Raul Rodriguez
MANAGING MEMBER, CREI HOLDINGS, SWEETWATER
Founded in 1982, CREI Holdings manages and develops affordable housing projects in the Sweetwater community in Miami-Dade County. Rodriguez became a managing member in 2020. As founder of the Li’l Abner Foundation, Rodriguez and the foundation provide free after-school tutoring services and self-esteem-building activities such as dance classes, archery and taekwondo programs. “Also, every year, we take many medically fragile children to Disney World to live their dream, and we host a Thanksgiving celebration for 3,000 to 5,000 low-income residents in Sweetwater,” he says.
EDUCATION: Real Colegio Universitario Escorial Maria Cristina, Madrid; Florida International University
IF I WERE GOVERNOR: The first thing on my agenda would be to address the critical need for affordable housing. This would involve incentivizing the construction of more affordable housing units, providing financial assistance to low-income families, and promoting public-private partnerships to create more workforce housing options.
MENTOR: My father was a profound mentor in my life. Despite facing numerous challenges, he always maintained a positive attitude and unwavering work ethic. He taught me the values of integrity, perseverance and compassion through his own actions. One of the most impactful lessons he taught me was to never forget where I came from.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED: Everything happens for a reason. Even something bad will have some good come out of it. You should never give up and keep moving forward.
