Our Contributors
Adolfo A. Franco is Vice President for Global Regulatory Affairs at the Direct Selling Association, responsible for managing and directing the government relations efforts for the association in Washington, DC and throughout the United States. Adolfo Franco was an advisor to Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign on matters related to U.S. foreign and development policy regarding Latin America and the Caribbean. Adolfo is a Republican political analyst, appearing on television and radio programs on a regular basis as well as a contributor to print media.
Prior to joining DSA in April 2007, Adolfo was Assistant Administrator for Latin America and Caribbean for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Appointed by President Bush in 2001, and confirmed by the United States in 2002, Adolfo managed and directed the $1.5 billion annual U.S. foreign assistance program for Latin America and the Caribbean and worked to negotiate and implement the Central American and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Adolfo was one of the Bush Administration’s key policymakers, advising the President, Secretary of State, and USAID Administrator on issues involving Cuba, Colombia, Haiti, and Venezuela. Prior to his appointment in the Bush Administration, Adolfo served as Chief Counsel to the Chairman of the House International Relations Committee and advised Committee Members on global development and foreign policy matters.
Alberto Acereda. In the field of media and opinion editorials and columns, he is a contributor and columnist in several news outlets in the United States, Europe and Latin America, particularly in Libertad Digital, the most widely read Internet newspaper in Spanish language. He has been the editor and director of the news and opinion websites USA Digital, Diario de América andSemanario Atlántico and he has authored numerous opinion columns and articles. Alberto Acereda is a university Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literatures and a Member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language, a branch of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language. In his scholarly and academic work in several U.S. universities, Alberto Acereda has published fifteen books, monographs and editions on Hispanic literatures and cultures. He is also the author of more than a hundred scholarly articles and reviews in prestigious literary and academic refereed journals. Alberto Acereda is a founder of The Americano.
Carlos López de Silanes Molina “El Cordobés” was born in Mexico City. He debuted with Necaxa in 1988 with whom he won the prize “Novato del año” and the “Balón de Plata” during the 91-92 season. Carlos was also champion of the “League”, the Cup and Concacaf during 94-95. He played with Chivas, Celaya and León with whom he obtained the “Subcampeonato de Liga” during the winter of 97. He was the first Mexican soccer player top play for the English league the Wycombe Wanderer. Nationally chosen during the eliminations and Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. Carlos was the Coach of the first team of Club América and Tecos. Since his retirement he is a sports analyst with different media outlets, including Televisa Deportes Network (TDN) and Sky, in radio Estadio W and in print Afición and the Excelsior de México, and now for The Americano.
Eduardo “Eddy” del Rio has served the financial services industry for the past 14 years. Eddy got his start in the industry with Great Western Bank (Washington Mutual). He later worked for top international and domestic financial institutions like Citigroup and Bank of America. Eddy has for the past six years worked in Wealth Management. He has managed a portfolio of clients that are mass affluent.
Eddy has a Bachelor’s in Communications from Florida International University and has a Masters in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. Eddy hosts a weekly radio show in Spanish, discussing different financial topics (retirement, college planning, debt, etc.) with callers. Eddy is also a professor in finance, strategy and economics at a local college. Eddy’s greatest passion is teaching others about what is available to them in regards to their personal finances. He always says, “You need to know your rights about money. Having a sound plan is not only for the affluent, but for everyone.”
George Handlery was born in Hungary. After 1956 he lived and studied in the United States. There he earned a Ph.D. and received Tenure subsequently. Since 1972, he has been working in different countries as a researcher, writer, lecturer and teacher.
Israel Ortega is a Senior Media Associate at The Heritage Foundation and is chief spokesperson for all Spanish media, including print, radio and television. Ortega often writes about Heritage’s position on education, limited government, free enterprise and family for Spanish newspapers and publications across the country. His essays have appeared in numerous newspapers in several states, including: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia andNew Jersey.
Before joining Heritage in January 2007, Ortega served as the Director of Outreach for the House Republican Conference. In this role, he served as the chief liaison between Hispanic and minority coalition and media outlets for the Republicans in the House of Representatives. Previously, Ortega served as the Legislative Assistant for Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), advising the congresswoman on issues concerning, transportation, immigration and education.
James Nava served as a volunteer in an elite unit of the Armed Forces, is a veteran intelligence advisor and a prestigious writer, author of “Lobo Gris”, “Conspiración”, and “El Infiltrado”. As a renowned analyst, he specializes in topics concerning North America, international politics, education, ecology, security and defense. His novels include up-to-date dramas, political thrillers, espionage, adventure, action and eco-thrillers, spicing up every genre with a potent mixture of romance, mystery and humor. Official Website: www.jamesnava.com
Luis R. Guevara holds a M.A. in International Affairs from American University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maryland at College Park. He was born in El Salvador and raised in Washington, DC.
Manuel Ballagas is a veteran of Spanish language journalism in the US. Born in Cuba, he immigrated in 1980 to America, where for three decades he worked for some of the most prestigious Hispanic media in the country, as the Business Editor in Miami’s El Nuevo Herald, Editor of The Wall Street Journal Américas, and later as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Centro, The Tampa Tribune’s first Spanish language publication. Now he lives in Fort Myers, Florida, from where he works as a media consultant both in the US and Latin America.
