Born in Cuba in 1954, Carlos Gimenez immigrated to the United States with his family in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. His family settled in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. After graduating from college, Carlos served as a firefighter for the Miami Fire-Rescue Department for 25 years, including nine years as Chief. Later on in 2011, Carlos won a special election to be Mayor of Miami-Dade County, the largest county in the state. Carlos’ fiscal responsibility turned the county around. During his tenure, the county balanced its budget every year, put the county checkbook online for all to see, eliminated 1,700 unnecessary positions, renegotiated contracts with public sector unions, and expedited the permitting process.
