Hispanic Excellence: Leaders in Healthcare & Public Service

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Florida Panthers announced their annual ‘Celebration of Hispanic Excellence’ series, presented by Amazon, recognizing South Florida residents making a difference in the local community.

From Hispanic business owners and educators to creators, healthcare workers, public servants, executives and more, the Panthers ‘Celebration of Hispanic Excellence’ program recognizes individuals nominated by their peers, colleagues, families or friends for the positive impact they are making in South Florida and beyond.

Honorees’ stories will be highlighted throughout Hispanic Heritage Month at FloridaPanthers.com/VamosGatos and Panthers social media platforms, @FlaPanthers and @FlaPanthersCARE.

Later this season, the Panthers will host two ¡Vamos Gatos! Nights powered by Ford on March 3 and March 6, 2025. This year’s ‘Hispanic Excellence’ honorees will be recognized on March 6 at Amerant Bank Arena. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit SeatGeek.com or FloridaPanthers.com/ThemeNights.

Last week, the Panthers recognized ‘mission-driven’ leaders.

Week two will highlight leaders in healthcare and public service.

State Director for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Elena Crosby is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of experience in compliance, corporate governance, and government relations in both public and private corporations. She currently serves as the State Director for the Office of US Senator Marco Rubio, overseeing official in-state efforts and leading a team of 30 across eight offices in Florida. In this role Elena coordinates official activities with various organizations, entities, and officials at all levels of government and the private sector to ensure effective communication and execution of the Senator’s priorities and initiatives. Prior to her current role, Elena was the Deputy State Director for Constituent Services, overseeing the constituent services team throughout Florida and managing state projects and federal agency relationships. Her leadership was instrumental in the organization receiving the Democracy Award from the Congressional Management Foundation for Best in Congress for Constituent Services in 2019 and Best in Congress for Innovation and Modernization in 2024. Before her career in the legislative realm, Elena worked at AdventHealth, focusing on research compliance and healthcare law. She also held leadership positions at Digital Fusion, Inc., and Connextions, Inc. where she served as Corporate Secretary and Director of Legal and Government Affairs, and Compliance and Contracts Officer, respectively. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Elena is known for her active involvement in various professional and community organizations. She served as President of the Orlando Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society, was a member of the James Madison Institute's Regional Leadership Council, and was appointed Chair of the Orange County Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Board. Elena earned her law degree from Barry University, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, and currently resides in Orlando with her husband.

Vice Chairman of Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners

Vice Chairman Anthony Rodriguez is a champion and advocate for the agriculture community. Elected to serve as the District 10 Commissioner on the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in 2022, his territory encompasses Kendall, Westchester, and Fountainbleau. Before joining the Board, Vice Chairman Rodriguez served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. During his tenure, he advocated and secured state funding for several Miami-Dade County based nonprofits, including the WOW Center, a special education school empowering individuals with disabilities; and Casa Familia, an organization dedicated to creating sustainable, enriched, and affordable housing communities benefitting adults with intellectual, development, and other related disabilities. A first-generation Cuban American, Vice Chairman Rodriguez is married to his high school sweetheart, and they are raising three school-aged children.

Assistant County Administrator, Broward County

Michael W. Ruiz serves as the Assistant County Administrator for Broward County. He came to Broward from Miami-Dade County where he served as Assistant Director of the Solid Waste Management Department since 2017. Prior to that, he worked as Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces and was a Senior Business Analyst in the Office of Management and Budget. With over 20 years of public service, Michael has extensive experience in emergency management; accounting and finance; labor relations and collective bargaining; procurement and contract negotiation; and capital plan development. Michael received a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University.

MD – Internal Medicine Resident, FIU/VA

Dr. Juan Gabriel Jimenez Garcia earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Universidad Interamericana in Puerto Rico and worked briefly as an engineer in France before pursuing a Master of Engineering in biomedical engineering at Cornell University. He then worked & Whitney before attending medical school at Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico. Currently an internal medicine resident at FIU/VA, Dr. Jimenez Garcia has consistently demonstrated a passion for diagnosing and treating patients, with a particular focus on helping them return to doing what they love. He is deeply committed to identifying rare clinical cases or manifestations, presenting them at medical conferences, and publishing the findings to advance understanding and management of these conditions. Dr. Jimenez Garcis is also passionate about teaching, particularly in the use of point-of-care ultrasound, and enjoys sharing his knowledge with medical students. His ability to combing his medical expertise with decisive action under pressure has made him an invaluable asset to his team. Furthermore, his fluency in English, Spanish, and French allows him to connect with a diverse patient population, ensuring they receive compassionate and effective care.