Eduardo Aguirre | |
|---|---|
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| 64thUnited States Ambassador to Spain 2ndUnited States Ambassador to Andorra | |
| In office 24 June 2005 – 20 January 2009 | |
| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | George Argyros |
| Succeeded by | Alan Solomont |
| Director ofUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Services | |
| In office August 15, 2003 – June 16, 2005 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Immigration and Naturalization Service |
| Succeeded by | Emilio T. Gonzalez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-07-30)July 30, 1946 (age 79) |
| Party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University |
| Profession | Businessman, Diplomat, Agency Director |
| Also accredited toAndorra. | |
Eduardo Aguirre Reyes, Jr. (born July 30, 1946) is a Cuban-born American diplomat, with Atlantic Partners, an international consulting firm based inHouston.
Until January 20, 2009, he was theUnited States Ambassador to Spain andAndorra, appointed by PresidentGeorge W. Bush, confirmed by theUnited States Senate on June 16, 2005, and sworn in on June 24, 2005.[1][2] He presented his credentials to KingJuan Carlos I of Spain on June 29, 2005.[2]
Aguirre was born in Cuba in 1946,[1] and emigrated to the US in 1961 viaOperation Peter Pan.[3]
Aguirre holds aBachelor of Science degree fromLouisiana State University. He is a graduate of theAmerican Bankers Association'sNational Commercial Lending Graduate School. He has received honorary doctorates from theUniversity of Connecticut, theUniversity of Houston, and theUniversidad Tecnológica de Santiago in the Dominican Republic.[2][4]
Aguirre and his wife Tere each emigrated fromCuba as unaccompanied minors at the age of 15. They maintain their permanent home in Houston, where they have lived for three decades. The Aguirres have two grown children, Eddy and Tessie.[1]
Aguirre joined the Department of Homeland Security from theExport-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), where he served as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. From December 2001 to December 2002, he was Acting Chairman of this Federal Agency. Prior to joining the Bush administration, Aguirre was President of International Private Banking forBank of America. He had worked for Bank of America for 24 years.[1]
In 1990, theSupreme Court of Texas appointed him to theState Bar as a non-attorney director. Aguirre has served on numerous professional and civic boards, including theTexas Children's Hospital,Texas Bar Foundation,Operación Pedro Pan Foundation,Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, and the Houston chapters of theAmerican Red Cross and theSalvation Army.[2][4]
Aguirre was appointed by then Governor George W. Bush to the Board of Regents of theUniversity of Houston System for a six-year term, serving from 1996 to 1998 as chairman. Former PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush appointed him to theNational Commission for Employment Policy.[2][4]
Before his appointment as ambassador, Aguirre served, beginning February 7, 2003, as the first Director ofU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an Under Secretary rank position in theDepartment of Homeland Security. At USCIS, Mr. Aguirre led a team of 15,000 employees serving over 6 million annual applicants seeking immigration benefits.[1][2][5]
Aguirre was the author of one of the first classified U.S. Dept. of State cables released by Wikileaks on Nov. 28, 2010, in which he described, among other issues, U.S. embassy efforts to derail the legal proceedings against U.S. soldiers accused of killing Spanish journalistJosé Couso.
Aguirre was bestowed theOrder of Isabella the Catholic Gran Cruz bySpain,Order of José Matías Delgado—Grade of Grand Officer—byEl Salvador, and theOrder of Christopher Columbus—Grade of Grand Officer—by theDominican Republic. TheDaughters of the American Revolution awarded him their 2004 Americanism Medal.[5]
Aguirre is a member of theDelta Sigma Pi fraternity and received the Delta Sigma Pi Career Achievement Award in 2000.He will receive his Order of the Golden Helmet for 50 years of service with Delta Sigma Pi in March 2019.
Media related toEduardo Aguirre at Wikimedia Commons
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Spain 2005–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Ministers Plenipotentiary to Spain (1779–1825) | |
|---|---|
| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain (1825–1913) | |
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Spain (1913–present) | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
