Mel Martinez came to Florida from his native Cuba at age 15 as a part of "Operation Peter Pan," a humanitarian program led by the Catholic Church that helped over 14,000 Cuban children escape Communist Cuba. Mel lived with foster families for four years until he and his family were reunited in Orlando.
Mel graduated from Bishop Moore High School in Orlando and then received his undergraduate and law degree from Florida State University.
Upon graduating from Law School Mel returned to Orlando - the community that adopted him years earlier - and went to work with a private law firm.
Eager to give back to the community that had provided opportunities for him, Mel became involved in various youth, business and civic organizations. Mel served on numerous Boards including: Chairman of the Orlando Housing Authority, Chairman of the Orlando Utilities Commission, Vice Chairman of Catholic Charities and many others. He even shared his love of baseball by coaching Little League.
In 1998, Mel was elected to serve as Mayor of Orange County Florida - one of the state's largest counties. Mel quickly earned a reputation as a bold leader, a tax-cutter, and a champion of law enforcement and education.
President George W. Bush nominated Mel to serve in his Cabinet as the nation's twelfth Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. After serving three years as the HUD Secretary, Mel returned to Florida to seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate.
Mel was elected to the United States Senate on November 2, 2004, and is the first Cuban-American ever elected to the U.S Senate.
Mel and his wife of 34 years, Kitty, have 3 children and 2 grandchildren, and are active members of St. James Cathedral Parish in Orlando.
Alphabetical Listing of Senators
