Columbus HS

Christopher Columbus High School
Alumni Association Executive Committee
2008-09

JB Aleman
A 1984 graduate, JB is co-owner/managing partner at Meridian Partners, a professional services firm that provides enterprise resource planning implementation services for public sector agencies. His company was selected as one of America's fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine. The company made the 5000 list based on revenue growth over the last thre years.

Adrian Alfonso
A 1998 graduate, Adrian is a tax manager in the public accounting firm of Perez-Abreu, Aguerrebere, Sueiro & Torres PL. Adrian has over 8 years of experience in tax consulting, compliance and accounting assistance servicing medium to large corporate and high net worth individual clients, as well as family owned corporate and partnership entities. He received his Executive Master of Science in Taxation from Florida International University in 2003 and his CPA 2004. He is the President of the Cuban-American CPAs, a non profit professional organization.

Rolando Conesa
A 1977 Columbus graduate, Rolando, a Principal with MGE Architects in Coral Gables has an architectural career that spans over 20 years. His experience includes the planning and designing of many facilities, inlcuding commercial, healthcare, education, residential and transportation projects. Rolando holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami and a Masters of Building Technology and Architectural Design from Columbia University.

Joe Fernandez
A 1981 graduate of Columbus, Joe is a Miami-Dade County Court Judge serving in the criminal division. He received his undergraduate degree in communications and his law degree from the University of Miami. He worked as an Assistant State Attorney and went on to become a partner and shareholder at the firm Essen, Essen, Susaneck, Canet, Fernandez & Goodis, P.A. Prior to being elected to the bench in 2006, Joe’s private law practice concentrated in the defense of those charged with criminal offenses. Joe served as the president of the alumni association for 2 years.

Alex Galvez
A 1992 Columbus graduate, Alex started his professional career as a CPA for Deloitte & Touche and is now one of the principals in the consulting, engineering and construction company, Cogent Companies. He also worked at Bacardi as an International Auditor, Cushman & Wakefield as a Senior Market Analyst and at GC Homes as the Director of Sales and Marketing. While at Columbus he was a three year starter on the football team, earning first team All City and All State honors as a center, with Brian Griese as his QB.

A 1984 Columbus graduate, Ygnacio is a Vice President at Barclays Wealth, the wealth management division of Barclays Capital, Inc., where he provides comprehensive investment management solutions to domestic high net worth individuals, businesses, and institutions. He particularly specializes in working with private business owners and real estate entrepreneurs. Barclays Capital is one of the premier investment banking organizations in the world and is a division of Barclays Bank PLC, a major global financial services provider with nearly $3 trillion in total assets. Prior to joining Barclays, Ygnacio was a Vice President in the Private Investment Management Division of Lehman Brothers, a leading investment bank. Prior to entering the field of investment management, Ygnacio was an investment banker in New York with such firms as Merrill Lynch and Prudential Securities and was the founder of InterVestors Capital, a boutique investment bank based in Cora Gables. He also was a commercial banker with SunTrust Bank prior to attending business school. Ygnacio obtained his MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his BSBA in Finance from Georgetown University.

Bill Lopez
A 1986 Columbus graduate, Bill attended St. Leo University where he graduated with a B.A. He started Apartment News of America, the nation's 1st in-house publishing company for America's multi-living industry specializing in print and electronic media. He later started The Newsletter Publishing Company which is today the fastest growing newsletter publishing firm in the country with clients in 46 states and a monthly readership of more than 1million. He developed and incorporated Resident Click, the 1st exclusive social networking platform design for the multi housing industry.

Daniel R. Martinez
A 1989 Columbus graduate, Daniel is the Senior Vice President of Private Banking for Coconut Grove Bank. Prior to his current position he was Vice President of Private Banking for Gibraltar Bank and has also worked at Union Planters and CitiBank. Daniel holds a degree in Business Management from Nova Southeastern University. He is on the Board of Amigos Together for Kids, is a Trustee member of the Coral Gables and Greater Miami Chambers of Commerce and has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, the American Heart Association, and the March of Dimes. Daniel was named by South Florida CEO magazine as a Next Gen Up & Comer.

Jay Moreno
A 1987 graduate, Jay started-up an insurance brokerage firm called U.S. Insurance Underwriters, Inc. which specialized in risk management and insurance brokerage for small to mid-sized businesses. He grew the business until 2006 when he sold the firm to Wachovia Insurance Services (the 10th largest insurance brokerage in the country). Currently, Jay is the Vice President and Relationship Manager at Wachovia Insurance Services where he is also responsible for new client acquisitions.

Roberto Palenzuela
A 1981 graduate of Columbus, Roberto is General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. (AMEX:MDF). As an attorney, Roberto’s law practice is devoted primarily to health care transactional matters and issues involving corporate and securities law and finance, venture capital investments and mergers and acquisitions. Roberto has testified several times before committees of the U.S. House of Representatives on issues relating to health care reform. Roberto earned his Bachelor in Business Administration and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami

Anthony Petisco
A 2000 Columbus graduate, Anthony is an Assistant Vice President with Colonial Brokerage, Inc. Prior to joining Colonial Brokerage, Anthony worked with SunTrust Bank, and Mercantile Securities a division of The South Financial Group. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Florida International University.

Raul Rivero
A 1984 graduate, Raul is currently President and CEO of Insurance & Construction Consultants, Inc. (ICC). HIs areas of expertise are in public insurance adjusting, construction management, IRS cost segmentation, and building inspections.

He received a Bachelors Degree from Trinity International University in Communications & Organizational Leadership and an MBA from Florida International University. He is a board member of Community Smiles, a non profit dental clinic, and he volunteers as the Chairman of St. Theresa Catholic School's Advisory Board.

Doug Sawyer
A 1975 graduate, Doug earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Auburn University. He is currently executive vice president of bank services with BankUnited FSB, overseeing core service departments, including bank operations, information technology, corporate real estate, loan servicing, call center, business continuity and disaster recovery. He also spent more than 20 years with SunTrust Bank where he last held the positions of executive vice president, private client services division and executive vice president, retail division. Doug also serves on the St. Thomas University President’s Board of Advisors and is a past president of the Miami chapter of the American Heart Association.