Luisa Gándara
| Luisa Gándara | |
|---|---|
| At-Large Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives | |
|
In office March 13, 2013 – January 2, 2017 |
|
| 11th First Lady of Puerto Rico | |
|
In office January 2, 2005 - January 2, 2009 |
|
| Governor | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá |
| Preceded by | Sila María and María Elena González Calderón |
| Succeeded by | Lucé Vela |
| Personal details | |
| Spouse(s) | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá |
| Children | 2 (Gabriela, Juan Carlos) |
| Alma mater |
University of Puerto Rico University of Florida |
| Profession | Teacher/ Educator IBM Systems/Education Specialist |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Luisa "Piti" Gándara Menéndez is a Puerto Rican politician and wife of former Governor of Puerto Rico Aníbal Acevedo Vilá. As Acevedo Vilá's wife, Gándara served as First Lady from 2005 to 2009. In 2013, Gándara was elected by the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) to fill the vacancy left by Jorge Colberg Toro as representative at-large in the 29th House of Representatives.
Gándara studied first at the University of Puerto Rico, and then completed a Master's degree at the University of Florida.
Gándara worked as a high school teacher and as an executive at a multinational information technology firm.
Following the tradition of previous Puerto Rico First Ladies, Gándara refrained from holding a remunerative job while a resident of La Fortaleza. As First Lady, she dedicated much of her attention to educational issues. She developed two reading programs: Lee y Sueña and Rincón de la Lectura. The first managed to donate 60,000 books to children, while the second sparked the creation of 50 reading centers around the island. The programs received national recognition, including an Innovations Award from the Council of State Governments, and an award from the Ibero-American Council in Honor of Educational Quality.
Active in her husband's successful Congressional campaign in 2000 and his campaign for governor in 2004, Gándara was heavily involved in his reelection bid in 2008 and supported him during a federal trial against him.
In March 2013, Gándara presented her candidacy to fill a vacant slot at the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. She was elected during an internal election within the party on March 13, 2013.
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