Alumni Profile: Carlos Alvarez

Carlos Alvarez

The November election of Carlos Alvarez to the post of Miami-Dade County executive mayor put an FIU alumnus at the head of local government. After an already-distinguished 28-year career in public service, Alvarez stepped up to what many consider South Florida ’s most prominent leadership position.

Set to deliver his first State of the County address next month, the new mayor chose FIU’s University Park campus as the setting for his televised speech. (The date of the February event had not yet been confirmed as NOW@FIU was being produced.)

Alvarez, who earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from FIU in 1974, joined the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1976 and subsequently was promoted through all the civil service ranks, including police major. Upon his appointment to director of the department in 1997, he became responsible for more than 5,000 employees and an annual budget of close to $500 million.

In addition to his FIU degree, Alvarez completed training at the Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI National Academy. He maintains numerous professional affiliations and has received a number of awards for his support of community and civil organizations as well as his dedication to the Miami-Dade Police Department.

As mayor, Alvarez has stated a commitment to ensuring that recently passed voter initiatives calling for cleaner water, flood-free neighborhoods, better parks, more accessible quality healthcare and affordable housing become a reality. Additionally, he has pledged to support the economic infrastructure, particularly the airport and seaport, needed to position Miami-Dade as a world-class community.

Born in Cuba, Alvarez has lived in the United States since the age of 8 and is the father of two sons and a daughter.