Manny Diaz (Florida politician)

For the California legislator, see Manny Diaz (California politician).
Manny Diaz
Mayor of Miami
In office
November 17, 2001 – November 11, 2009
Preceded by Joe Carollo
Succeeded by Tomás Regalado
Personal details
Born (1954-11-05) November 5, 1954
Havana, Cuba
Political party

Independent (Former)

Democratic
Alma mater Florida International University
University of Miami
Religion Roman Catholicism
Website Government website

Manuel "Manny" Alberto Diaz (born November 5, 1954) is a Cuban American politician who served as the mayor of Miami, Florida from 2001–2009.

Mayor Diaz and his mother, Elisa, left Cuba in 1961.[1] He graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in 1973. He scored the first touchdown in Belen Jesuit football history, and was named "Mr. Belén" in his graduating class.[2] In 1977, Díaz received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Florida International University. In 1980, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

Diaz first came to prominence serving as the attorney for the Miami relatives of Elián González.[3]

A lawyer, Diaz was elected mayor in November 2001, replacing Joe Carollo, and reelected in 2005. As mayor, Díaz remained a partner in the law firm of Díaz, O'Naghten & Borgognoni, L.L.P.

When he first took office, Miami city government was bankrupt, held junk bond status, and was under a state financial oversight board. Mayor Diaz pursued a vast administrative overhaul that brought with it financial stability, healthy level of financial reserves, continued tax cuts, lowered millage rates, and an A+ bond rating on Wall Street.

In 2004, Diaz was awarded the "Urban Innovator of the Year" award by the Manhattan Institute.

In 2007, Diaz served on the selection committee for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.[4]

In 2008, Díaz became president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. As an Independent, and a former registered Democrat, Diaz spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and endorsed President Barack Obama.[5]

Díaz is married to Robin Smith and has four children and three grandchildren. His son, Manny, is a college football coach and is the current defensive coordinator for University of Miami. His daughter, Natalie, recently received her Masters in Public Health with honors from Florida International University. His son, Robert, is pursuing a political science degree. His daughter, Elisa, is currently attending Loyola University New Orleans. His grandchildren are Colin, Gavin, and Manny Jr.

Mayor Díaz left office in 2009 because of term limits. In the Spring of 2010, Díaz was an IOP Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Today Díaz is a Partner at Lydecker Díaz, LLP in Miami.

On January 22, 2014 Manny Diaz and four other attorneys from his law firm, Lydecker Diaz, filed papers to represent Walmart in its battle to build in Midtown Miami.[6]

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  2. ↑ The International Jesuit Alumni Directory Belen (Forum Press Inc., 1994)
  3. ↑ "Lawyer for Cuban Boy's Relatives Is Elected Miami Mayor". The New York Times. November 14, 2001.
  4. ↑ "Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence". Selection Committees. Bruner Foundation. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Miami Herald article, July 11, 2009
  6. ↑ "Manny Diaz, Miami's Former "Green Mayor," Is Now Representing Walmart Midtown". Miami New Times. February 11, 2014.

External links

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Political offices
Preceded by
Joe Carollo		 Mayor of Miami
2001–2009 		Succeeded by
Tomás Regalado
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