LTM: Tell us about what you do for a living and how you got into it.
I’m the SWFL Director to Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (10+ years) was involved in Political campaigns since the year 2000.
LTM: In your industry, what would you say separates you from your competition?
We have the blessing of helping constituents with
resolving issues related to Federal Agencies, especially with Immigration, where we got to change people’s lives by helping them resolve their immigration status and bringing their families from their countries.
LTM: Why do you feel you were nominated?
I have been involved with the Hispanic community in SWFL since 1997 helping many
community organizations and churches.
LTM: During Covid-19, tell us about your biggest challenge/obstacle and how you overcame it/or are overcoming it.
My biggest challenge was not able to talk to our constituents in person, but we
had the blessing been able to help many of our constituents back to the country that was trapped internationally when the airports closed due to
the pandemic.
LTM: Tell us about your biggest achievement in business or personal life, and how you achieved it.
For a 20-year-old Cuban rafter who came to this great country only with the clothing I was wearing, not speaking English, with no family, and sleeping in a car for a month, my biggest achievement has been creating a family and becoming professional in public service working for the United States Congress at a Director level.
LTM: What is next for you? What can people expect to see from you?
I hope I can continue serving the community in any role God
may have reserved for me.
LTM: What does being a U.S. Citizen mean to you?
It means EVERYTHING!
LTM: Who is your/or was your role model in life and why?
Pope John Paul II was able to live his faith, serving the people
and taking the message of freedom to those around the world that lived
under oppression, persecution, and discrimination for their beliefs
LTM: What is the best lesson that you have learned in leadership and how has it helped your career?
The best lesson I have learned in my career is that we must listen more than talk and learn from those who have more experience and knowledge than us, and that is ok to ask
when you don’t know something.
LTM: What is your comida Latina favorita?
Congri con ropa vieja y plátanos maduros fritos.
Bio:
Enrique Padron was born on September 5, 1973, in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba.
Enrique arrived in the United States on August 17, 1994, as a Cuban rafter during the 1994 Rafter Crisis. He landed on shore with 20 other Cubans after spending more than 27 hours at sea, enduring harsh weather conditions and the constant threat of sharks. During the journey, Enrique and his fellow rafters encountered many empty rafts and others overcrowded with people desperately calling for help. Unfortunately, they could not assist due to the limited space in their boat.
Enrique has been a resident of Collier County, Florida, since 1997. Currently, he serves as the Southwest Florida Director for the office of Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, representing Florida's 25th Congressional District. Enrique is an active member of the Collier County Republican Executive Committee and the Cuban Liberty Council. He maintains regular contact with civil society groups in Cuba working to restore democracy on the communist-controlled island. Additionally, he has actively supported the Republican Party as a volunteer and campaign organizer during presidential, congressional, and local elections.
In the past, Enrique owned a Cuban restaurant called Mango’s Cuban Café in Naples. He worked for eight years with Asia Factory Direct as an International Sales Manager, during which he traveled to Asia and over 14 countries in South and Central America, coordinating product quality control, marketing, and sales. Additionally, he served as the owner, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Padron Services Corporation. This enterprise included two subsidiaries that significantly impacted Spanish-speaking residents of Southwest Florida: Viva Florida Magazine and Mi Voz Radio.
Enrique is a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church. Through his church, he serves families in need in the Naples, Immokalee, and Bonita Springs areas by leading initiatives that provide food and clothing to the less fortunate.
Enrique is the author of two books. The first, Manual del Padrastro (Stepfather’s Manual), recounts his experiences as a stepfather during his 14 years of marriage to a woman who had two children from a previous marriage. Enrique helped raise and educate these children. His second book, Balseros, el Hombre Nuevo de Fidel Castro (Rafters: Fidel Castro’s New Man), describes the hardships of life under Cuban communism. In this book, Padron examines how, after more than 60 years of dictatorship and the suppression of freedom, many Cubans have been left with no choice but to flee the island. They embark on precarious journeys using makeshift rafts to reach the United States, driven by dreams of liberty and prosperity. Currently, Enrique is working on his third book, The ‘Beautiful’ Promise of Socialism in America, in which he explores the reality of life under Cuba’s socialist regime and the illusion of "free education and free healthcare" promoted by the dictatorship.
Enrique's opinion pieces have been published in The Miami Herald, The New York Post, and The Naples Daily News. He has also been interviewed by CNN en Español about his personal story and journey escaping Socialist Cuba.
Currently, Enrique is forbidden from entering his native country, Cuba, due to his strong political stance against socialism and communism.
His personal motto is: "Freedom and opportunity are better than free."
댓글