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Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz serves as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and the Commissioner for District 12, which includes the cities of of Doral, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Sweetwater and a large portion of unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
He was first elected as commissioner in September 2002 and was elected to a fifth term in 2018. He also served as the Vice Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners from 2009-2010. On Nov. 19, 2020, his colleagues unanimously elected him to serve as Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. In May 2021, he was elected Chair of the MDX Board of Directors, helping lead the Board with vital transportation projects.
Chairman Diaz has served in various capacities on different committees of the County Commission and serves on the Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County Advisory Board, the Public Health Trust Nominating Council, the Public Health Trust/Miami-Dade County Annual Operating Agreement Committee, and the Jackson Health System’s General Obligation Bond Citizen’s Advisory Committee. Additionally, Chairman Diaz, who proudly served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, was appointed as Miami-Dade County's Military Liaison and also serves as the Chairman of Miami-Dade County’s Military Affairs Board.
On the international level, Chairman Diaz is an advocate for trade and forging partnerships with other nations, and he currently serves as Chairman of the International Trade Consortium Board. In March 2010, Chairman Diaz was appointed by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to serve on the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade (IGPAC) and proudly served until April 2018. In this capacity, Chairman Diaz advised, consulted with, and made recommendations to the U.S. Trade Representative from the perspective of local governments. He also serves as Chairman of the International Trade Consortium (ITC), where he has been instrumental in making profitable connections for businesses on behalf of Miami-Dade County with the Caribbean and Latin America. He toured several Asian cities in 2005 (Tianjin, Hong Kong and Shanghai), met with government officials and business organizations to promote trade partnerships, and participated in a ceremony to mark a joint venture between Florida International University and Tianjin University of Commerce. He and the Asian delegation also secured a cooperative agreement for the County with Tianjin's Municipal People's Government.
In addition to his County duties, Chairman Diaz serves on the Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County Advisory Board. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade County Sports Commission, which is charged with attracting youth, adult amateur, and professional sporting events to the county and generating support for those events. Under his leadership, the Sports Commission created a local bid committee to support Miami as a future host city for the FIFA World Cup and also coordinated a massive block party on Brickell Avenue to support bringing the FIFA World Cup to the United States. Thanks to the Sports Commission, Miami-Dade County hosted its first WrestleMania in 2012, generating $102.7 million in economic impact for Miami-Dade County.
Before joining the Commission, Chairman Diaz worked to resolve the ongoing flooding issues throughout Miami-Dade County as Mayor of Sweetwater. He spent countless hours lobbying in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., and acquired the funds necessary for a Comprehensive Street Drainage Project. Chairman Diaz continues to work with local and state emergency management teams to prevent future flooding. Former Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, where he continues to advise on proposed regulations that could adversely affect West Miami-Dade's water levels.
Chairman Diaz is a strong advocate for the elderly and the military. In 2006, he spearheaded the “Seniors Never Alone” program, which ensures that enrolled seniors receive a call at least twice a week. The program is operated by the Switchboard of Miami, Inc., and each reassurance specialist engages seniors in conversation, providing emergency assistance if necessary. Chairman Diaz also served on the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee. He strongly advocated for the USS Gridley, which became the first Navy warship to be commissioned in Miami on Feb. 10, 2007. He also organized Miami-Dade’s historic Golden Veterans Parade and 50th Anniversary Commemoration on Nov. 8, 2013, to give Vietnam veterans the long-overdue proper homecoming they deserved.
Chairman Diaz is married and has three daughters, Monique, Celine and Krystal; and two grandchildren, Marcus and Rey. He was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba and has lived in Sweetwater, Fla., for more than 30 years. In 1979, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in December 1984. In 1986, he began his career in public service as Chairman of the City of Sweetwater Police Retirement Trust Fund Board. For the next seven years, he served on the City of Sweetwater Commission and was elected Mayor of Sweetwater in May 1999.
Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Chairman, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners