Salvadoran businessman Juan Vides is running for the New York Assembly |
Posted: February 16, 2018 |
What began as a dream in business communication is today a political and social challenge for Juan Vides, a resident of Oceanside who seeks to represent District 20 in the Assembly of New York.
"Let's connect people," says Vides, "that's my slogan. That's what I want to achieve ", and that is that communication is his passion. As CEO of TechACS Corp, a marketing agency specializing in website design, Vides began working with the Hispanic community of Long Island since he was 26, when he was part of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Long Island (Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) and helped them with the creation of their website. There, he says, his commitment was born. Vides, 40, came to live in the United States as a Salvadoran refugee at the age of four, and when he was 16 he became a US citizen after former President Ronald Reagan granted amnesty to his family. "I became an American citizen two years before turning 18 to be able to vote in the elections," said Vides, who says that "it was time for a Latino from Nassau County to occupy a seat in the Assembly", and that is Vides explained that his impulse was born the day he had to investigate who was his representative. Vides refers to Melissa 'Missy' Miller, who in 2016, decided to make her first foray into a public office, running for the New York State Assembly and replacing Todd Kaminsky, after he won the elections for the Senate of NY. Unopposed to the Republican nomination, Miller defeated Democrat Anthony Eramo, Long Beach City Councilman, with 52% of the vote and swore his first term on January 1, 2017. Although there are several months to go before the big election on November 7, Vides follows the community closely, sharing with residents and listening to their concerns. "We share the same problems. We are Hispanic, we are Anglo-Saxons, we are Jews. We are all residents of District 20 and that is what should unite us to improve our lives, "said Vides, emphasizing the importance of unity. "Latinos must dare to leave our circle," he added. Citizen commitment Vides recalled that his commitment to the community is strong and said that he has contributed to the community in several ways by offering his pro bono services and donating to different charities and today is an active associate member of the Bethpage Federal Credit Union, the American Heart Association of Long Island and the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce. In addition to being an Ambassador of BNI, a global network association. Vides was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Long Island from 2008 to 2013 and a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Queens from 2012 to 2014. Over the years, Vides has received numerous awards and recognitions, including 2011 Business Person of the Year from the Nassau Chambers Council and, most recently, the Long Island Business News 40 Under 40. Family values, lower taxes, the promotion of education, the fight against the opioid epidemic and hurricane preparedness are the keys to Vides' campaign, who said he was ready to represent everyone. Latin pride "12% of the residents of District 20 are Hispanic," explained Vides, who is clear that his representation is a great responsibility, in a national political climate that is creating an anti-immigrant atmosphere after the election of President Trump. "This is for everyone, that's why my campaign is in English, Spanish and Hebrew," said Vides, who would win a district with 129,187 residents, according to the 2010 census. His triumph would also be a historic victory for the Hispanic community of Nassau County, where a Latino has never been able to represent a district in the state Assembly. In Suffolk County, Assemblyman Phil Ramos is so far the only Latino in this position.
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