Rivera, David, 1965-

RIVERA, David, a Representative from Florida; born in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, on September 16, 1965; B.A., Florida International University, Miami, Fla., 1986; M.P.A., Florida International University, Miami, Fla., 1994; staff, United States Senator Connie Mack III; campaign manager, Robert Dole-Jack Kemp presidential campaign, 1996; member of the Florida state house of representatives, 2002-2010; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Twelfth Congress (January 3, 2011-January 3, 2013); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress in 2012.

<p>Elected as part of a large freshman class that gave control of the U.S. House of Representatives back to the Republican Party in 2011, David Rivera brought state-level legislative experience to his service in the 112th Congress (2011–2013). After losing his reelection race Rivera looked back on his single term in office believing progress had been made on the mandate of his district: “to restore fiscal responsibility to the Federal Government and begin moving our economy forward to create jobs.”</p>

<p>David Rivera was born on September 16, 1965, in Brooklyn, New York. Both his father, a cab driver, and his mother Daisy, a driving instructor, had fled Cuba after the political rise of Fidel Castro. In the mid-1970s, Rivera moved to Florida with his sister and mother after his parents’ divorce a few years earlier. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida International University (FIU) in Miami in 1986, and a master’s of public administration from his alma mater eight years later.</p>

<p>Rivera had extensive political experience before ever running for office himself. As a teenager he volunteered with Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign, and worked on Jack Kemp’s run for the White House eight years later. Among other roles, Rivera spent some time in the office of United States Senator Connie Mack of Florida, after helping him win election in 1988. And in 1996, Rivera worked for the Republican presidential ticket of Robert Dole and Jack Kemp. Rivera also directed the GOP’s outreach efforts in Florida, and worked for the U.S. Information Agency, the governing body of Radio and TV Martí, a federally sponsored media venture that sent anti-Castro programming to Cuba.</p>

<p>David Mauricio Rivera (born September 16, 1965) is an American Republican politician from Florida. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for one term, representing parts of South Florida from 2011 to 2013.</p>

<p>Rivera was born in New York City on September 16, 1965 and moved to Florida in 1974. Both his father, a cab driver, and his mother Daisy, a driving instructor, had fled Cuba after the political rise of Fidel Castro. He graduated from Miami Christian High School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Political Science from Florida International University in 1986 and his MPA in 1994.</p>

<p>After college, Rivera worked as Public Affairs Director for the Washington D.C.-based Valladares Foundation, an international human rights NGO. The organization was founded by U.S. Ambassador Armando Valladares, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Then, he worked for the Office of Cuba Broadcasting managed by auspices of the U.S. State Department. He has also been an adjunct professor in the FIU School of Policy and Management. His articles on U.S.-Cuba relations have been published in The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald.</p>