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Jose Cruz 

Associate

Jose Cruz is an accomplished government relations professional and serves as Fuentes Strategies’ expert in cannabis regulations and licensing. Jose has successfully secured multiple retail and cultivation licenses in Illinois and New Jersey. 

 

Jose began his career working as the Assistant to the Director of Hispanic Affairs in the first term of the Clinton White House. Jose’s primary focus in the White House was the inclusion of national Hispanic leadership in issue meetings and at presidential events. From 1998 to 2006, Jose served as 

 the director of corporate affairs for Equity Research Corporation, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm representing Hispanic-serving educational institutions throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Jose helped develop various educational exchange programs with U.S., Caribbean, and Latin American higher education institutions, securing more than five million dollars in program funding from the U.S. Department of Education and other Federal Agencies. In 2008, Jose founded the first federal non-partisan political action committee, ImmigrationPac, designed to fund pro-comprehensive immigration reform candidates. In 2009, Jose joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), one of the nation’s leading Hispanic-serving not-for-profits, as the senior director of civic engagement. Jose led the national campaign of ya es hora, Hagase Contar, encouraging Latinos to participate in the 2010 Census. In that role, he oversaw a budget of $1.8 million and a national team of 24 outreach organizers in four states. Over the last decade, Jose has successfully navigated the emerging cannabis market with a focus on business formation and licensing. Jose is a graduate of Eureka College (BA) and holds a Jurist Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law. 

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