Our Executive Board

Maribel Balbin has built a distinguished career in advocacy through her work as a business owner, professional administrator, and dedicated civic volunteer. A veteran of numerous local, state, and national political campaigns, she has worked on electing several Democratic candidates, particularly women. Most recently, she served as Vote Director for Seniors and Labor for the Harris-Walz Florida Coordinated Campaign. Maribel has an extensive history with the League of Women Voters. She served as President of the Miami-Dade Chapter, Director of the Florida League, and made history as the first Hispanic Trustee of the National League. Throughout her tenure, she has been actively involved in major voter initiatives, including Fair Districts, An Accountable Miami, gun safety initiatives, and Amendment 4. Beyond the League, Maribel has contributed her leadership to numerous organizations. She currently serves on the Miami-Dade County Hispanic Affairs Board and Women of Tomorrow mentoring program. Past service includes roles as Chair of the Miami-Dade Commission for Women, member of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board, Trustee of Art in Public Places, participant in the Latinas Represent Community of Practice, and advisory board member for Miami Dade College’s School of Continuing Education and Professional Development.  A proud Florida International University alumna, Maribel earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from FIU. She is the president of Public Affairs Concepts, a communications firm specializing in public outreach, civic engagement, government relations, and political consulting.

Dr. Frances Colón is a senior fellow on the international climate policy team at Center for American Progress, where she leads a program to drive international ambition and action to meet global climate goals. Dr. Colón served on President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology from 2021 to 2024 where she contributed to recommendations on accelerating effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, advancing nutrition research, and public engagement with the sciences. She was deputy science and technology adviser to the Secretary of State (2012-2017). Colón earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2004 from Brandeis University and her B.S. in biology in 1997 from the University of Puerto Rico. In 2020 Colón led Latino voter outreach coordination for the Florida for All coalition and was a Biden-Harris transition team member.

Cecilia is a longtime Democratic activist and leader in the community. She has worked on campaigns from President to City Commissioner.

Sam is a longtime Democratic campaign operative working on campaigns at every level of the ballot.

Juan’s parents came to this country when he was three years old in search of a better future. He is the father of two. He is committed to providing his kids with a better future just like his parents did for him. That’s why he ran for President of the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus and was elected on December 4, 2023. Juan is also a Miami-Dade State Committee Member and a DNC Member.

Millie Herrera, MBA, is an entrepreneur and founder of The Miami Group & Associates, a strategic business consulting and IT project management firm. She has been an active member of the Miami-Dade and Florida Democratic Party since 1995, founding member and first president of the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus in 1997. She served as president of the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida from 2000-2004 and 2007-2008. Millie currently serves as a DNC member representing the State of Florida, and DNC Hispanic Caucus Southern Regional Chair. In 2012, Millie was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the Southeast Regional Representative in the Department of Labor (DOL). At the DOL, she was part of the Secretary of Labor’s leadership team and promoted community outreach campaigns to amplify the policies of the administration. Millie has a Master of Business Administration degree from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Information Systems from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. She completed the Harvard University J.F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program “Effective Change through Public Policy and Management” and the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses program, serving as Cohort 31 Alumni Lead Ambassador.