Daisy Black was elected Mayor of the Village of El Portal on November 2, 2010. This was not her first time being Mayor. She previously served as Mayor in the late 1990’s and early 2000. She served on the El Portal Council for twelve years. She was the first African American Mayor to serve on the Village of El Portal Council. Ms. Black returned to the El Portal Council in 2008 as a Councilmember and was elected Mayor in 2010. (Read more...)
Village Officials
Thank you again for giving me this opportunity to serve, once more, as a voice in your stead. I truly take great pride in this honorable post. I must state, if El Portal is to progress, we must put aside all our indifference and focus on what tangible commodities can direct our fair Village. (Read more...)
Thank you again for your support as I am proud to once again represent the Citizens of El Portal, Florida as your Councilperson, Seat # 2.
In 2007, I, as the youngest of my late parent’s nine children, whom emigrated from Colombia and were small business owners in Miami, and who helped motivate me to be a National Honor Society graduate of Coral Gables High School and student body president at Florida International University (BBC), followed their entrepreneurial footsteps and founded Ms. Claudia’s Village Academy and Ms. Claudia’s Tutoring Service, both centrally located in El Portal, Florida in order to create jobs and provide a solid educational foundation for our youngest citizens (and our country’s future) to succeed.
In 2008, with the Citizens of El Portal’s help and the encouragement of my student’s parents and fellow villagers, I had the honor of becoming the first Hispanic-American elected official in El Portal’s 75 year-plus history, winning with 64% of the vote and receiving the most votes ever recorded for a El Portal Village Council seat, and then was honored by the El Portal Citizens again with a second term in November 2010.
As Councilperson, I believe that the public safety of our Citizens is job #1 and I have advocated and taken steps to keep our professional police department strong. In addition, I championed the monthly Senior Citizen’s luncheon and community newsletter, as well as re-established the annual Easter Egg Hunt, and as the wife of an activated U.S. Army Reservist, I started the annual 5K Run/Walk in honor of Armed Forces Day now in its’ third year.
In addition, as El Portal’s primary official representative to Miami-Dade County’s League of Cities, I am championing initiatives to solve problems in the greater South Florida community in order to better set conditions for our citizens to prosper.
One of those initiatives with outstanding potential is the pending approval of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement (FTA). As a former international education executive specializing in duty-free trade for Estee Lauder Companies, Inc., I know first-hand what an outstanding opportunity the Colombian FTA provides for creating jobs for South Florida’s citizens and have taken it seriously.
In April 2009, I traveled with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce to Colombia where I attended commercial briefings by the U.S. Embassy and met with U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield. In addition, I personally met with the Mayor of Cartagena Judith Pinedo Florez and Colombian business organizations, all in an effort to improve opportunities for business and trade to create well-paying jobs in South Florida, and most importantly for the Citizens of El Portal, and I will continue in these efforts.
Again, I am proud to represent the Citizens of El Portal, Florida as your Councilperson and I encourage our Citizens to share their positions and ideas with me in our efforts to make El Portal the best community for people to live, work, play, and prosper in South Florida.
I can be reached by email at: ccubillos@villageofelportal.org 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, please feel free to attend any/all of our public Council or Committee meetings. I look forward to seeing you there!
Thank you again for your continued support!!
Sincerely,
Claudia V. Cubillos
Councilperson, Seat 2
Village of El Portal, Florida
Mr. Omarr C. Nickerson was born in Miami, Florida. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University Of Miami “The U” in Liberal and Social Arts. He then went on to obtain his first Master’s Degree in Global History and Socio-Geographic Studies from the University of Cairo, in Egypt. He got his second Master’s Degree in International Political Science and Economic Development from the University of Damascus, in Syria.
Mr. Nickerson is first and foremost a lecturer, who has given numerous speeches to the public throughout the Middle East and Asia. He also works with Miami-Dade Public Schools as a “hands-on” educator with schools that are listed under educational transformation, due to their low scores on standardized tests. He has obtained Florida Certification in Micro and Macro Economics, World History, American Government, American History, and Geography. He also has Certification through the state of Florida to educate individuals with a wide range of disabilities, including those with Special Learning Needs, Varying Exceptionalities, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
When asked what he wanted for the village and community, he stated “More Council-Community Involvement and Improved, Transparent Communication,” which would be his primary focus for El Portal’s immediate future.
Councilmember, Seat 3
onickerson@villageofelportal.org
