Leonel Fernandez

Leonel Fernandez is a member of the Dominican Liberation Party who was sworn in August 16, 2008 as President of the Dominican Republic. Fernandez was elected as the President of the Dominican Liberation Party in January of 2002, with nearly unanimous support.http://www.consuladord-ny.org/Staff/profile%20presidente.htm

Leonel Fernandez was born to Jose Antonio Fernandez-Collado and Yolanda Reyna-Romero on December 26, 1953, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He and his family moved to New York City, New York in 1962, where he spent his developmental years attending elementary and secondary school in the United States. He returned to the Dominican Republic in 1971 to enter the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo where he graduated in 1978 with a Juris Doctor and winning an award for being the best in his class. After graduation Fernandez worked as a journalist, author, teacher as well as practicing law. He married Margarita Cedeno. Together they have had three children: Nicole, Omar Fernandez Dominguez and Yolanda America Maria Fernandez Cedeno. They also have one grandchild: Sofia Monserrat. http://www.worldleaders.columbia.edu/participants/dr-leonel-fern%C3%A1ndez

In 1973, Juan Bosch,(former member of the Dominican Revolutionary Party), one of Fernandez' intellectual mentors, formed the Dominican Liberation Party, which Fernandez joined at its inception. Fernandez stature in the eyes of the members of the Dominican Liberation Party rose as he authored several books including: The United States in the Caribbean: From the Cold War to The Reagan Plan and Roots of an Usurped Power. In 1985, Fernandez became a member of the Dominican Liberation Party's central committee and in 1990] a part of the political committee. The Dominican Liberation Party had become so impressed with Fernandez that in 1994 they asked him to run as the Vice-presidential candidate on the ticket with Juan Bosch, but their attempt was unsuccessful.

The Dominican Liberation Party selected Fernandez as their candidate for president in the 1996 election. He won, making him the first head of state from the Dominican Liberation Party and one of the youngest elected officers in Latin America. He was sworn in for his first term on August 16, 1996 and ran through August 16, 2000. It was against the Dominican Republic constitution at that time for a sitting president to run for a second consecutive term. Hipolit Mejia became his successor and during his four year administration the constitution was changed, which allowed him to be the first sitting president to run for re-election. Mejia lost that election and Fernandez was sworn into his second term as president on August 10, 2004. Thanks to President Hipolito Mejia's constitutional change in during his presidency, Fernandez was able to run again for president while being a sitting president. He won his third campaign for president against Vargas Maldonado, making Fernandez the first president to serve two consecutive terms. He assumed office for the third time on August 16, 2008.http://www.la-republique-dominicaine.org/Dominican-Republic-Leonel-Fernandez-President-of-the-Republic.htmlhttp://www.consuladord-ny.org/Staff/profile%20presidente.htm

President Fernandez has had many and varied legislative and policy changes over his two terms and starting into his third including the following: 1) financial leanings that favored education and public health 2) job creations 3) financial support for: micro, small and medium businesses 4) establishing industrial free zones 5) in 1998 he restored diplomatic relations with Cuba 6) creation of Investment Promotion Office to help attract foreign investment 7) through his efforts during his first administration the Dominican Republic was able to achieve one of the worlds highest growth rates nearing 8% 8) his administrations have come to be known as strictly supporting public liberties and human rights 9) Fernandez' efforts have caused him to be nicknamed the "milagro dominicano" (the Dominican Miracle)http://www.la-republique-dominicaine.org/Dominican-Republic-Leonel-Fernandez-President-of-the-Republic.htmlhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/204887/Leonel-Fernandez-Reyna