| Robert has been a resident of Port St. Lucie since 1989. He is originally form New York and his parents are from Santurce, Puerto Rico. His motivation for success was inspired by the love of his family. His dear mother, Maria though a young widow and mother of three, helped instill in Robert a sense of caring and perseverance. In addition, the love of his brother, Henry helped set the foundation for his work with the youth. And above all, his dedication to his lovely daughters, Melissa and Natalie will always energize him to strive to work for the future of our community. Since his arrival on the Treasure Coast, he has pursued his lifelong traditions - hard work, music, cultural identity and community involvement. Although he has worked for FedEx for 20 years, he has pursued other projects. He helped organize the National Puerto Rican/Hispanic Empowerment Summit, held in Orlando among whose guests were Betty Castor and Mel Martinez. He was on the Board of the Puerto Rican Democratic Caucus. In 2002, he received a Mayor’s Certificate of Appreciation from the Mayor of Port St. Lucie Robert Minsky for his commitment to the community. Robert was elected by the St. Lucie County Commissioners to sit on the Board of the St. Lucie County Cultural Affairs Council. He also works with other organizations and sits on the Fort Pierce Jazz and Blues Society Mardi Gras and Zora Fest committees. Driven by his passion for music and his desire to bring joy to his community, Robert started Salsa Express Productions, his own event production company in the Treasure Coast. He was the emcee, host and musical director of two radio shows: Latin Express on 101.3 Coast FM and Salsa Express on WIRA 1400 AM. Robert also enjoys his involvement with new talent as a mentor in their entry process in the music industry. Since the creation in 2004 of the Puerto Rican Association for Hispanic Affairs, Inc, he successfully executed the Annual San Juan Festival and Business Expo. With the attendance at these events at approximately 4,000, expectations are high for other events. Further, Robert organized the First and Second Annual San Juan Festivals in Port St. Lucie. They were very successful and both the City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County sponsored these family-oriented events. As president of the Puerto Rican Association for Hispanic Affairs, Inc., Robert continues to be involved in the creation and implementation of cultural and educational events, as well as providing entertainment for the community. His efforts in establishing scholarships for the Hispanic youth, has earned this organization the President’s Award from Indian River Community College – honor indeed. His commitment and dedication to serving the community are expressed in the projects the organization has for the future. |
| :: Robert Roldan :: |
| Robert Roldan, President |
| Born in the Bronx, Jacquelene has enjoyed the benefits of a variety of diverse residences: Louisiana, Puerto Rico, The Bronx, New Jersey, Manhattan and, for the past two years, Florida. She received her B. S. in Organizational Management from Nyack College in New York. She has had a variety of jobs; in real estate, as Assistant Director of Financial Aid for a private school in the Bronx, personnel secretary of a New York City Public School, and in the accounting department for Max Factor and Cunningham and Walsh Advertising Co. Back from Puerto Rico and living in New York in the seventies, her parents always made sure that Spanish was spoken in the house and that cultural awareness was vital. She is eternally grateful for this, as being bilingual has proven to be an asset among friends, at work and for the community. Having arrived recently to the Treasure Coast, Jackie felt the need for involvement – to show her appreciation for the benefits, opportunities, and experiences she has received. And get involved she did. In her quest to give back to the community, she became involved with the United Third Bridge, a civil rights, cultural organization, as a Board Director. She helped organized the PR/Hispanic Empowerment Committee, where Betty Castor and Mel Martinez participated as guest speakers. This two-day event featured workshops in health, civil rights, education, immigration, labor unions, and the media. In addition to her committed efforts, she played a major role in the creation of the Puerto Rican Association for Hispanic Affairs, Inc., a non-profit 501©3, cultural and educational organization. For the 2005 San Juan Festival and Business Expo, she was instrumental in having the City of Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County recognize June 25th as San Juan Day and also Puerto Rico day – an accomplishment for all Hispanics in the Treasure Coast! She is also on the Executive Board of the Spanish American Community Club. Through this process, she has delighted in seeing the beauty and passion we all have in hoping to make our dreams come true. She looks forward to enriching and being enriched by the wonderfully diverse community here in the Treasure Coast! |
| Jacquelene N. Burke, Vice President |
| :: Jacquelene N. Burke :: |
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| Born 1959 in Brooklyn, New York Degree: Film and Television Technology Palm Beach Community College Working in the film and television business since 1978 1978-1989: Wrote screenplays and packaged film projects and created various pilots for television. Worked in various technical productions; and assisted on films such as: The Wanderers, Wolfen, The Warriors, Fort Apache: The Bronx, and the Ghostbusters. 1983-1985: Wrote and co-produced a talk show series entitled World of Culture that ran for two seasons on the NYC cable tv market. 1989: Relocated to Port St Lucie and took over the “Hollywood Nights Video” chain changing it to “Hollywood Video” 1989-1993: Opened up the first Latin restaurant and night club in St Lucie County called “Club Santana” while still developing tv and film projects 1992: Wrote, directed and locally produced a Hispanic magazine format tv show called “La Hora Internacional” that aired twice weekly on WTCN 1994-1996: Co-wrote, co-produced and directed a weekly children’s show called “It’s a Magical World” that aired on WTVX channel 34 and was picked up for national syndication by Channel America Television Networks. 1999-2005: Taught film and television technology at Palm Beach Community College . Was on the curriculum development committee and developed the course outline for PBCC’s Film and TV Technology AS program. 2001: Wrote and directed the motion picture “The Wishing Stone” - the first feature film to have its principal photography shot entirely in Port St Lucie and selected to the Palm Beach International Film Festival 2003: Wrote and directed the motion picture “Redemption” also mostly shot in Port St Lucie, also an official selection of the Palm Beach International Film Festival and winner of the Best Thriller Award at the NY International Film and Video Festival 2006: Wrote and directed the Feature Documentary “Sacred Waters” nominated for best documentary. Another film project “Playing the Tape” and received the 2006 “Voices of local Film” award. Present: Working on various film projects, writing, directing and producing various shorts, music videos and commercials. Working on a documentary entitled “For the Love of the Game” based on the lives of former Major League Baseball players such as: Satchel Paige, Hal Hudson and Sandy Kofax. Was instrumental in bringing “South Florida’s Choice” Awards vocal competition to Club Med in Port St Lucie. Currently active in co-founding the Treasure Coast Film Society with Mr. Robert Roldan and Ms. Jacquelene Burke in an effort to bring art and independent films through monthly cultural events held at local venues that normally would not be seen in our area. Ultimately these events will pave the way to annual Treasure Coast Film Festival, showcasing our town nationally and internationally. |
| Jose Garofalo, Director |
| :: Jose Garofalo :: |
