Alberto Cárdenas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Alberto Cardenas" redirects here. For for the Republican lobbyist, and trustee of Florida A&M University, see Alberto "Al" Cardenas.

Alberto Cárdenas

Alberto Cárdenas Jiménez (b. April 4, 1958 in Zapotlán El Grande, Jalisco) is a Mexican politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party (PAN). He is a former governor of Jalisco, Senator, and according to a press conference held on November 2006 he will serve as Secretary of Agriculture in the cabinet of Felipe Calderón starting on December 1, 2006.

Cárdenas received a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the Ciudad Guzmán Technological Institute and both a master's degree in Business Planning and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnical University of Madrid, in Spain.

He was the mayor of Ciudad Guzmán from 1992 until 1994 and served as governor of Jalisco from 1995 until 2001. After leaving the post he was appointed general director of the National Forestry Commission. From 2003 until 2005 he headed the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources in the cabinet of Vicente Fox.

On July 7, 2005 he was formally registered in the presidential primary election of the National Action Party. He competed for the nomination with former fellow cabinet members Santiago Creel and Felipe Calderón, but ultimately lost to Calderón. In the general election of July 2, 2006, he was elected to the Senate for the PAN, representing the state of Jalisco.

Cárdenas is married to Joann Novoa Mossberger and has three children: Andrea, Alberto and Álvaro.