Joe Garcia was born and raised in Miami, Florida. His parents, Joe Sr. and Carmen Garcia came to the United States to escape communism in their homeland, and seeking the freedom and opportunity that America promised.?

As a law student, Joe was hired to lead the Exodus Project of the Cuban American National Foundation. He attended the University of Miami Law School during the day and directed the project on nights and weekends. Through Joe?s tireless efforts, and those of his colleagues, the Exodus Project became the most successful private refugee resettlement program in American history. Over 10,000 families who had suffered through persecution were reunited at no cost to taxpayers.?

After his work on the Exodus Project, Joe was appointed, by the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, to lead the Florida Public Service Commission. As its Chairman, Joe deregulated Florida's telecommunications industry, which lowered monthly bills for families.

In 2000, during a transformational moment in our community, Joe Garcia became the Executive Director of the Cuban American National Foundation, the country's leading advocate for democracy in Cuba. Under Joe's leadership, the organization doubled its funding to the island's internal opposition movement. Joe became a national figure for the cause of freedom in Cuba and was a frequent guest on national media outlets such as CNN, Fox News, Univision, NPR and MSNBC to name a few. ?

Along with his work at CANF, Joe teamed up with NDN, a centrist policy institute, and led its Hispanic outreach efforts. Joe is one of the country's leading experts on immigration and has continuously worked with members of Congress to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. In 2006, Joe was elected as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.

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