Margarita’s professional career has roots in the Florida Capitol and the U.S. Capitol, having served as a Cabinet Aide to the Florida State Treasurer and as special assistant to then Senator Lawton Chiles. Prior to her retirement, she led a strategic team for AT&T serving the telecommunications needs of government and education in South Florida. In between, she was director of government relations for Ericsson-GE and the Republic Group of Virginia. She started her college career on a voice scholarship, earned during her performance of the role “Maria” in the Sound of Music. Her academic degrees include a Master in Anthropology from Florida State University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She is and has been a member of the boards of multiple community organizations in Broward throughout the years, including the Lighthouse of Broward; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida Atlantic University; the Community Foundation of Broward; the Broward Education Foundation; and the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance, among others. She was an adjunct faculty member at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach for 20 years and today leads a parish retreat ministry which serves individuals with physical disabilities. She has been a member of several church choirs, sometimes acting as director and conductor. Margarita enjoys singing, traveling, reading, making art quilts, mentoring young students and has great appreciation for the natural world, the political process, and community service.