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Daniel Espino is sworn in as a new Miami-Dade University Board member on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. Gov. DeSantis appointed him to the board on Monday night, Nov. 21, 2022, changing Christi Fraga, who resigned Monday. Fraga is working in the Dec. 13 mayoral runoff election in Doral and had to resign.
At all around 8 p.m. Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Daniel Espino to the Miami-Dade County University Board. By Tuesday, he had been sworn in as a new member and soon just after, voted in favor of electing Maria Teresa Rojas and Lubby Navarro as board chair and vice chair, respectively.
In addition to his votes, the attorney and chairman of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce briefly dealt with the crowded board home. Following thanking DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and Florida Education and learning Commissioner Manny Diaz, Espino thanked God and reported he “takes up this situation on the college board with the exact function of clarity and similar care as I devote to remaining a guardian.”
Espino, the father to 4 sons, argued that dad and mom are “our children’s very first and daily life-very long educators.”
Read through Much more: Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints Daniel Espino to the Miami-Dade County University Board
His swift appointment to board member leaves the community with tiny information about how he will serve and what challenges he will prioritize. But his short remarks on Tuesday, a 2012 unsuccessful College Board run and marketing campaign finance information provide a glimpse into his priorities.
Below, then, are five items to know — for now — about Espino.
Donations to DeSantis, Fraga
Espino donated to DeSantis and two political motion committees this calendar year, in accordance to Florida marketing campaign contribution documents.
He donated $250 to DeSantis’ reelection marketing campaign, $500 to the Subsequent Technology Leaders PAC, an energetic PAC whose chairperson is Christi Fraga, whom Espino changed on the board right after she resigned Monday owing to jogging in the Dec. 13 mayoral runoff election in Doral. He also gave a further $500 to the Shielding Liberty of Speech PAC, which is listed as shut and whose chairperson is Lauren Pardo, who will work for the Miami-Dade County Commission.
In April, Espino hosted DeSantis at Beat Lifestyle, a Miami-primarily based brewery he co-owns with his brother. He praised the governor for “keeping our enterprise open” during the pandemic and thanked him for “being a fighter up there in Tallahassee, battling for Florida’s family members […] due to the fact it’s time to end pandering to unique passions at [the] threat of our little ones.”
Just after his short remarks, he released DeSantis as “the governor Florida wanted, that Florida wished and that other states wished they experienced.”
Go through Much more: Miami-Dade University Board elects new chair, vice chair aligned with DeSantis, GOP
Parents’ legal rights advocate
Like Roberto Alonso and Monica Colucci, the two board newcomers whom DeSantis endorsed in the Aug. 23 key election, Espino supports far more parental involvement in educational institutions. On Tuesday, he explained, there is “never been a far more crucial time for parents to perform a central purpose in education and learning and I’m proud to contribute my voice to that.”
Parental rights has been a crucial talking place for DeSantis and other conservatives in the state.
“The new election cycle has raised the debate about education,” he claimed Tuesday. “Parents are activated. Let us use that engagement to gas our take care of.”
Study Far more: As DeSantis injects politics into school boards, mothers and fathers are acquiring more influence
Supports ‘fundamentals’ in schooling
Throughout his speech Tuesday, he mentioned educational institutions “need to target on fundamentals,” hanging a very similar tone to other people who think only the core topics, this sort of as reading through, math and civics, should be taught in educational facilities. He stated culture is “keen to influence, to expose our youngsters to far more and more grownup pressures, shrinking their childhoods.”
(Final week, during an unofficial swearing-in ceremony, Colucci evoked a related information, expressing she would “never settle for getting politically right, but alternatively morally appropriate. When it arrives to youngsters, I pledge to guard their minds, hearts and spirits and in transform, shield their innocence.”)
Examine Additional: Two DeSantis-backed Miami faculty board associates unofficially sworn in by lieutenant governor
Following his swearing-in, Espino informed reporters that specific subject areas or conversations surrounding sexuality need to be remaining out of the classroom. He declined to remark on the board’s July final decision to adopt a in depth sexual well being textbook following first banning the e-book.
Backed by teachers’ union earlier
In 2012, when he unsuccessfully ran for a university board seat, he obtained campaign donations from United Instructors of Dade’s political action committee, in accordance to Espino’s monetary studies from the District 5 race in that election. He was defeated by Susie Castillo, who gained additional than 60% of the vote at the time.
Right after his appointment Monday, Karla Hernandez-Mats, the union’s president who not too long ago ran for lieutenant governor as Charlie Crist’s running mate and shed to DeSantis and Nuñez, congratulated Espino on his appointment.
In a statement, she claimed, “As a fellow Miami Springs resident, where by Mr. Espino served as a councilman, I know that he appreciates the accountability of general public support for a popular superior.”
Espino was elected to the Miami Springs Council in 2009 and resigned in 2012 to run for the University Board seat.
Hernandez-Mats joined the union’s leadership workforce in 2013 and three decades later became president.
Browse Extra: As DeSantis injects politics into faculty boards, parents are obtaining additional impact
Lawful occupation
In the course of his legal career, Espino has been acknowledged by a slew of community and statewide corporations.
In 2022, the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce acknowledged him with the Lawful Award, and in 2018, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named him the Sunshine Law firm of the Yr.
In accordance to The Florida Bar, Espino’s lawful locations of abilities include things like organization, corporate, authorities administration and regulation, govt and community policy, authorities contracts, authentic estate/land development and zoning, preparing and land use difficulties.
This tale was originally printed November 26, 2022 6:00 AM.
