Just spend a couple minutes with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz and you get it. You quickly understand that this is a public servant who is all about the people, loves what he does, and does it extremely well.
And he’s been doing it for years, which speaks volumes about the unmatched level of leadership and effectiveness he brings to the County Commission – and why the Community Newspapers enthusiastically endorses Commissioner Diaz in his bid for re-election this August.
Diaz serves as the Commissioner for District 12, which includes the Cities 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 to a fourth term in 2014..
Commissioner Diaz not only served as the Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners from 2009-2010, but holds various leadership positions on different committees of the county commission.
Currently, he sits on the Parks and Cultural Affairs Committee and on the Public Safety and Health Committee. He also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Infrastructure and Utilities Committee. From 2015-2016, he served as the Chair of the Trade and Tourism Committee and served on the Transit and Mobility Services Committee, the Metropolitan Services Committee, and the Value Adjustment Board.
Additionally, Commissioner Diaz, who served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, was appointed as Miami-Dade County’s Military Liaison and also serves as the Chairman of Miami-Dade County’s Military Affairs Board.
Also noteworthy is the fact that he not only serves the people of his district with passion, his commitment to the entire region is evident in the myriad roles he plays on the international level.
Diaz serves as Chairman of the International Trade Consortium Board and is an advocate for trade and forging partnerships with other nations. In March 2010, Commissioner Diaz was appointed by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to sit on the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade (IGPAC), and was reappointed twice. His current term just ran out, in fact.
He also served as Chairman of the Jay Malina International Trade Consortium (ITC) until January 2006. During his tenure, he was instrumental in making profitable connections for businesses on behalf of Miami-Dade County with the Caribbean and Latin America. He has also toured several Asian cities to promote trade partnerships.
Under the commissioner’s leadership, the Sports Commission created a local bid committee to support Miami as a host city for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and also coordinated a massive block party on Brickell Avenue to support bringing the FIFA World Cup to the United States.
Before joining the Commission, Commissioner Diaz worked to resolve the ongoing flooding issues throughout Miami-Dade County as Mayor of Sweetwater, where he started his career in public service. He also continues to work with local and state emergency management teams to prevent future flooding.
Commissioner Diaz is a strong supporter of the elderly and the military. He spearheaded the “Seniors Never Alone” program, which ensures that enrolled seniors receive a call at least twice a week by the Switchboard of Miami, Inc.. In addition, he served on the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee.
In addition to his county duties, Diaz serves on the Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County’s Executive Committee. He also served as the Chairman 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.
Born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Commissioner Diaz has lived in Sweetwater for more than 30 years. He is married and has three daughters. He does them proud. He also does his constituents proud. And so we proudly endorse Commissioner Diaz for re-lection to the County Commission in District, District 12.
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