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Larry Seilhamer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Secretary of State of Puerto Rico | |
| In office January 2, 2021 – May 25, 2021 | |
| Governor | Pedro Pierluisi |
| Preceded by | Raúl Márquez Hernández |
| Succeeded by | Félix Rivera Torres (Acting) |
| President pro tempore of the Puerto Rico Senate | |
| In office January 2017 – January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | José Luis Dalmau |
| Succeeded by | Henry Neumann |
| Minority Whip of thePuerto Rico Senate | |
| In office January 2013 – January 2016 | |
| Preceded by | José Luis Dalmau |
| Succeeded by | Eduardo Bhatia |
| Majority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate | |
| In office August 2011 – December 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Roberto Arango |
| Succeeded by | Aníbal José Torres |
| Member of thePuerto Rico Senate from the at-large district | |
| In office January 2013 – December 2020 | |
| Member of thePuerto Rico Senate from thePonce district | |
| In office January 2009 – January 2013 Serving with Luis Berdiel | |
| Preceded by | Ramón Ruiz Martín Vargas Morales |
| Succeeded by | Modesto Agosto Alicea Bruno Ramos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1954-12-13)December 13, 1954 (age 71) [citation needed] New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Party | New Progressive |
| Other political affiliations | Republican[1] |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of New Haven(BS) University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez(BS) |
| Basketball career | |
| Personal information | |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1972–1984 |
| Career history | |
| 1972–1978 1981–1982 | Leones |
| 1979–1980 | Indios |
| 1983–1984 | Vaqueros |
Lawrence N. "Larry" Seilhamer Rodríguez (born December 13, 1954[citation needed]) is aPuerto Ricanpolitician who was the Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. He is affiliated with the pro-statehoodNew Progressive Party (PNP), and was a member of theSenate of Puerto Rico from January 7, 2009, until January 15, 2020.[2] Seilhamer is also a former basketball player for theBaloncesto Superior Nacional from 1972 to 1984. On December 2, 2020, he was nominated asPuerto Rico Secretary of State by Governor-electPedro R. Pierluisi.[3]
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Seilhamer Rodríguez was born inNew York City on December 13, 1954.[citation needed] His parents were George Seilhamer and Isabel Rodríguez, and he is the youngest of four children. Seilhamer was raised inPonce,Puerto Rico, where he studied his elementary and high school at the Santa María Academy.
In 1976, Seilhamer received hisbachelor's degree incivil engineering from theUniversity of New Haven, graduatingcum laude. In 1979, he completed a secondbachelor's degree in Science, with a concentration in Pre-medicine, from theUniversity of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. In 1983, Seilhamer joined the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico as a licensed engineer.
During his time in college, Seilhamer was part of the basketball team of theUniversity of New Haven. When he was 17 years old, he also joined theBaloncesto Superior Nacional league, as a member of theLeones de Ponce. After playing for theIndios de Canóvanas and theVaqueros de Bayamón, he retired in 1984. During his 1980 season with Canóvanas, Seilhamer averaged 13.5 points per game.[4]
Seilhamer is also a tennis player, and represented Puerto Rico in several tournaments. In 2001 and 2004, Seilhamer was owner of theLeonas de Ponce female volleyball team.[citation needed]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Ponce | 5 | .423 | - | .400 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 5.2 |
| 1973 | Ponce | 28 | .406 | - | .708 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 7.0 |
| 1974 | Ponce | 28 | .339 | - | .553 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 3.5 |
| 1975 | Ponce | 29 | .455 | - | .673 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 7.4 |
| 1976 | Ponce | 31 | .431 | - | .627 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 7.2 |
| 1977 | Ponce | 31 | .419 | - | .667 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 6.5 |
| 1978 | Ponce | 29 | .478 | - | .661 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 10.9 |
| 1979 | Canóvanas | 26 | .497 | - | .621 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 7.8 |
| 1980 | Canóvanas | 30 | .500 | - | .723 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 13.5 |
| 1981 | Ponce | 32 | .545 | .000 | .723 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 13.3 |
| 1982 | Ponce | 22 | .369 | - | .615 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 4.2 |
| 1983 | Bayamón | 29 | .432 | .500 | .667 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 6.5 |
| 1984 | Bayamón | 21 | .402 | .286 | .750 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 4.6 |
| Career | 341 | .456 | .294 | .666 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 7.9 |
As part of his political career, Seilhamer worked for the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce as Director of Budget and Planning Operations, as well as Director of Housing and Urban Development. More recently he was the president of Southern Consultants and Engineers, an engineering and surveying company based in Ponce.[citation needed]
In February 2007, Seilhamer decided to participate in theprimaries of his party for theSenate of Puerto Rico. On March 9, 2008, he received the most votes for the position of Senator for the District of Ponce.[5] On November 4, 2008, he was elected as Senator at thegeneral elections, being the first time theNew Progressive Party had won that district in 16 years.[6]
Seilhamer was elected to the Puerto Rico Senate on November 4, 2008, representing theDistrict of Ponce. In the Senate, he is the chairman of the Urban and Infrastructure Committee. In addition, his fellow senators chose him to serve as the Senate Majority Whip for the 2009–2012 term, making him the fourth highest-ranking member of the Puerto Rico Senate.
In August, 2011, Seilhamer becameSenate Majority Leader, after he was chosen to fill the vacancy left byRoberto Arango.[7] He also became chairman of theComisión de Reglas y Calendario (English: Rules and Scheduling Committee).[8] He is also President of the Special Commission for the Puerto de las Américas.
On 20 March 2011, he announced his intention not to seek another term as Senator for theDistrict of Ponce, deciding to run for a Senator At-large seat. This came as a result of the failure of a Senate bill, which he had authored, which would have ordered the Puerto Rico Buildings Authority to build a new vocational school in Ponce to replace the 60-year-old Escuela Superior Vocacional Bernardino Cordero Bernard.[9]
On August 16, 2011, Seilhamer confirmed that he would seek reelection to the Senate in 2012, this time as a Senator At-large, and that he wouldn't challengeMaría "Mayita" Meléndez for Mayor of Ponce.[10] During the2012 general elections, Seilhamer was reelected despite the defeat of his party in most of the other seats. In addition, he was selected as theMinority Leader for the NPP delegation starting January 2, 2013.
On June 5, 2016, he was renominated for a second term as a senator at-large and for a third term as a member of the Senate.[citation needed]
On January 13, 2020, he resigned from the Senate effective January 15, 2020 citing his desire to spend more time with family, who lived in the southern city of Ponce and in the United States.[11] His resignation was "irrevocable, final, and firm."[12]
Seilhamer has four children with Linda Anadon. Their names are Dennis, David, Desiree andDebora.[13] Debora (born on 1985) played for theUSC Trojans volleyball team of theUniversity of Southern California. She and her sister Desirée also played in the Puerto Rico Professional Volleyball League.[14]
| Senate of Puerto Rico | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Majority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate 2011–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President pro tempore of the Puerto Rico Senate 2017–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Puerto Rico 2021 | Succeeded by Félix Rivera Torres Acting |
