Contributors

Rene Gonzalez is the Artistic Director of Spanish Lyric Theatre–the oldest Hispanic theatre company in the US. His grandparents came from Spain via Cuba in l888 and settled in Ybor where Rene was born and raised. For over 30 years he was a teacher and an Assistant Principal in Hillsborough County.  After retiring in 1989 he has been more involved in theatre and as a guest lecturer as well as an Adjunct at the University of Tampa.

He has been honored by the Queen of Spain, The Spanish Embassy and many local groups having received awards for his artistic endeavors from the Optimist Club of Ybor, The Ybor Lions, the Ybor Museum (Tony Pizzo Award) and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County.  He was also named the HIspanic Man of the Year by Tampa Hispanic Heritage Inc.

Nevin Sitler is a graduate student and G.A with the Florida Studies Program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Nevin is a volunteer at the St. Petersburg Museum of History and an avid kayaker. He has provided historical review and freelance research in several Florida fields and recently was selected for publication in the forthcoming FSP book: Rivers of the Green Swamp: An Anthology.

Jane Ball Watts is a native of Palmetto Beach from the Peralta family. Her abuelo and abuela were immigrants from Cuba and Spain. Jane was educated in local schools graduating from USF with a B.A. in 1970. After teaching in Tampa for 10 years, she pursued her dream of becoming a fulltime artist, marketing her works all over the U.S. She presently resides in Tallahassee and is a mural artist.

Mr. Arsenio M. “Sam” Sanchez died on August 16, 2005 in West Tampa. Mr. Sanchez was a great historian and recipient of many awards including the Tampa Historical Society’s 2001 D. B. McKay Award. He will be greatly missed.

Sarah McNamara, a Tampa native, is a Historian of Latino and United States History. She will begin work on her PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in the fall of 2010. Sarah can be reached at Sarahmac1816@gmail.com.

Managing Editor of Cigar City Magazine

Susan is a Tampa native whose family roots trace back from West Tampa and Ybor City to origins in Spain and Cuba as her family followed the cigar trade to Tampa. She began exploring her creativity as a young girl, combining her passion for art, writing and editing by being active in student publications from grade school through college. Susan attended the University of Tampa, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Art. Before joining Cigar City Magazine in 2009, Susan managed an award-winning local post-production facility and continues to work in production as a freelance production manager/coordinator.

Susan currently resides in Seminole Heights with her two dogs, Howie and Maya.

Susan can be reached at susan@susancuesta.com

Megan Voeller grew up in South Tampa and attended Plant High School before residing in the Northeast for seven years. Tired of searching New York City for a real Cuban sandwich, she returned in 2004 to the Tampa Bay area, where she is a freelance arts and culture writer.
Contact Megan at voeller@gmail.com

Mario Garrido is a West Tampa native and President of Vincent & Tampa Cigar Co. He has worked in the Tampa cigar industry for 27 years and worked as Production Manager for Havatampa, a division of Altadis U.S.A. the largest cigar company in the world.

Mark A. Trainor was born in Daytona Beach. After serving 4-1/2 years in the U.S. Army as a journalist, he attended Kansas State University, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Journalism and Political Science. He has worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission since 1985. He is currently the Marketing and Communications Director with the agency's Division of Hunting and Game Management in Tallahassee, Florida.

Lucy D. Jones is a local consulting historian and president of Florida History, LLC (www.floridahistoryllc.com), providing professional research services to homeowners, businesses, and organizations. You can reach her at  ldjones@floridahistoryllc.com.