[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JOSE R. BALASQUIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Hispanic Heritage 
Month, to recognize Jose Balasquide. Born in Puerto Rico, Mr. 
Balasquide has been residing in Central Florida since 1993.
  Mr. Balasquide has been active in the political, civic, and business 
communities in Central Florida. As Governmental Affairs Director for 
the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, he worked to 
promote the region's economic development.
  A former Legislative Assistant to a Florida State Senator, Mr. 
Balasquide has remained politically active. He served as the Florida 
State Director of the Mi Familia Vota Educational Fund (MVEF), where he 
led campaigns to help increase civic engagement in the Latino community 
and build a new, influential community of voters. He has also directed 
Latino civic engagement efforts, and mobilized over 75,000 Latinos in 
Florida during the 2012 elections.
  Mr. Balasquide is also a Member-at-Large for the Executive Board of 
the Central Florida Redistricting Council. In this capacity, he has 
been battling for the fair redistricting of the state of Florida.
  Mr. Balasquide served as the Director of the Latino Civic Engagement 
Working Group, a platform for Latino civic organizations to develop a 
regional and state progressive civic engagement plan. In 2013, he 
served as the President of the Florida Democratic Hispanic Caucus and 
he is currently the President for its Osceola County Chapter. He is 
also a Partner at Business Entities Advisors LLC., a consulting 
company, and a Consultant with Beacon Solutions, LLC.
  A graduate of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, College of 
Business Administration, Mr. Balasquide is a licensed insurance 
adjuster and a financial advisor.
  I am happy to recognize Jose R. Balasquide, during Hispanic Heritage 
Month, for his contributions to the Central Florida community.

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