Lourdes Castillo de la Peña
Miami

Commissioner Lourdes Castillo de la Peña was appointed in 2008 by Attorney General Bill McCollum. Lourdes Castillo de la Peña was born in New Jersey and moved to South Florida at the age of five. She graduated from St. Thomas University in 1991, and study at the Universidad de Maria Cristina in El Escorial, Spain.  Castillo married Leoncio E. De la Peña, a prominent international banking attorney in 1997 and has three daughters and one son

Castillo de la Peña founded the boutique public relations firm LMC Communications in 1994 as the first of its kind in South Florida with a unique specialization in the Latin American market.  She has represented a highly sought-after client roster including Paramount Pictures, Bausch & Lomb, Toy Manufacturer of America, People en Español, BMI, Fashion Week of the Americas, and Fisher Island Club & Resort. She is also owner & publisher of Nuestros Hijos, Latin America’s premier parenting magazine.   

As a successful businesswoman, Castillo de la Peña was especially moved by the troubles of low-income residents in the community, many of them immigrants without health insurance.  Already a board member of the Mercy Foundation, Castillo de la Peña assumed presidency of the Angels of Mercy, a group established to deal with these problems.  In 1998, she, alongside a group of doctors, established the St. John Bosco Church Health Clinic in Little Havana.  When Castillo de la Peña’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she worked tirelessly to raise awareness among the Hispanic Community.  Her significant contributions in this area were recognized by Governor Jeb Bush, who appointed her to the State of Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Board in September 2001. In 2005, she was honored with the Mercy Ambassador Award for all her efforts.    

Since becoming a mother of four, Ms. Castillo de la Peña has been focused on children’s issues.  She founded the Miami Children’s Hospital XOXO (Hugs and Kisses), a group consisting of young professionals, parents and local leaders raising considerable amount of money to support the functions of the Hospital.  She is currently serving on the Board of Friends of the Orphans, the U.S. component of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. She has served on several other Boards, such as The National Alzheimer’s Association, The Republican National Senatorial Committee, and on the advisory board for Miami Children’s Hospital, Spectrum Committee of the American Red Cross, Fisher Island Philanthropic Fund, Miami City Ballet and Angels of Mercy. From 2002-2004 she served on the Board of Miami-Dade County Historical Advisory Board. In 2010 she was honored by the Junior League of Miami at their annual “Women Who Make a Difference” luncheon.  

In 2010 she founded and was appointed Chair of the Mentoring Committee, dedicated to empowering young women in achieving their fullest potential.  Castillo de la Peña claims “by supporting the growth and empowerment of our youth, we raise the quality of life for everyone, because when women lead, they not only lead businesses, they lead in their community, they fight for their families, and they impact issues important to the future of our state”.