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Former:
The Jon Garrido Companies LLC Founder, President and CEO, Americause
Owner and CEO, Jon Garrido News The US Times, Latin American News, World News, Amermart, 51 Plus, Mujer, Chica, Latina, Subete, For Sale By Owner USA, Act Arizona, Go Democrats, Blue Dogs of the Democratic Party and Americause.
History:
After the University of Arizona, Jon Garrido went to work for the City of Tucson as the Manpower Specialist (Planner I) then Economic Development Specialist (Planner II, and III) in the Department of Community Development. Jon was assigned to work with the inner target population in a task force structure to identify manpower, jobs and economic development need assessments then planning and developing programs and projects to address said assessments. Tucson was one of the first Model Cities and Planned Variation HUD programs in the United States. A primary component was working with residents from the redevelopment/revitalization area.
To prepare for economic development, Jon Garrido was awarded a fellowship to study economic development at the University of California, Berkeley, California, sponsored by the U.S. Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, where a curriculum of business loan packaging including financial statements, cash flow analysis, proformas, market and feasibility studies, and development of a business park, industrial park, commercial downtown and residential development was taught. A major component was working with private lenders, the U.S. Small Business Administration's loan programs and federal procurement programs.
After returning to Tucson, Jon Garrido was appointed Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Tucson and assigned to the City Managers Office.
As Economic Development Coordinator, Jon Garrido prepared grant applications and received Federal approval for 12 public works projects. The City Manager assigned Jon Garrido as Public Works Coordinator to oversee the operation and administration of these projects. The 12 construction projects were street paving, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, sewer and water lines, park development and construction of the 22nd Street Bridge over the Santa Cruz River.
Jon Garrido took first in the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration national grant competition of states, counties, cities, school districts and Indian tribes to secure public works grants. Competitors around the country called the Tucson City Manager to find out how Tucson had succeeded in securing grants from the federal government. The Manager asked Jon Garrido to return calls. One call went back to the City of El Paso. Jon Garrido was offered the job of heading up economic development for the City of El Paso.
While heading up economic development for the City of El Paso, Jon Garrido as a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Washington D.C., developed an urban design team within the department to plan revitalization of the central business district. As a member of ULI, Jon Garrido visited New York City and was briefed on the development of all major buildings including the former World Trade Center.
Jon Garrido also prepared the application and obtained approval from the United States Department of Commerce for the El Paso Foreign Trade Zone. Two years later, Jon Garrido moved to Mexico and become Jon Garrido Gonzales in Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico where he established, owned and operated a Maquilidora with 80 Mexican and 20 American employees producing automotive parts for import into the USA.
Upon return to Arizona from Mexico, Jon Garrido became Director of Community Development for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community and negotiated development of the Scottsdale Pavilions and the Pima Freeway including design with the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Then back to the private sector as Vice President for Planning and Development for Valgroup, then the largest real estate development company in Arizona, responsible for planning, entitlements and development of 5,550 acres of land adjacent to Surprise, Arizona. Jon Garrido spearheaded a major concept of a three runway airport capable of accommodating air cargo and Luke Air Force F15 and F16 operations. Buffered by a business park, commercial and green belt was a 1000 acre master planned residential community west and adjacent to Sun City West.
The first phase of development was annexation of 215 acres of land into the Town of Surprise. This included responsibility for all entitlements and subdivision master planning.
In addition to the Surprise master planned community was Tonto Verde, a 614 acre master planned community in northeast Scottsdale, Arizona, north of Rio Verde. Two champion golf courses were planned with residential lots along both sides of golf fairways.
As managing partner with the founder of Valgroup, Jon Garrido developed a Wal-Mart in Scottsdale and continued on as a real estate planning consultant developing plans for Main Street Revitalization of Main Street, Payson, Arizona; Superior, Arizona; Gilbert Downtown, Gilbert, Arizona; and numerous other real estate commercial developments including in 2003-2004 serving as a consultant for a Texas pharmaceutical research company on developing a research facility near Austin, Texas.
In addition to a professional career, beginning in Tucson where Jon Garrido founded and was elected president of the Tucson Hispanic government employees organization that became the largest Tucson Hispanic advocacy organization began a journey of Hispanic involvement in affirmative action, social, political and religious issues. In addition to serving as president of the Tucson Hispanic government employee organization, Jon Garrido was also elected Chairman of the Spanish Speaking Council for the Diocese of Tucson spearheading change within the Catholic Church to accommodate needs of Hispanics in southern and eastern Arizona.