Manuel Cereijo, D.Sc., P.E. Dr. Cereijo has over 37 years of academic experience as a Professor and Associate Dean in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has over 10 years of industrial experience in design and development of engineering systems.Dr. Cereijo is presently Lecturer at the College of Engineering, University of Miami. He is also President of his own Consulting Firm of Engineering. Dr. Cereijo is a Professional Engineer.
Author of several books, monographs, and more than 700 articles. Holds three patents in manufacturing, telecommunications, and control systems. Dr. Cereijo has been selected to be in the National Hispanic Engineer Hall of Fame. Dr. Cereijo has been nationally and internationally recognized by associations, engineering groups, and the United States Senate and Congress.
Manuel Ignacio Gómez is Executive Director at Opinión & Imagen, an Ecuadorian Strategic Communications firm associated to Fleishman Hillard-International Communications. He is also a political analyst. He writes for Diario El Universo, Ecuador’s largest newspaper, and SoHo magazine. All his articles are available at his blog www.gomezlecaro.blogspot.com . Manuel Ignacio is also the Director of Revista “la U”, a monthly magazine for college students.
In 2008, he received in Madrid-Spain the Inter American Press Association Excellence in Journalism Award in the “Opinion” category. Also in 2008, he published his first book titled “De Forajidos a Majaderos”. Manuel Ignacio holds a BA from Georgetown University in Washington D.C., and a Masters in International Relations from Columbia University in New York. Manuel Ignacio lives in Guayaquil-Ecuador with his wife Luisa and their daughter Sofía.
Melissa Blair is a proud Mom, Navy veteran, business owner and former teacher. She’s currently working on her doctoral degree in Public Administration at the University of North Texas. She holds Master degrees in Hispanic Studies and Public Administration from Auburn University and a Bachelors degree in Marketing from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has a true passion for helping others and volunteers her time to numerous political clubs, non-profit organizations, and is an advocate for the inclusion and integration of Hispanics in political and public sector arenas. She is a mentor for Hispano youths and enjoys educating them about political participation, American culture and their civic duties.
Pedro Blas Gonzalez came from Cuba in 1970 in one of the Freedom Flights, at age six. My father served 5 1/2 years as a political prisoner under Castro for being Catholic and for not wanting to live in a communist dictatorship. I have a B.A. from the University of Alabama; M.A. and Ph.D from DePaul University. I am Professor of Philosophy at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. I have published five books, seven other manuscripts that I am trying to publish, and over one-hundred thirty essays, articles, reviews, poems and short stories. I am a staunch defender of personal autonomy and make instant friends with rugged individualists.
Books published: Human Existence as Radical Reality: Ortega’s Philosophy of Subjectivity (2005) , Fragments: Essays in Subjectivity, Individuality and Autonomy (2005), Ortega’s ‘The Revolt of the Masses’ and the Triumph of the New Man (2007),Unamuno: A Lyrical Essay (2007),Dreaming in the Cathedral (2009). His personal blog is: pedrblasgonzalez.blogspot.com
Rachel Alexander is the editor and founder of IntellectualConservative.com. She has written for many publications including The American Spectator, Townhall.com, Newsmax, Parcbench, and GOPUSA. She received Americans for Prosperity’s RightOnline Activist of the Year award in August of 2009. She is an attorney and the new media liason for her office. She is Director of the American Liberty Alliance in Arizona, a new media grassroots organization that grew out of the #dontgo movement, and Secretary of the Board of Arizona Right to Life. Rachel has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, including The Montel Williams Show, as a political commentator. She has degrees in Political Science and History from the University of Washington, where she was Co-President of the Political Science Honor Society.
Rachel Campos-Duffy. Television host. Pundit. Author. Mother of six. Whatever her role, Rachel Campos-Duffy is known for discussing the hot topics of the day in her signature honest, articulate, and down-to-earth style. She is sought out by national media outlet like CNN, CNN.com, MSNBC and Fox News for lively, thought-provoking discussion from her unique perspective as an at-home mom, Latina, and conservative.
In addition, she is a blogger for AOL, Anderson Cooper CNN’s 360 blog, the DailyBeast.com Buzz Board, a guest writer on Catholicnet.com, and now for TheAmericano.com. Rachel’s book Stay Home, Stay Happy: Secrets to Enjoying At-Home-Motherhood can be found at Amazon and her website, www.rachelcamposduffy.com.
Ricardo González is the Founder and Executive Director of Bilingual America, a national language and cultural leadership training institute. His articles on Latino culture and business have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. He was recently featured alongside the likes of Bill Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Steele in Newt and Jackie Gingrich’s “5 Principles for a Successful Life” book. He is the author of the book “How to Really Learn Spanish” and the developer of SpanishPower™, InglésPoderoso™, The Real Spanish Path™, Success with Hispanics™, Cómo Tener Exito™ and Líderes Exitosos™. His leadership training course, “Líderes Exitosos” appears on On-Demand television in Central Florida via Brighthouse Networks. Ricardo has three children and is married. He can be reached via the Bilingual America website at www.bilingualamerica.com.
