Mayor Regalado's father was an attorney and a journalist who was the last president of the Cuban Association of Journalists and Reporters. In April 1962, Tomás and his younger brother were placed on a flight to Miami as participants of Operation Peter Pan.
Mayor Regalado was first elected to office in November 2009. His goals as Mayor have been to keep taxes down, reduce the size of government and repair the infrastructure of the city. Several of his accomplishments as Mayor include balancing the budget three times and striking deals with the unions. Mayor Regalado was also a Miami Commissioner from 1996 to 2009.
Prior to his public career, he was a reporter working for various local radio and television stations. His journalistic career included covering the civil wars in Angola and Mozambique as well as the riots in Soweto, South Africa. In 1983 he became the first Cuban American member of the White House Press Corps.
As a member of the Press Corps he traveled with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In 1986, Mr. Regalado was approved as an applicant to NASA’s Journalist in Space Program which was canceled after the Challenger explosion. While a full-time News Director on Spanish-language radio Tomas also worked for El Miami Herald as a weekly columnist.
The Rotary Club meets at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club (2990 South Bayshore Drive) at 12:15 pm. The cost for lunch is $20.
Please join the group. RSVP at coconutgroverotaryclub@gmail.com.