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  3. Guillermo Vidal
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Guillermo Vidal

PE
Public Speaker
guillermovidal.me
Country or state 
United States (Florida)
City 
Sarasota
Fee 
Languages 
English,
Spanish
Volunteer
No

Personal Details

Current position (3)

Public Speaker

guillermovidal.me

Author

guillermovidal.me

Consultant

ATKINS

Achievements (3)
44th Mayor of Denver, Colorado

became the first foreign born mayor in Denver history on January 12, 2011.

Executive Director, Colorado Department of Transportation

Appointed to lead this agency as part of Governor Roy Romer's administrative cabinet on March 11, 1994.

Published Author

Published two books,

Boxing for Cuba - An Immigrant's Story, Fulcrum Press 2007, 2013

Catch and Release - One Man's Improbable Search for True Love and the Meaning of Life, Quintin Bauer Press 2018

Degrees (1)
Civil Engineering
University Of Colorado
1969 to 1973

Bio

Horizontal Tabs

From Orphan to Mayor

Guillermo Vidal is a native of Camagüey, Cuba. In late 1961, his parents sent him with his brothers to the U.S.A. via “Operation Peter Pan,” a program that placed over 14,000 children in foster homes and orphanages throughout the fifty states. The three Vidal boys were assigned to an orphanage in Pueblo, Colorado. They reunited with their parents almost four years later.

Guillermo learned about resilience and perseverance as he and his family struggled to overcome many difficult life challenges. Life took a better turn when he graduated as a Civil Engineer from the University of Colorado, Denver in 1973.

In 1976, Guillermo began working for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)—the last five years serving as executive director and a member of Colorado Governor Roy Romer’s cabinet—where he learned two very important skills. During the earliest part of his career, he learned how to work with others to build bridges, roads and systems that would give people freedom of movement and communities a better chance to grow. The second part of his career with CDOT saw him climb steadily up to the top of the organization’s management structure. This was the time he learned how to inspire and motivate people to come together on a common mission of transportation to help create a greater Colorado.

After his tenure with CDOT, he headed the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)—the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Denver region—as its executive director for five years. Once again, Guillermo used his leadership position to help bring communities together on a common vison of regional transportation.

In 2004, Guillermo joined Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper to become Deputy Mayor and Manager of Public Works. In 2011, he was sworn in as Denver’s 44th and first foreign-born mayor. He used his skills to bring citizens, local officials and employees together to create a greater Denver.

Guillermo became President and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver in 2012. Although, no longer in the government sector, he brought together the Hispanic businesses in the Denver Metro Area to use their influence to help the community at large.

Following the death of his father in 1998, Guillermo returned to Cuba to trace his remaining family and bring closure to a forty-year absence from his homeland. This trip motivated Guillermo to write his memoirs, titled, Boxing for Cuba. It was published in 2007. He published a sequel in 2018, titled Catch and Release in which he chronicles the challenges of starting life over in your sixties after three unexpected challenges changed the trajectory of his life.

Today, Guillermo continues his writing and public speaking. He uses his skills to shed a light on the life mysteries and lessons he has deciphered to inspire others to seek their own self-fulfillment and feel empowered to make the world a better place.

Bio #2

Presentations

Presentations (5)
An Immigrant's Story: From Orphan To Mayor

This presentation is based on my book, Boxing for Cuba, which chronicles my immigration story from Cuba to the United States. I share my many life challenges and use them to show how they can teach us all to develop our resiliency and perseverance, no matter what problems we face. I was placed in an orphanage when arriving in the USA and, fifty years later, would be sworn in as the City of Denver's 44th mayor.

Now that You have Been Elected, it is Now Time to Stop Campaigning and Focus on Governing

It is hard for newly elected officials to stop their campaign momentum and concentrate on running their new government. This presentation deals motivates and inspires new elected to commit to serving all their constituents and not just those who voted for them. It does so by demonstrating the good politics behind getting things done well for the greater good of all.

Leadership is a Personal Journey of Reverence, Respect, Integrity and Discernment

Leadership is a lot like how the Supreme Court Rule about pornography, it is hard to describe but you know it when you see it. I use my career experience to talk about the great leaders I met who demonstrated these aforementioned four qualities in their leadership. I use real life experiences to demonstrate how and to give the listeners a great leadership model to follow.

From Orphan To Mayor: Leadership Paradigms Contained in Your Life Lessons

I take examples of good and bad leadership from the people and situations in my life. I also bring in examples from my time working for a governor of Colorado and a mayor of Denver.

A View at Working for Local Governments

I share my experiences working as a manager of public works and then as mayor of Denver to newly elected local government officials.

Workshops (3)
Managing Career Changes with Life Changes
1 hour
(View workshop agenda)

Career changes can offer difficult challenges to everyone's life. When a career changed is viewed as a positive one, like a promotion, this does not mean it may be aligned with the life you want to lead. This workshop helps you identify your passions and priorities so that you can use them to sort out the changes that support your goals and dreams.

Becoming the Person You Were Born to Be
1 hour
(View workshop agenda)

This is a workshop to encourage individuals to listen to their inner voice and become the person they want to be. It intended to teach individuals to identify their own passions, even those the world views as nonsensical, and own them. Participants were also encouraged to stop comforting to the desire others have for them. about how to stop comforting

You Are the Hero in Your Journey
1 hour
(View workshop agenda)

This workshop focused on helping participants realize their power to create the lives they want by choosing the right perceptions and thoughts. It also teaches how to view the experiences, environment and people in one's life as necessary elements with lessons important to our evolution.

Past talks (2)
My Journey from Immigrant to Big City Mayor
The Landing's Free College
Sarasota, Florida
March 28, 2019
An Immigrants Story From Orphan to Mayor
Saint Edward's School
Vero Beach, Florida
April 4, 2019
  • All (2)
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Slides (1)
  • Press information (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
This speaker hasn't uploaded any photos yet.
Speech to High Schoolers on Overcoming Life Challenges
This speaker hasn't uploaded any one sheet yet.
Editorial: Vidal’s 189 days very productive

Books & Articles (3)

Boxing for Cuba - An Immigrant's Story
Fulcrum Press,
2007
Catch and Release - One Man's Improbable Search for True Love and the Meaning of Life
Quintin Bauer Press,
2018
The Guillermo Vidal Blog

Expertise (14)

Leadership
Social & Political
Health & Well-being
Active Aging abundant living Become your true self Aging gracefully Aging Fearless Living Fulfilling your potential Fulfilling Your Purpose Dating Coach Building Meaningful Relationships Achieving and Surpassing Goals

Clients

University of Denver, Denver Colorado
St Edwards High School, Vero Beach, Florida
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Reston, Virginia
National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), Los Angeles, California
Vero Beach Yacht Club, Vero Beach, Florida

Awards & certifications (8)

Vale La Pena Award
Boy Scouts of America
2012
Alumni Appreciation Award
University of Colorado
2011
Immigrant Liberty Award
American Immigration Lawyers Association Colorado Chapter
2011
Political Achievement Award
Hispanic Contractors of Colorado
2008
Roderick L. Downing Award for Outstanding Contribution in Transportation
University of Colorado and Colorado Department of Transportation
1999
Special Award for Efforts to Help the Disadvantaged Business Community
From Rodney Slater, US Secretary of Transportation for President Bill Clinton
1999
Driving Force Award
Colorado E-470 Public Highway Authority
1999
Friend of Transit
Colorado Association of Transit Agencies
1999
Recommendations
Why choose me? 

My story will enlighten and inspire audiences to use their talents to help create a greater good.

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