Stephen A. Nuño is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University. He has a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine and a BA in Political Science from UCLA. Stephen is also a research scholar at the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. He has published several scholarly articles and continues to do research on political behavior, Latino partisanship and immigration. Stephen lives in beautiful Flagstaff, AZ with his wife, three children and his dog Jack. His fourth child is due in December.
Steve Gonzalez was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is a United States Marine Corps and Army Reserves veteran. He graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in International Studies and Political Science.
Fr. Victor Salomón was born in Venezuela and is a member of the Diocesan Laborer Priests, an organization that specializes in promoting and helping people in the discernment of their vocations. Since 2005 he has been promoting vocations as a part of the Sol Vocational Institute, a ministry of the Diocesan Laborer Priests in the United States.
Fr. Salomón is an expert in family communication and gives courses on inculturation for lay leaders. He has also given retreats for laity, seminarians, male and female religious and priests. He offers spiritual direction for singles and married couples and has experience in vocational discernment. He has also been a professor in theology in a variety of different fields. Fr. Salomón is interested in abortion and its consequences in the Hispanic Community in United States.
To arrange a media interview, email media@priestsforlife.org or call Margaret at 888-735-3448, ext. 251
You can go to the Spanish website, contact him in Spanish at cartas@sacerdotesporlavida.org, become a fan on Facebook, check out the YoutTube channel and follow him on twitter.
Miryam Lindberg is a political analyst, foreign language expert, and writer. She currently serves as advisor to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, an American policy institute focusing on terrorism and Islamism, as well as its Foreign Language Consultant. She is also a terrorism analyst and longtime contributor to the prestigious Strategic Studies Group which is one of the preeminent security and defense think-tanks in Spain. Ms. Lindberg is a research assistant for Dr. Patrick Mendis, a Visiting Scholar in Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. In addition, she’s the editor of Dr. Mendis’ books: Trade for Peace and the coming Commercial Providence: The Secret of the American Odyssey. She holds a M.A. degree in Diplomacy with a concentration in International Terrorism and graduated cum laude from Norwich University. She speaks 6 languages fluently, holding different degrees in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Swedish. She translates books, research papers and opinion articles for different websites and international publications.
Alfredo Ortiz heads up the strategic marketing practice for RTM&J, providing clients solid experience gained from top-tier consumer package goods, research, and consulting firms. His clients have been and currently include Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Sage Software, Papa John’s, Kellogg’s, Georgia-Pacific, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Nestle.
Most recently, Alfredo was vice president of business strategy and development at Cheskin Added Value, a WPP owned brand consultancy and research firm. Previously, he was Managing Principal at Zyman Group. Prior to joining Zyman Group, Alfredo founded Grupo MAS, a boutique consultancy headquartered in Atlanta specializing in business strategy development and marketing targeting the U.S. Hispanic market which was subsequently sold to Zyman Group in 2006. Prior, Alfredo led the $1 billion natural cheese portfolio for Kraft Foods, as well as held management positions at Georgia-Pacific and Pepsico.
Alfredo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Pomona College in Claremont, California and a Masters of Business Administration, Marketing and Finance from the University of Michigan. Alfredo also holds the distinct privilege to sit on the Congressional Advisory Roundtable for the 6th District of the House of Representatives, US Congress. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is Chair of the GA State Hispanic Republican Coalition
Armando Regil Velasco estudió Negocios Internacionales en el Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Querétaro y economía y políticas públicas en Georgetown University en Washington D.C. Ha participado en la fundación de distintas organizaciones que promueven el liderazgo y la generación de emprendedores. En 2006, Armando publicó su primer libro sobre liderazgo para jóvenes: La respuesta eres tú. En el libro participaron 42 líderes entre ellos ex presidentes, ministros, empresarios y académicos de 21 países que dedicaron un mensaje a los jóvenes. En 2009, Armando fue invitado a ser miembro del Club Líderes del Futuro de la Revista Líderes Mexicanos.
Armando es Presidente Fundador del IPEA (Think Tank). El Instituto de Pensamiento Estratégico Ágora A.C. es un Instituto privado, sin fines de lucro, apartidista e independiente dedicado a la investigación, formación y generación de opinión pública. El IPEA promueve el intercambio de ideas y el diálogo respetuoso. Genera ideas, estrategias y políticas públicas que buscan contribuir a la construcción de una sociedad libre, virtuosa y próspera en donde la cultura de apatía, conformismo y corrupción se transforme en una cultura de integridad, legalidad y orden. (www.ipea.org.mx)
George Chaya is a Lebanese born writer, teacher and political analyst specializing in Middle Eastern and Latin America affairs, and the prevention of terrorism. He has published hundreds of articles and editorials on the Middle East in Latin America, Spain and the U.S. He is the author of “Global Jihad, Terrorism in the Twenty-First century, Approaches and Projections,” (2010) a book written in Spanish and published in the U.S. in which he addresses the future of Latin American countries and the challenges of radical terrorism.