ASPIRA of Florida Selects Luis M. Artime as Its New President and CEO

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwire - Aug 30, 2011) - ASPIRA of Florida's Board of Directors and its Chair Edward Hernandez announces the appointment of Luis M. Artime, Esq. as President and CEO. After an eight-month national search, the Board selected Mr. Artime from a pool of more than 300 applicants. ASPIRA is a non-profit organization that has served thousands of underprivileged students in Florida for thirty years. Its youth leadership development programs and charter schools have positively transformed the lives of these students and their families. ASPIRA currently serves approximately 3,000 students statewide.

Mr. Artime, who assumed the new post on July 11, 2011, will now lead ASPIRA as it expands its services from the tri-county area to other counties across the state of Florida. Chairman Edward Hernandez, Esq. stated, "We are very fortunate to have Luis, an Aspirante with a compelling life story, return to the ASPIRA family. His vision, knowledge and experience will ensure that ASPIRA continues its great work in our community."

Mr. Artime noted, "It is an honor for me to sustain Raul Martinez's legacy. ASPIRA has been a well kept secret outside the academic and social service arena. We are looking forward to increasing services and awareness of our successful youth leadership development model."

Mr. Artime is a native of Cuba who, at the age of ten and together with approximately 18,000 Cuban children, immigrated to this country unaccompanied by any parent or guardian under the auspices of "Operation Pedro Pan." Three years later, Mr. Artime moved to New York City with his parents and, while in high school, became an Aspirante in ASPIRA of New York. He graduated from Fordham University in its Rose Hill Campus location in the Bronx and later moved to Philadelphia, where he attended and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Mr. Artime's experience in the corporate and legal sector includes serving as Global General Counsel for Brightstar Corp. in Miami, Florida; Senior Associate General Counsel for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Bentonville, Arkansas; Vice President and General Counsel for BellSouth International in Atlanta, Georgia; Senior Vice President and General Counsel of a publicly traded healthcare management company headquartered in Los Angeles, California; and founding Partner of the Miami office of the national law firm of Akerman Senterfitt.