
Henry Cisneros
Executive Chairman, CityView; Former U.S. Secretary, Housing and Urban Development; Former Mayor of San Antonio
Co-chair of the Bipartisan Center’s Immigration Task Force, former HUD secretary, and housing innovator Henry Cisneros is a testament to American leadership, diversity, and community building. His vision of a strong, resilient society starts with fair housing and stretches beyond race and class. One of the first Hispanic Americans to run a major city, Cisneros…
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Full Bio
Co-chair of the Bipartisan Center’s Immigration Task Force, former HUD secretary, and housing innovator Henry Cisneros is a testament to American leadership, diversity, and community building. His vision of a strong, resilient society starts with fair housing and stretches beyond race and class.
One of the first Hispanic Americans to run a major city, Cisneros came to national prominence when he was elected Mayor of San Antonio in 1981. During his four terms, Cisneros rebuilt the city’s economy by increasing tourism, attracting high-technology firms, and creating tens of thousands of jobs. The American Mayor named him one of the nation’s 15 best mayors of the 19th and 20th centuries.
On the BPC’s Immigration Task Force, along with co-chairs former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Governors Haley Barbour and Ed Rendell, Cisneros considers all aspects of immigration reform and encourages dialogue among interest groups and decision makers.
In 1992, President Bill Clinton appointed Cisneros as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cisneros initiated the revitalization of many of the nation’s public housing developments, renovating 250 of the worst public housing units and demolishing another 43,000 vacant ones for reconstruction.
Cisneros founded CityView in 2000, focusing on urban real estate, in-city housing, and metropolitan infrastructure. As Executive Chairman, Cisneros is committed to innovative urban solutions, efficient land use, and housing affordability, investing in 45 communities across 13 states.
The recipient of the Penn IUR Urban Leadership Award and the Habitat for Humanity Visionary Award, Cisneros has been inducted into the National Association of Homebuilders’ “Builders Hall of Fame.”
Cisneros’ books include Interwoven Destinies; Our Communities, Our Homes; Latinos and the Nation’s Future; and 2012’s Independent for Life. He co-wrote Opportunity and Progress with former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp.
The former President and COO of Spanish-language channel Univision, Cisneros serves on the advisory boards of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Broad Foundation, the National Hispanic University, and is the co-founder of the Latino Donor Collaborative. He has a PhD in Public Administration from The George Washington University and served as the President of the National League of cities. He has appeared on Fox, The Charlie Rose Show, and CNBC.
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Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!

LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!

MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!

SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!

SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!

CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!

PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.

GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.

FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!

FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
Our Cities:
Fueling America’s Destiny
• American Latinos and the Nation’s Future
• Immigrants:
An Essential Ingredient for A Strong America
• Smart Growth:
Developing the Economy, Infrastructure, and a Sustainable Future
• Independence for America’s Seniors
• Facing Up to Cancer:
One Man’s Journey
• Housing:
A Platform for Uplifting Families
• The Essentials of Successful Leadership for the 21st Century
Our Cities: Fueling America’s Destiny
A metropolitan nation, sixty-five percent of American’s live in just the 100 largest metropolitan areas, which produce seventy-five percent of the gross domestic product. Key functions of national prosperity occur in metropolitan areas, including the shipping of goods at ports and airports that support global trade and the research at urban universities that generate technological and medical breakthroughs.
Given today’s economic and social climate, the nation’s future depends on recalibrating urban and metropolitan strategies to focus investments in infrastructure and human capital.
American Latinos and the Nation’s Future
American Latinos are the nation’s fastest growing segment of the population, the largest minority group, the youngest segment of the population, and the most rapidly increasing proportion of the middle class. The Latino trajectory of progress is vital to the nation’s future.
The difference between Latinos as a marginalized population or Latinos as full contributors to the workforce and to economic prosperity will be a critical determinant of America’s competitiveness and social stability. It is essential to act now on strategies to fully integrate Latinos into the mainstream of American life.
Immigrants: An Essential Ingredient for A Strong America
In today’s world, immigrants represent a higher proportion of the nation’s population than any time since the early 1900’s. Their contributions are not only substantial, but they are essential to a strong American future. Immigrants contribute prodigious intellectual assets, youthful workforce skills, and the raw energies of determined people.
The United States must reform its dysfunctional immigration framework, but go beyond that to formulate national initiatives to fully integrate immigrants so that the nation can have the immense benefit of their talents.
Smart Growth: Developing the Economy, Infrastructure, and a Sustainable Future
The engine propelling the American economy, the strategic development of infrastructure and metropolitan areas fosters research breakthroughs and entrepreneurial energies and can help address environmental and energy challenges. Thoughtful innovations in the applications of technology, building materials, land use planning, mass transit and community design can make the country more efficient, livable, and sustainable. Applying smart growth strategies to will usher in a new global economy making the country more attractive and socially cohesive enhancing the population’s quality of life.
Independence for America’s Seniors
Staying home, aging in place, is most people’s preference, but most American housing and communities are not adapted to the needs of older people. With the fastest population growth among people over 65, finding solutions for successful aging is important not only for individual families, but for all of society. Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros assess the current state of housing and present new possibilities that realistically address the interrelated issues of housing, communities, services, and financial concerns.
Facing Up to Cancer: One Man’s Journey
Henry Cisneros still talks about housing and urban development and the ways cities and immigrants can help the country thrive. But he also talks about cancer – his experience with prostate cancer. With over 240,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed a year, Cisneros wants to talk about cancer. A difficult subject for everyone, Cisneros knows how important it is to talk about cancer and wants to encourage men, and women, to see their doctors, ask for blood tests, and have annual exams. He believes that opening up this dialogue is not only important but potentially life saving.
Housing: A Platform for Uplifting Families
A home is a place to live and is the largest expenditure most American’s undertake. But it is also an essential dimension of an uplifting life. It is a platform for education, self-improvement, work, health, and for stable family cohesion. The nation needs strategies that go beyond thinking of housing as four-walls of physical shelter to policies that support affordable living in nurturing communities for persons at every stage of life.
The Essentials of Successful Leadership for the 21st Century
The tectonic plates undergirding our society are shifting rapidly. The significant changes are generational, multicultural, technological, environmental, and economic. They require new ways of exercising leadership in the key institutions of our society: business, governmental, religious, educational, and civic. Leadership must be inclusive, respectful of diversity, consultative, capable of sharing a vision of progress, flexible, and responsive.
Videos
Designing Homes and Neighborhoods for an Aging Population: Henry Cisneros
2016 State of the Valley conference: Henry Cisneros keynote speech
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