Keynote Speaker

Ronald J. Cruz

The Board of Directors of the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) appointed Ronald J. Cruz, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret), as its President on July 1, 1996. Colonel Cruz, who has been a member of PALCUS since 1991, assumed his duties following a distinguished 26-year career with the Marine Corps, and more recently, as Senior Vice President and Partner of Links International, a Washington D.C. based consulting firm. During his career he has served in varied and increasingly responsible positions which make him eminently qualified to direct the day-to-day operations of a national organization.

Colonel Cruz is a descendant of Portuguese parents and was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts where he was named to the Who's Who in American Universities for 1969, among other honors.

Colonel Cruz entered the Marine Corps following graduation and subsequently served in numerous regions of the world. He has been the recipient of 21 U.S. and foreign awards and has been recognized by the governments of Brazil, Mexico and El Salvador for his professional accomplishments.

As a result of his multi-language capabilities, Colonel Cruz's last military assignment was Chief of Staff, Inter-American Defense Board and Special Military Advisor to the Secretary General, Organization of American States. In that capacity, Colonel Cruz was instrumental in developing and planning the first Hemispheric Defense Ministerial, which was held in Williamsburg, Virginia in June 1995, and included delegations from all 34 democratic countries in the Western Hemisphere.

At Links International, he was responsible for bringing together foreign business ventures and U.S. companies interested in international business expansion. His primary focus was on infastructure and privitization projects in Brazil.

Colonal Cruz is and active member of his community, volunteering his time to locally based associations, schools, and his church. In addition to his undergraduate degree, he has completed MBA studies at George Washington University. He speaks Portuguese and Spanish fluently and has a working capability in French and Italian. Colonel Cruz is married to the former Louise Fontaine Cayer, also of New Bedford. They have three children: Catherine, 18, Andrew, 14, and Lauren, 12.