TRI-LAKES AREA — It wasn't until 1996, at the age of 45, that Jorge Garcia Jr. got his first taste of politics.
After working on a small campaign in Potter County, Texas, Garcia moved to Hot Springs, ran for justice of the peace and in 2007, he became the first Hispanic elected official in the state.
He said that fact was mentioned to him during the race, but it was not something he thought about during the campaign.
"I ran because I wanted to do a good job for the people of Garland County in District 4," Garcia said. "And I consider it a privilege to do so. It's not about me; it's about the people."
When he moved to Hot Springs in 2004 he immediately joined the local Democratic Party and the Arkansas Hispanic Democratic Caucus. He was approached by the caucus and asked to run for the District 4 Justice of the Peace, which covers the southwest portion of the city.
"They said the time was right," Garcia said. "Several others were running for smaller elections in different parts of the state, so I was encouraged to run, too.
"It was at that time that I transitioned from worker bee to candidate."
During the 2006 election, Garcia ran against two other candidates during the primary and won, then he ran unopposed in the general election.
Garcia said he can relate to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was appointed by President Barack Obama as the first Hispanic in that position.
"It's on a much smaller level," Garcia said. "But it's the same sense of accomplishment that will hopefully be positive. I see her appointment and confirmation as an example of living the American dream - that illustrated by seeing and grasping the opportunity to be whatever you can dream of and succeeding. To study hard, get an education, work hard and make a positive contribution to your local community and state and country. She has given anyone that has a dream, no matter what socio-economic, ethnic, cultural or religious background, hope for a better life."
His first term he treated like a learning process, but he was appointed to the finance committee because of his business finance background.
"I wanted to learn as much as I could," Garcia said. "On the Finance Committee, I got to learn the budgetary process at the local level."
Now in his second term, Garcia serves on three committees: Personnel and Human Resources, Environmental Services and Public Works.
He said one important thing he wanted to focus on during this term was directing federal funds to work on the major thoroughfares in his district.
"On Higdon Ferry, we have good economic development with the new Health Park Hospital," Garcia said. "But at the county level we needed to direct some funding to Higdon Ferry and Central Avenue.That improvement is going on now and it's important to our district."
Garcia said he plans to run for a third term in 2010.
"I have no long-term aspirations," Garcia said. "I don't see myself going any higher; I like the local level."
Garcia was born in 1951 in Havana and has one sister who is nine years younger. He moved from Cuba at the age of 5, so he remembers "very little."
He and his family moved to New York City next, which he described as "strange" and"different."
"It was so different from where I came from," Garcia said. "Cuba was the size of New York City, so it was dramatically different. A big problem was that I couldn't understand the language, but I had family in New York, so it made it easier."
Without knowing English, Garcia was put into a Catholic nursery school. He said it was difficult for him because it was the first time he had been inschool.
"I didn't listen and I couldn't communicate," Garcia said.
He started to learn English in elementary school by listening to his classmates.
"I started learning, playing and listening to kids and teachers," Garcia said. "I absorbed everything. It was a matter of osmosis - kids can do that."
All the while, Garcia said neither of his parents learned to speak English.
"My mother was a seamstress, so all she knew how to do was sew," Garcia said. "But today she can speak it."
Garcia attended John Marshall High School in Rochester, N.Y., which he said was a "very positive experience."
"My high school was not as large as my previous school," Garcia said.
"It wasn't anything like New York City, there was more community involvement and I did pretty well. I was in the National Honor Society, I played golf and I got college scholarships."
After high school, Garcia attended North Carolina State University and studied engineering.
"I was there for a couple ofsemesters and realized it wasn't for me," Garcia said. "I'm a numbers guy. I liked my business classes more than my science classes." So he moved back to New York and attended Monroe Community College in Henrietta, N.Y., where he got his associate degree in business.
After graduation, Garcia decided to stay local and worked in the accounting department at several companies.
In 1987, he returned to college at the State University of New York College at Brockport and got his bachelor's degree in business.
After school, Garcia decided he wanted to make a change in his life.
"I was divorced, I had two kids, and I needed to make a major change in my life," Garcia said.
"So I moved to Florida near my parent s and sister and worked for Weyerhaeuser." A year-and-a-half later while working on a project in Washington, D.C., Garcia met his wife, Karen, and the two were married on income tax day, April 15, 1989.
The couple moved from coast to coast as K aren wastransferred because of her job. They made a stop in Hot Springs in 1989 and lived there until 1994 before moving to Tacoma, Wash.
Now, back in Hot Springs, Garcia is not only involved in local politics, but local community organizations.
"Education is important to me, and I have a soft spot for issues relating to children in Garland County, so I am active with CASA (Court AppointedSpecial Advocates) and Rotary," Garcia said.
Garcia served as the president for CASA two years ago and is still helping the Rotary organization as 2009 president of the Hot Springs Sunrise Rotary and its annual fish fry.
"I want to do my part to give these organizations visibility," Garcia said.
- epannell@ arkansasonline.commatter of
fact Birth place: Havana Family includes: Wife,
Karen; four children and
eight grandchildren.
Hobbies: Learning to dance,
trying to win card games
with friends and neighbors.
My name comes from:
Spanish for George.
Most people don't know
I'm: A Buffalo Bills fan; I
need lots of luck.
I cannot live without: Dr
Pepper.
My favorite memory:
Vacation with Karen in
Australia.
The world would be a better
place if: Everyone could
accept we are all God's
children.
Favorite quote: "There is
nothing to fear but fear
itself." My goals for the future: To
eternally love my family, to
help my community be a
better place to live and help
my current and future clients
at Stephens Inc. reach their
personal financial goals.
Tri-Lakes, Pages 126, 128 on 08/23/2009