Involvement in Hispanic affairs led to the acquaintance of Patrick Apodaca, Associate Legal Counsel to Jimmy Carter, President of the United States. Mr. Apodaca visited El Paso at the invitation of Jon Garrido to be the guest speaker at the LULAC district annual convention. Patrick Apodaca subsequently invited Jon Garrido to the White House and Treasury Department for interviews for the position of Director of the Office of Federal Revenue Sharing.
The highlight of working in Texas political campaigns was attending the White House Rose Garden ceremony at the invitation of President Reagan to announce the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. On a subsequent trip to Washington at the invitation of an Assistant Secretary at Interior, Jon Garrido was offered a deputy assistant secretary position at HUD.
The most remembered event in Washington was a private breakfast at the Washington Press Club with Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush who requested and received a campaign pledge to obtain support from the Hispanic community on becoming President of the United States.
The first stage of Jon Garrido's life was heading up economic development for two medium size cities and an Indian reservation.
The second stage was development chief of major real estate commercial, industrial, housing and airport real estate developments.
The third stage self taught was learning to do one website growing into a network of 45 websites under the auspices of the Jon Garrido Network with a market niche being Hispanic/Latino. Of the 45 websites, 5 are now ranked number 1 on Google searches. The next level being developed is daily news video broadcasts of national and local news to be offered at Jon Garrido News, Hispanic News, Arizona News and The US Times.
On April 20, 2003, Hispanic News, a national Hispanic news venture targeted to English speaking American Hispanics, had its initial publication. Hispanic News is now the largest website in the United States publishing daily. Google ranks Hispanic News number 1 of some 65 million websites. Yahoo now also ranks Hispanic News number 1 in the category "Hispanic News."
On June 24, 2005, Jon Garrido founded the Arizona Law and Education Center (ALEC).
On September 28, 2005, Arizona News, ranked 4 by MSN of 5,700,000 websites, and The US Times ranked 1 by MSN of 37,000,000 websites, had their initial publications.
On November 20, 2005, 51 Plus, ranked 1 by Google of 212,000,000 websites, and Latin American News, ranked 1 by MSN of 5,000,000 websites, had their initial publications.
On December 24, 2005, JonGarrido.com had its initial publication.
On January 7, 2006, For Sale By Owner USA was published on the Internet.
On March 4, 2006, Subete, Latina and Act Arizona were published on the Internet.
On March 10, 2006, Mujer and ALEC were published on the Internet.
On March 12, 2006, Amermart, World News, Aqaba, and Chica were published on the Internet.
On July 7, 2006, JGNet.net was acquired.
On August 26, 2006, Hispanic News was ranked number 1 by Google of 65,000,000 websites.
On October 10, 2006, VPort.us was published to become the first virtual reality transport to your 3D imagination.
On December 10, 2006, Americause and the Blue Dogs of the Democratic Party were published on the Internet. Jon Garrido is president of each national organization now being established preparing for the 2008 national elections.
On December 12, 2007, JGUno.com was published and will become the myspace type website for Hispanic and Latino young people.
In mid 2007, Jon Garrido News at JonGarrido.com will each day publish the national evening news broadcast and editorial videos. Jon Garrido will anchor the evening news and provide editorial comments on issues that impact the national Hispanic and Latino community and issues in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Jon Garrido News broadcast video will also be published at Hispanic News.
Broadcast news and editorial videos covering the Phoenix area will be aired at Arizona News. (AZNews.us).
Jon Garrido with his background in successful grant applications, has prepared grant applications to establish Ayuda, the Arizona Law and Education Center (ALEC), Aqaba, and Action Arizona. Grant approvals are pending.
The 4th stage of Jon Garrido's life is to run for political office. In 1985, Jon Garrido returned to Arizona from Texas and moved into the Town of Paradise Valley, Arizona Congressional District 3. Jon Garrido continues to reside in Arizona Congressional District 3. With support from the Blue Dogs of the Democratic Party, Jon Garrido is planning on running for congress from this district in 2008.
The 5th stage will be to retire to Pinetop, Arizona and a ranch outside of Superior, Arizona.
The last stage will be to be interred in Superior, Arizona.
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Jon Garrido is a 4th generation American
Hispanic born and raised in Superior, Arizona moving to Globe to attend and
graduate from Globe High School. After three and half years serving in the U.S.
Army outside of Paris, France during the Vietnam era, Jon Garrido returned to
Superior, Arizona to work underground at the Magma Copper Mine in Superior,
Arizona for one year and three subsequent summers as he attended and graduated
from Eastern Arizona College and then moved on to the University of Arizona and
eventually, the University of Texas majoring in real estate development.
