GUARIONE M. DIAZ
PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL, INC.

Mr. Diaz was born in Havana, Cuba and is currently a resident of Dade County, Florida. He holds a Masters Degree from Columbia University and a B.A. from St. Francis College, in New York City.

At present, Guarione M. Diaz is President and Executive Director of the Cuban American National Council, Inc., a private nonprofit organization involved since 1972 in policy analysis, leadership development, education, employment, housing, and community development. The Cuban American National Council is based in Miami-Dade County, Florida and has regional offices in Washington, DC, and Orlando, FL. CNC serves 5,000 individuals yearly, has a professional staff of 150, and is governed by a Board of Directors from various states who are elected annually.

Mr. Diaz' responsibilities at the Council include the setting of operational policy, direction and administration of agency programs, and participation in national activities affecting Cubans, Hispanics and other minorities.

Before establishing residence in Miami, Mr. Diaz held management positions at New York City's Department of Employment and the Community Development Agency.

Since his relocation in the Greater Miami area in 1978, Mr. Diaz has been actively involved in many community organizations. He has served on the Board of Directors of Children Have All Rights: Legal, Educational, Emotional (CHARLEE); HACR; National Association for the Hispanic Elderly; National Council of La Raza; and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda. He has also served on the Boards of The Florida Commission on Education Reform and Accountability, the National Hispanic Leadership Institute and the U.S. Census Advisory Committee on Race and Ethnic Populations. More recently, Mr. Diaz was appointed to the Verizon Community Consumer Advisory Board, and to Burger King Corporation Diversity Advisory Council.

In 1994, he was appointed as United States Ombudsman/Civilian Liaison at our naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba, where he assisted over thirty thousand (30,000) Cuban rafters interned in camps and provided coordination among the U.S. military, and civilian government agencies, and the public at large.

In the last decade, Mr. Diaz has authored and/or edited a textbook, over thirty research and policy papers, and written over fifty articles for newspapers and magazines.

He is married to the former Teresita Otazo and has two daughters, Cristina and Susana.