We Live Here! Florida Community Studies Consortium

BIOGRAPHY: MAURICE FERRE

PERSONAL

• Maurice Ferre was born on June 23, 1935 in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
• He has been married to M. Mercedes Malaussena Ferre for 49 years this year.
• The couple has six children and 13 grandchildren. They lost one son in an accident.

EDUCATION

• Ferre received his secondary education at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
• He received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering (BSAE) from the University of Miami.
• He also received his M.B.A. from the University of Miami.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

• Most recently, Ferre has served as a business consultant under his own auspices, The Office of Maurice A. Ferre, in Miami. Since 1985, he has worked in this regard and served as director for ITELSA in Miami and E-Lysium in Hollywood, FL.
• From 1963 to 1978, Ferre served in numerous organizations in the role of either president or director. Some of those organizations were Pan American Bank, Ferre Export Corp, Ferre Development Corp, Ponce Products, Miami Caribe Investments, Inc., Ferre Florida Corp., and Fabrica Nacional de Vidrios, S.A.

POLITICAL LIFE

• ELECTED OFFICES

Lost primary for Miami Dade County Mayor in August 2004

Elected Miami-Dade Board of Commissioners Vice-Chairman 1993-1996

Elected Mayor of the City of Miami for SIX terms from 1973-1985

Elected City of Miami Commissioner 1967-1968

Elected State Representative for District 112 from 1966-1967

• SUPPORT POSITIONS

Democratic National Convention delegate 1988, 1984, 1980.

National Hispanic Chairman or Co-Chairman for national Democratic Party for Mondale/Ferro Presidential campaign and Carter/Mondale campaign.

Addressed DNC Convention on minority platforms (1980) and U.S. policy in Latin America and the Caribbean (1976)

• LOCAL UN-ELECTED POSITIONS

Former University of Miami Trustee, Downtown Development Authority former chairman, Dade County Citizens Advisory Committee, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, former Barry University and Florida Memorial College board member, Southeastern Florida Holocaust Memorial Center, The Viscayans, South Dade Industrial Development Council, South Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and others.