Carlos A. Ruiz.
The New Candidate on the Block
By: Devorah Sasha and María Alejandra Pulgar
Carlos A. Ruiz has been the Pandora’s Box of this election season in Doral: A candidate that registered to run for office at the last minute and proved to be an adventure to get ahold. Everybody was asking who he was, where he came from, checking out all social media platforms and investigating written documentations to get details from him. He appeared to be a very private person and the only known detail about him was that he is the brother of Alberto Ruiz, a community activist and leader, President of Parks and Police 4 Kids Foundation and of the One Doral civic organization, instrumental for the creation of the City of Doral, back in the days when west of the Palmetto was still Unincorporated Miami-Dade.
Patience paid back, and the chance arrived for Carlos A. Ruiz to gladly share a first glimpse of his personality and his ideas with the voters of Doral. It has not been lack of interest, but lack of time what prevented him from showing up in the previous months in front of the voting members of the Doral community. He is getting all his personal affairs ready to properly embark without distractions on the political campaign as Election Day approaches.
Carlos A. Ruiz is a young businessman, very busy with his current occupations. With a broad smile and contagious enthusiasm, Carlos expressed that he appreciates honesty above all and rejects people with negative thoughts. His facial expression is authentic and his handshake is firm and strong; a handshake that sets a solid and positive first impression.
Caracas, Miami, Doral: Three cities he cares about
Carlos Ruiz was born in the United States, in Miami, in 1966, but lived for a long time in Venezuela. He moved back to Doral in 1989 to live in Costa del Sol; at that time Doral was not even a city, it was a small town. He appreciates how much Doral has evolved since that time and the preservation of the quality of life that made this city unique is what prompted him to take action and leave anonymity behind to pursue Public Service by running for the City Council on this election. He sincerely prays to God to be given the opportunity to work for the city he really cares for.
Ruiz believes that now is a great opportunity for him to give something back to Doral, to the city that he loves so much. He thinks that now is the time for the citizens to take over politics and get involved. “I’m a workaholic, a dreamer, but also a transparent person” and he wants to put his talents to the service of the community.
With a Bachelor degree in International Business from University of Miami, Carlos is a devoted husband and father of three sons, his pride and joy that have grown up in Doral. It is for the future and welfare of families like his that Carlos wants to get involved in Public Service.
Carlos is a very friendly man and he remembers the many happy times he spent while living in Venezuela with the friends he left there. Having the time to get together with people he cares about and whose company enjoys, is something he misses, because his business leaves him very few available moments that he now has to share between his family and this new adventure of Public Service. He feels fulfilled with the success he has achieved on his business but always strives for the best, to improve and keep being successful. He has put together the first duty free shops in FBO (private airports), one in Fort Lauderdale and the second one at Opa Locka Executive Airport.
Sharing his fresh ideas for the Council
“I want to invite young people to work along with me in my proposals; I want them to find out what is happening in their city, how they can contribute to solve problems. We need sports in the school programs so families can save by not having to pay for afterschool activities. Sports should be part of the school curriculum again”, says Ruiz.
Education has to improve because, it has to adapt to the advancements of times and new technologies. “We need to update the system for the new generations but counting on the new generations to help us with their ideas on how to do it. Doral is a city that lacks cultural life so definitely we need to work towards the development of a cultural district. We have great parks but we need more amphitheaters so people can enjoy plays, concerts, recitals and other artistic performances”.
Carlos Ruiz is aware that he is running against candidates that have three times more political background than him and more experience in public service. Nevertheless he plans to conquer voters approaching them and asking for their opinions, their needs and dreams. He wants to incorporate people’s opinions and desires into his actions and programs. Ruiz wants to fight against the lack of interest that young people have in politics. His secret weapon will be appealing to the new generations.
“I want to be the voice of the young generation in the Council so they can bring into the city projects and ideas for a modern city”. When Carlos Ruiz wins he plans to invite all candidates to work with him and share ideas. “Working together is the only way to build the future”, explains. He worries a lot about schools specifically the issue of planning and zoning. “The idea is to work hand in hand to give our best to the city that we all love”.
He considers himself a new voice, a fresh voice and his main goal is to invite young people that are able to vote to accompany him in his journey to bring new faces to the Council to build together the Doral of the future.