Occupation Trial lawyer Succeeded by Ingrid Vila Biaggi | Name Miguel Romero | |
Full Name Miguel Alberto Romero Born February 17, 1970 (age 54)
San Juan, Puerto Rico ( 1970-02-17 ) | ||
Miguel Alberto Romero (born February 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician, and the former Secretary of Labor and Human Resources of Puerto Rico and Chief of Staff of Puerto Rico.
Contents
Early life and education
Romero was born on February 17, 1970, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This young professional gained his elementary education in Puerto Rico's public school system. At the age of 17 he was accepted by the University of Puerto Rico to pursue a bachelor's degree in social sciences. While going to college, he also attended hospitality school where he learned the skills he would later use in his union job as a casino croupier, a position that provided his first exposure to collective bargaining agreements.
He graduated from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law summa cum laude and first in his class. After graduation, he obtained the highest grade in his Bar Exam, being one of a handful of hopefuls in Puerto Rico to ever achieve a perfect score in that test. Romero is admitted to practice law in the state of Florida, the Federal Court in Puerto Rico, the Central Florida Federal Court and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Early career
He joined the Government of Puerto Rico in 1993, working for the Youth Affairs Office. Then he moved up to La Fortaleza – the Governor's Mansion – where he worked in the Municipal Affairs Office during the day, while seeking a law degree from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law in the evenings.
In 1998, then-Governor Pedro Rossello nominated Romero as associate member of the Appellate Board of the government's personnel administration system. Two years later, he was designated president of that entity, serving in that capacity until 2004, being the youngest member of the cabinet at the time of his nomination. Romero then practiced as a private trial lawyer, specializing in labor relations.
Chief of Staff of Puerto Rico
On August 1, 2012, Romero became the Governor's third Chief of Staff, succeeding Marcos Rodriguez Ema, who became one of Senior Advisor to the Fortuno reelection campaign. The differences in style with his predecessor became readily apparent when he announced that he will concentrate on government issues and avoid becoming immersed in political debate.
National politics
Romero, a Democrat, served as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing the San Juan Senatorial District.
San Juan candidacy
On 2014, Romero ran for the presidency of the New Progressive Party (PNP) in San Juan. However, he was defeated by Leo Diaz Urbina in the elections that were held on June 8, 2014. Romero finished in second place with 6,002 votes for 31.52%.