Jorge Mas Canosa was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), a non-profit institution with chapters throughout the world providing information on the economic, political and social welfare of the Cuban people, both on the island and in exile, since its creation in 1981 to his untimely death on November 23, 1997.  As chairman, Mr. Mas Canosa directed the CANF’s support of general programs - recognized and respected nationally and internationally - to promote freedom, democracy and human rights for Cuba and an end to Fidel Castro’s dictatorship.  The CANF has also worked to enlighten public opinion on the problems of Cuban concern, to fight bigotry, protect human rights, and promote cultural interests and creative achievements.

As head of the CANF, Mr. Mas Canosa worked with Congress and three Administrations in support of bi-partisan consensus on a firm U.S.-Cuba policy and passage of important legislative initiatives, including the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 and the Cuban Liberty & Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996.  Mr. Mas Canosa was instrumental in the creation of Radio & TV Marti, U.S., government broadcasts of uncensored news and information to the Cuban people.  Fashioned after Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, Radio & TV Marti have been highly successful in sending a message of hope to the Cuban people in their struggle for liberty.  Mr. Mas Canosa was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as Chairman of the President’s Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting and also served Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton in that capacity.  He also served as Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on a Free Cuba under Governors Bob Martinez (R) and Lawton Chiles (D) to study the economic, social and political impact of a free Cuba on the State of Florida.

Parallel to his achievements in the public sector, Mr. Mas Canosa’s entrepreneurial endeavors also met with great success.  Mr. Mas Canosa was Chairman of the Board of Directors of MasTec, Inc., a public engineering contracting firm specializing in telecommunications infrastructure with over 7,000 employees throughout the United States and abroad, and with annual revenues of over $1 billion.  He was one of the first Hispanics in the United States to chair the board of a public company.  Mr. Mas Canosa also presided Church & Tower of Florida, Inc., a telecommunication engineering contracting firm, whose clients include the Atlanta based BellSouth, Inc.

Among his other business accomplishments, Mr. Mas Canosa served on the Board of Directors of various corporations including the First Union Corporation of Florida and First Union National Bank of Florida, and also served on the boards of The Wackenhut Corporation and Land Air Transport, Inc.

Born in Santiago de Cuba on September 21, 1939, Mr. Mas Canosa was forced into exile at an early age for his peaceful opposition to both the dictatorships of Fulgencio Batista and Fidel Castro.  He was sent by his family to attend Presbyterian Junior College in Maxton, North Carolina, where he received a degree, after his dissident activities and student activism against the Batista government led to his arrest on the island nation.  He later returned to Santiago de Cuba to attend law school at the University of Oriente.

When the undemocratic nature of the nascent Castro government became clear, Mr. Mas Canosa resumed his political activism on behalf of democracy and respect for human rights.  He was subsequently persecuted by the regime for his opposition to Castro’s communist dictatorship and was forced into exile before a warrant for his arrest was to be exhausted.

In Miami, he joined the Brigade 2506 and participated in the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961.  He subsequently returned to the United States and graduated as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Back in Miami, he married Irma Santos with whom he shared a fruitful family life along with their three sons, Jorge Mas, Jr., Juan Carlos Mas, and Jose Ramon Mas, all of whom work for MasTec, Inc.  Penniless and struggling to make ends meet - like most Cuban in the early days of exile - he worked at numerous jobs to feed his family, including working as a milkman and a stevedore.  In 1971, he bought the company he worked for, Church & Tower of Florida, Inc., which grew steadily throughout the 1970’s into a successful and profitable private family enterprise.

Mr. Mas Canosa received numerous awards and honorary degrees from distinguished institutions throughout the United States and abroad.  Among these, he was awarded the Lincoln-Marti Award granted by the U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare for “extraordinary and meritorious performance of civic duty in the United States”.  He was honored with an honorary Ph.D., Honoris Causa, for “exceptional services to democracy and human rights” by Mercy College in New York.  In 1991, Mr. Mas Canosa and the CANF were honored in a Special Session of the Senate of Puerto Rico for their efforts on behalf of democracy and freedom for the people of Cuba.  On March 28, 1996, he received the title of Honorary Consul for the City of Tel Aviv at a gala dinner in Miami hosted by Tel Aviv Mayor Roni Milo and the Tel Aviv Foundation.  The award was presented for Mr. Mas Canosa’s efforts on behalf of pro-Jewish causes, and his support for the State of Israel and the causes of freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Among his other civic and community activities, Mr. Mas Canosa served on the Board of Trustees of the United Way (charitable organization).  He was also a member of numerous societies including the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Latin Chamber of Commerce (CAMACOL), the Latin Builders Association, the National Utility Contractors Association, the Hispanic American Business Association and the Industrial Association of Dade County.

Jorge Mas Canosa was a knowledgeable and eloquent speaker whose ability to engage his audience led him to be featured at colleges, civic and international forums, and national network programs, including Boston College, Harvard University, Councils on Foreign Relations, the Heritage Foundation, the Hudson Institute, the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), Nightline, Firing Line, Crossfire, Good Morning America, the Today Show, and CBS This Morning, among others.