Eduardo Aguirre
Encyclopedia
Eduardo Aguirre Reyes, Jr. (born July 30, 1946, in Cuba
), is a principal in Atlantic Partners, an international consulting firm, based in Houston.
Until January 20, 2009, he was the United States Ambassador to Spain
and Andorra
, appointed by President George W. Bush
, confirmed by the United States Senate
on June 16, 2005, and sworn in on June 24, 2005. He presented his credentials to King Juan Carlos I of Spain
on June 29, 2005.
.
Aguirre holds a Bachelor of Science
degree from Louisiana State University
(LSU). He is a graduate of the American Bankers Association
's National Commercial Lending Graduate School. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Connecticut
, the University of Houston
and the Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago
in the Dominican Republic.
Aguirre and his wife Tere each emigrated from Cuba
as unaccompanied minors at the age of 15. They maintain their permanent home in Houston, where they have lived for three decades. The Aguirres have two grown children, Eddy and Tessie.
. He had worked for Bank of America for 24 years.
, Texas Bar Foundation, Operación Pedro Pan Foundation, Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, and the Houston chapters of the American Red Cross
and the Salvation Army
.
Aguirre was appointed by then Governor George W. Bush to the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System
for a six-year term, serving from 1996 to 1998 as chairman. Former President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the National Commission for Employment Policy.
. At USCIS, Mr. Aguirre led a team of 15,000 employees serving over 6 million annual applicants seeking immigration benefits.
Aguirre was the author of one of the first classified U.S. Dept. of State cables released by Wikileaks on Nov. 28, 2010, in which he described, among other issues, U.S. embassy efforts to derail the legal proceedings against U.S. soldiers accused of killing Spanish journalist José Couso
. http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/05/07MADRID911.html
, and the order of Christopher Columbus—Grade of Grand Officer—by the Dominican Republic
. The Daughters of the American Revolution
awarded him their 2004 Americanism Medal.
Aguirre is a member of the Delta Sigma Pi
fraternity and received the Delta Sigma Pi Career Achievement Award in 2000.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
), is a principal in Atlantic Partners, an international consulting firm, based in Houston.
Until January 20, 2009, he was the United States Ambassador to Spain
United States Ambassador to Spain
-Ambassadors:*John Jay**Appointed: September 29, 1779**Title: Minister Plenipotentiary**Presented credentials:**Terminated mission: ~May 20, 1782*William Carmichael**Appointed: April 20, 1790**Title: Chargé d'Affaires...
and Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, appointed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on June 16, 2005, and sworn in on June 24, 2005. He presented his credentials to King Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
on June 29, 2005.
Background
Aguirre was born in Cuba in 1946, and emigrated to the US in 1961 via Operation Peter PanOperation Peter Pan
Operation Peter Pan , was an operation coordinated by the United States government , the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, and certain Cubans. Between 1960 and 1962, over 14,000 children were sent from Cuba to Miami by their parents...
.
Aguirre holds a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(LSU). He is a graduate of the American Bankers Association
American Bankers Association
The American Bankers Association is an industry trade group and professional association representing the United States' banking industry...
's National Commercial Lending Graduate School. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and the Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago
Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago
The Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago —or Santiago University of Technology , is a private, coeducational, university located in the Dominican Republic. Its main campus is in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros, and it has smaller campus extensions in Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Moca, Dajabon...
in the Dominican Republic.
Aguirre and his wife Tere each emigrated from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
as unaccompanied minors at the age of 15. They maintain their permanent home in Houston, where they have lived for three decades. The Aguirres have two grown children, Eddy and Tessie.
Career in banking
Aguirre joined the Department of Homeland Security from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), where he served as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. From December 2001 to December 2002, he was Acting Chairman of this Federal Agency. Prior to joining the Bush administration, Aguirre was President of International Private Banking for Bank of AmericaBank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
. He had worked for Bank of America for 24 years.
In Texas
In 1990, the Supreme Court of Texas appointed him to the State Bar as a non-attorney director. Aguirre has served on numerous professional and civic boards, including the Texas Children's HospitalTexas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.With 639 licensed beds and 465 beds in operation, Texas Children's is the largest children's hospital in the United States and is affiliated with the Baylor College of Medicine as that...
, Texas Bar Foundation, Operación Pedro Pan Foundation, Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, and the Houston chapters of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
and the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
.
Aguirre was appointed by then Governor George W. Bush to the Board of Regents of the University of Houston System
University of Houston System
The University of Houston System is a state university system in Texas, encompassing four separate and distinct universities. It has two system centers, which operate as and distance learning course delivery sites for its universities...
for a six-year term, serving from 1996 to 1998 as chairman. Former President George H.W. Bush appointed him to the National Commission for Employment Policy.
Government service
Before his appointment as ambassador, Aguirre served, beginning February 7, 2003, as the first Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an Under Secretary rank position in the Department of Homeland SecurityUnited States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
. At USCIS, Mr. Aguirre led a team of 15,000 employees serving over 6 million annual applicants seeking immigration benefits.
Aguirre was the author of one of the first classified U.S. Dept. of State cables released by Wikileaks on Nov. 28, 2010, in which he described, among other issues, U.S. embassy efforts to derail the legal proceedings against U.S. soldiers accused of killing Spanish journalist José Couso
José Couso
José Couso Permuy was a Spanish cameraman who was one of the April 8, 2003 journalist deaths by U.S. fire after a U.S. tank fired at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq during the 2003 Iraq invasion.-Biography:...
. http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2007/05/07MADRID911.html
Honors
Aguirre was bestowed the Order of José Matías Delgado—Grade of Grand Officer—by El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, and the order of Christopher Columbus—Grade of Grand Officer—by the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
awarded him their 2004 Americanism Medal.
Aguirre is a member of the Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Sigma Pi
ΔΣΠ ' is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, New York University, New York, New York and is currently headquartered in Oxford, Ohio...
fraternity and received the Delta Sigma Pi Career Achievement Award in 2000.