Force . In the Florida House of Representatives , he chaired the Committee on Business Regulation and the Government Affairs Committee . Carlos served as Majority Whip from 2009 through 2010 and as the Majority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives during the final two years of his term from 2010 through 2012 .
In August 2012 , the citizens of Miami- Dade County elected Carlos Lopez- Cantera as the Property Appraiser of Miami-Dade County . Carlos campaigned on a platform to make interaction with the office of the property appraiser easier , increasing community outreach and being more responsive to the needs of the residents of Miami- Dade .
Carlos Lopez-Cantera was appointed as Lieutenant Governor on January 14 , 2014 , and officially began serving on February 3 , 2014 . He is the first Hispanic to hold this position in Florida .
Carlos has been married to his wife Renee since 2005 and they have two young daughters .
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One on One with Santiago Corrada !
Latin Times : How did you get started in your career and in your current position with Tampa Bay and Company ? Santiago Corrada : Believe it or not , my career began in education , and then in retrospect one situation / career change led to another . My final position with the school system was as a Principal of a tough innercity high school where I caught the attention of the Mayor of the City ( Miami ). He was impressed with the work occurring at the high school and asked me to run the Parks & Rec Department . From that position , I was recruited to come to Tampa and work for the Mayor running a number of different departments , including the Tampa Convention Center . After a change of Mayors , the new incoming Mayor asked me to be the Chief of Staff . After 2 years serving in that position , the position with Visit Tampa Bay opened and because of my past experience with the Convention Center and large scale events , I decided to apply and was selected .
Latin Times : What do you enjoy most about you what you do ? Santiago Corrada : The ability to sell our great home to the world , bringing visitors here and positively impacting the economic growth of the people of Tampa .
Latin Times : Please tell us about your biggest obstacles , and how you have overcome them Santiago Corrada : The biggest obstacle had to be growing up in an
English deficient home and learning to do things on your own .
Latin Times : Do you have any plans to run for political office ? Santiago Corrada : No , not currently .
Latin Times : What is your favorite Latin Food Dish ? Santiago Corrada : Puerco asado , arroz blanco , frijoles negro , platanos maduro and yuca con mojo .
Latin Times : Tell us about your family Santiago Corrada : My family is small , parents and one sibling . Many cousins from my mother ’ s side . Hard working , proud , ethical , no-fear .
Latin Times : Who is a hero / role model that you admire ( Living or deceased ) and why do you admire them ? Santiago Corrada : Obviously my parents are great role models and I absolutely admire Martin Luther King , Jr . But I think right now , it ’ s my daughter . She is beautiful , intelligent , non-judgmental , talented , the total package .
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