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Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Execs named at La Concha, CBP, Puerto Rico Public Health Trust

This edition of Climbing the Corporate Ladder features new executive appointments at the La Concha Resort and Condado Ocean Club, the US Customs and Border Protection in San Juan and the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust.

Mike Rivera

New GMs for La Concha Resort, Condado Ocean Club
Fahad Ghaffar, co-owner of The Condado Collection, announced the appointment of two new general managers for La Concha Resort and Condado Ocean Club hotels.

Puerto Rican native Miguel “Mike” Rivera becomes general manager of La Concha Resort after serving as vice president of operations for the three hotels that make up The Condado Collection, which, in addition to these two properties, also includes the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel.

Meanwhile, Carlo F. Chávez will occupy the same position at Condado Ocean Club.

“I am pleased to officially announce the appointment of these two excellent hotel industry professionals as general managers of two of the most important hotels in Puerto Rico, located on Ashford Avenue, in the heart of Condado,” said Ghaffar, partner at Paulson & Co., owners of the hotel trio.

“We’re very excited with these appointments as we know that both professionals will make important and necessary contributions to the continued development of these properties, helping them achieve their maximum potential, while contributing to the growth of the tourism industry in Puerto Rico,” Ghaffar said, adding that the hotels that make up The Condado Collection provide employment for approximately more than 2,100 Puerto Ricans.

Carlo Chávez

Rivera returns to work exclusively for La Concha Resort, where he previously held the position of hotel manager for seven years until 2018. Later, he served as hotel manager at the Condado Vanderbilt, then subsequently as operations manager for the trio of hotels, until recently accepting the challenges that come with his new position.

“I have worked with La Concha Resort since 2011 and feel honored with the trust they place in me to take charge of this iconic hotel through a position as important as general manager,” said Rivera.

“This property is famous for its perfect balance of sophistication and fun, and we are ready at this time to elevate the experiences of both our guests and local visitors with energy and innovation,” said Rivera, who holds a bachelor’s degree in government and public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, as well as numerous certifications in hospitality, gastronomy, human resources, and operations.

Meanwhile, for the past 20 years, Chávez has held positions in hotels in Las Vegas, a renowned tourist zone worldwide, where he is recognized for his charismatic leadership. He worked at MGM Grand and most recently as operations director at The Cosmopolitan, where he was responsible for increasing retention, productivity, and employee satisfaction with excellent results.

“I feel a great responsibility to promote all the richness that Puerto Rico, my new home, offers as a world class tourism destination,” he said.

Chávez studied law at the Universidad Tecnológica de México and at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. His career as a hotelier developed in Las Vegas, where he began in the year 2000 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino, later moving on to other hotels. Chávez is the recipient of multiple awards recognizing his performance.

Roberto Vaquero

New director of CBP San Juan Field Operations
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the appointment of Roberto Vaquero as director of San Juan Field Operations, which covers the ports of entry in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Vaquero has more than 21 years of federal service and has served in critical leadership positions within CBP. Most recently, as acting director of field operations for the San Juan Field Office, he oversaw more than 630 employees within Puerto Rico and the USVI.

Previously, Vaquero served as assistant director, Field Operation for the San Juan Field Office where he led his division to its first federal “Employee of the Year Award for innovation.”

He has held several key leadership positions in the CBP including within the Miami Field Office and New York Field Office. Vaquero also served as acting director for CBP’s Immigration Advisory Program, overseeing operations in 13 countries.

Vaquero served in the US Army Reserve as well as with the Puerto Rico National Guard.

Puerto Rico Public Health Trust names Exec. Director
The Puerto Rico Public Health Trust (PRPHT), a program of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust announced that Marianyoly Ortiz-Ortiz will be the new executive director of the program.

Marianyoly Ortiz

It was also announced that José F. Rodríguez-Orengo, former executive director of the PRPHT, will continue in an advisory capacity, while also undertaking other professional projects.

“I’m confident that Ortiz is the right person to delineate this new stage of the Public Health Trust,” said Science Trust CEO Lucy Crespo. 

“After only three years of establishing this program, it has been the fastest growing of our organization, and we needed a person with her experience in community outreach and administrative structure to successfully continue with the reins of the program and strengthen our public health pillar,” she said.

Ortiz, who has been with the Trust for seven years, served as associate director of the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit, in a collaborative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As part of her work at PRVCU she excelled in outlining the program structure, administrative efficiency, and implementation of initiatives for the control of the mosquito that causes dengue, Zika and Chikungunya through a community outreach team.

“It’s an honor to assume this new role in the PRPHT. Since my arrival at the program in April 2022, first as associate director, and now as executive director, I have been dedicated to understanding the workings of each division and project to highlight their strengths and maximize their potential,” Ortiz said.

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This story was written by our staff based on a press release.
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