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Is Florida a Bellwether for the Nation?
September 8, 2022 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm


Thursday, September 8
Hybrid Event
In-person: 12:00 pm, bar opens; 12:30 pm, lunch; 1:00 pm, program
Zoom: 1:00–2:00 pm
To mark the post-Labor Day opening of the campaign season, we have assembled a panel of three experts to discuss national trend lines as reflected in the current cultural and economic politics of Florida. Moderator José Diaz-Asper is an international tax attorney with a base in Florida as well as Madrid and Washington. Joining him are panelists Amy Hanauer, Paul Diaz, and Raquel Matas. Amy Hanauer is the Executive Director of Citizens for Tax Justice, an organization that works to bridge the income divide by advocating for equity in tax policies. Paul Diaz is the CEO of Myriad Genetics, which has helped millions of patients since 1991 understand how their genetics affects their health, thereby unlocking ways to better detect, treat, and prevent disease. Rounding out the panel, Raquel M. Matas is a Miami attorney and an active community leader who has spent decades on multiple law boards and councils that advocate for LGBTQAI+ rights, women’s equality, and immigration reform.
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More About Our Speakers
Jose Diaz-Asper attended Georgetown University and U of Florida law school. Practiced international tax law with Arthur Andersen (Madrid, NYC); with a large law firm and own boutique firm in Miami. Became involved in private equity investments in Florida, and other locations. Collaborated with Harvard Law International Law Program; International Economic Institute in Washington and Madrid; New Rules for Global Finance, Washington, and other think tanks regarding international tax fairness and economic development. Currently involved with impact investments focused on equity issues (legal, financial, housing) and corresponding voter participation in various diaspora’s communities.
Amy Hanauer, Executive Director of Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, provides vision and leadership to bring accurate research and data to tax policy conversations. ITEP’s research shows that more progressive and adequate tax codes will do more to bring about racial, economic and climate justice. When wealthy people and corporations pay their fair share, the country raises more revenue for the essential things we need and does so in a way that is more conducive to equity and growth. Amy joined ITEP in 2020, bringing nearly 30 years of experience creating economic policy that advances social justice. Amy is also the Executive Director of Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), ITEP’s 501(c)(4) partner organization. As Director, Amy raises resources, guides strategy, and works with the board and staff to make ITEP and CTJ a critical part of the policy conversation around a stronger tax code.
Paul J. Diaz, was named president, chief executive officer and member of the Myriad Genetics board of directors on August 13, 2020. Paul was most recently a partner at Cressey & Company (2016-2020), a private investment firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, which currently manages over $3.0 billion in committed capital. Cressey & Company is a healthcare focused middle-market private equity firm with over 30 years of success investing in and helping to build high quality healthcare businesses. Paul is the former president and chief executive officer and vice chairman of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:KND) (2002-2016) a Fortune 500 Company and one of the largest providers of healthcare services in the United States. At the time, Kindred had revenues of $7.2 billion, rehabilitation hospitals, sub-acute units, home health and hospice agencies and contract rehabilitation locations. For six years in a row, during his tenure as CEO, Kindred was ranked one of the Most Admired healthcare companies in the U.S. by Fortune magazine.
Raquel M. Matas is a lawyer with four decades of experience in real estate practice, legal academic administration, and advocacy in social issues, particularly Hispanics, LGBT, Women, and the intersection of these three. Active at the national and local levels, Raquel has served in leadership roles in the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), the nation’s leading bar organization representing the interests of Hispanic lawyers, judges, law students, and legal professionals in the United States and its territories, and in the American Bar Association. She was the first Latina and first out LGBTQ lawyer elected to the Florida Bar Board of Governors. She also served for over 2 decades on the Board of Directors of Totalbank, a South Florida commercial bank with $3 billion in assets and deep roots in South Florida’s Hispanic business community, holding leadership positions as chair of various committees. Raquel is actively involved in helping to elect the first Latina lesbian mother to the Florida state senate and is collaborating with other concerned Florida citizens to ensure that Hispanics have correct, accurate and language appropriate information concerning issues of importance in the upcoming elections. She was born in Cuba, raised in Puerto Rico, and lives and works South Florida.
COVID vaccination with booster required for entry; click here to learn more about WNDC’s COVID safety policies.