Posted 1/25/10

You were recently appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino. How did that come about?

I’ve had a lot of public exposure in terms of what I’ve been doing to advocate for the Dominican community. I was national president of the Dominican American National Roundtable, and also a founding board member of the Dominicans on Wall Street. I served on the board of directors of the National Council of La Raza; that’s the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. In many cases, I was the first Afro-Latino to serve on these boards, and as a result, I became a nationally recognized Afro-Latino leader.

What is the role of the commission?

To study the feasibility of building a National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, D.C. We are talking about building the largest Latino infrastructure project in U.S. history. The commission will study the cost to build it, where we should build it, what will we populate the museum with, along with the public/private partnership that it would require to build and maintain it. This will take some time. Look at the National Museum of the American Indian: it took 24 years from start to finish.

Why is such a museum needed now?

There needs to be a central location that captures and celebrates the 500 years of Latino history
in America.

What other advocacy efforts have you focused on?

I serve on the boards of numerous Latino organizations and African American community organizations, and a Jewish community board. Almost every board I serve on has the same central theme of empowering a community that may be disenfranchised or may not be getting their fair share.

How has your Dominican heritage helped shape your career as a Wall Street financial analyst?

Part of it comes from being proud of your culture, and for me, that pride comes from watching my parents succeed in their careers. My father was 
a very accomplished physician, a general practitioner in internal medicine. My mother ran his office. They did that for 40 years. My father grew up in a very poor region of the Dominican Republic, but he was determined to get out of poverty through education. Through their examples, I have realized that I’m the person who is solely responsible for my success.

You addressed the White House three times when you were national president of the Dominican American National Roundtable. What was that like?

It was a very honored feeling of being in that moment, knowing that it wasn’t that long ago. I was someone coming out of college and trying to figure out what to do with my life. I never expected that I would be in the capacity where I would be able to deliver a speech at the White House. I’m glad that I was part of an opportunity to help bring the Dominican community to a higher level on the national level.

What motivates you?

I aim to inspire, and I aim to aspire. I’ve had a lot of blessings, but I was taught by my parents that you don’t keep those blessings to yourself. You share those with the community.

Story originally appeared in Ohio State Alumni Magazine