So Much to Do and So Little Time
By Molly Rose Teuke
For Mel Martinez, so much to do and so little
time is not a complaint, but an inspiration. "I've always had the sense that we have a limited time
in this life in which to make a contribution to others," he says, "and
we'd better be busy doing it."
The depth of that commitment may explain why, despite virtually no
experience in housing issues at the federal level, Martinez accepted
the job when George W. Bush asked him to join his Cabinet as HUD Secretary.
"It was a personal transition as well as professional," he says. "It's
never easy, particularly coming to Washington and never having been
here before. I did a lot of homework. I had a good transition staff
that began preparing briefing materials for me and, in a matter of
15 or 20 days, I was able to appear before Congress and sound like
I knew something about housing."
It's not the first time Martinez has landed
on his feet on unfamiliar turf. His parents helped him emigrate to
the United States from Cuba in 1962, thanks to a humanitarian effort
called Operation Pedro Pan. Alone at the age of 15, he spoke no English
and didn't know whether he would ever see his family again. He responded
to the challenge with his characteristic attitude.
| ‘I’ve always had the sense
that we have a limited time in this life in which to make a contribution
to others, and we’d better be busy doing it’ |
"My parents instilled in me the value of education, and I knew that
staying in school was the most important thing I could do," he says. "I
worked after school, and I participated in sports. Acculturating is
easier said than done, and I benefited a lot from becoming one of the
guys, playing basketball and baseball. I became a regular person, even
though I had a thick accent."
Over the next four years, he passed through
a couple of refugee camps, lived in two foster homes, and completed
high school in Orlando, Florida.
By the time his parents arrived in 1966 for a joyful reunion, he was
able to set them up with a place to live, help his father, a veterinarian,
get a job in a local dairy, and give them their first car. "I had a
deep faith in God," he says, "and a lot of wonderful people who helped
me along the way, who gave me faith and hope and opportunities to grow
and develop in this country."
With his family now thriving in the U.S.,
Martinez kept moving on his personal 'so much to do' agenda. He attended
Florida State University, worked as translator for the Florida Secretary
of State, and enrolled
in law school, where he launched a 25-year career as a personal injury
lawyer.
Along the way, he served as chair of the Orlando Housing Project,
president of the Orlando Utilities Commission, and chair of Orange
County, Florida. A couple of years ago, his life took a dramatic turn
when he was sworn in as the 12th Secretary of HUD, the first
Cuban American ever to serve as a Cabinet Secretary.
His experience in mortgage finance was minimal-it consisted of his
own two house closings-but he understood the impact of housing on the
Hispanic community. HUD reports show that 74 percent of non-Hispanic
whites own their homes, compared with about 48 percent of Hispanics.
Closing the housing gap for all minorities, and especially for the
growing Hispanic population, became Martinez's number one priority.
Under his leadership, HUD is focused on: easing housing discrimination
by increasing enforcement in cities with a significant or growing Hispanic
presence; educating more Hispanics about the home-buying process; and
helping 40,000 minority families buy homes through the American Dream
Initiative.
Martinez is also on a mission to reform the 1974 Real Estate Settlement
Procedures Act (RESPA), a consumer protection statute that regulates
how we transact home loans and process loan documents. He estimates
that reforming RESPA could save homeowners from $700 to $1,000 in closing
costs and he hopes to see reform implemented before the end of 2004.
"This will have a tremendous impact on the Hispanic community," he
says, "because it will widen the pool of people who can become homeowners.
That will transform our communities because home ownership provides
a tremendous avenue for people to take control of their lives."
While Martinez has moved HUD in the direction
of expanding homeownership among all minorities, he remains true
to his Hispanic roots. "As I
travel the country, I make it a point to connect with Hispanic groups," he
says. "Whether it's through a Hispanic chamber of commerce or newspaper
or radio station, I keep in touch with people who are making a difference
in their communities, talking to them about what I'm doing and finding
out what they're doing. It's a joy, really, being an ambassador."
What's next for the Secretary? "Where I go from here is to help the
President get re-elected," he says. "If I do a good job at HUD and
help him get re-elected, there will be a lot of opportunities and I
can take stock and decide where to go from there."
In the meantime, he makes time for a balanced
life. "I love family,
I love sports and the outdoors, I love to hunt and fish and boat, that's
my world," he says. "But I really enjoy any activity that involves
family, and in our Hispanic world, that is a big group."
Bigger for Martinez than for most. Thanks
to two foster mothers, he has four moms, counting his mother-in-law. "Its makes Mother's Day
a busy day and it can make for double Thanksgiving turkeys," he quips, "but
it's an unusual gift, having mothers who have given me so much. They're
so much a part of my life, I'm proud to be part of all these families."
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