Henry R. Muñoz III

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Henry R. Muñoz III
Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee
In office
January 2013 – May 5, 2019
Succeeded byChris Korge
Personal details
Born
Henry Ruben Muñoz III

December 1959
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationLoyola University New Orleans (BA)

Henry R. Muñoz III (born December 1959) is an American businessperson and activist. He has used his wealth to launch national movements including Momento Latino, TheDream.US and Latino Victory to support the Latino community through awareness, college funding and electoral support.[1][2][3]

He is the cofounder of SOMOS US, a healthcare network in NYC treating largely immigrant communities that has been at the forefront of battling the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] He is the former chairman of the Board & CEO of Muñoz & Company, one of the largest and oldest minority-owned design practices in the country.[5] Under his leadership, Muñoz & Company pioneered an approach to architecture, urban planning, and design that acknowledges the imprint of the Latino community upon the built environment of the United States. He helped found the effort to create a Latino Museum on the Mall in Washington D.C., as chairman of the commission to study the viability of the creation of the National Museum of the American Latino.[6]

He was appointed as DNC Finance Chair by President Barack Obama in January 2013. He was re-elected unanimously by the DNC for his second term in 2017. He was the longest serving Finance Chair in DNC History. He is now Finance Chair emeritus of the Democratic National Committee, the first Latino and openly gay man to ever hold that position.[7]

Muñoz bought the comedy studio Funny or Die in May 2021.[8]

Early life and education

Muñoz was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Henry "The Fox" Muñoz, Jr., a Latino farm labor leader and immigrants rights advocate[9] who worked closely with Cesar Chavez in the 1960s. Muñoz attended Loyola University in New Orleans.[10]

Career

SOMOS US

SOMOS is a non-profit, physician-led network of over 2,500 health care providers serving close to 700,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in New York City. Launched in 2015 by Chairman Dr. Ramon Tallaj, Henry Muñoz III, and cohorts of Latino, Asian, and Black doctors, SOMOS is the only physician-led performance provider system participating in the New York State's DSRIP Program.[11]

Momento Latino

Founded in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Momento Latino works to create meaningful, systemic change for the Latinx community in three key areas: Healthcare, Education, and the Economy. A growing coalition of over 140 members, Momento Latino understands that the Latinx community is core to the cultural fabric and economic engine of the United States. The Momento Latino seeks to push for change and elevate issues important to Latinx community.[12]

In October 2020 Momento Latino aired a nationally televised special on CBS titled "Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event" in a star-studded event celebrating the resilience of the Latinx community during the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Funny or Die

Muñoz bought the popular comedy platform Funny or Die for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was announced in Variety on May 12, 2021. Muñoz purchased Funny Or Die from the company's former stakeholders, which included AMC Networks, WarnerMedia and Sequoia Capital.[14]

Cultural Productions

Munoz is the Founder & CEO of the Cultural Productions. Working in design, digital & traditional media, production, brand strategy and development, Cultural Productions has guided clients in healthcare, education, politics, and culturally-focused organizations on how they can best connect with the cultural frameworks of diverse communities and create business opportunities and strategic partnerships that expand their own business footprint.

Muñoz and Company

Becoming a part-owner of the Jones and Kell, Inc. architectural firm in 1993, Muñoz, not an architect, entered the field of architecture and design. The firm was renamed Kell Muñoz Wigodsky to reflect the three partners. In 2000, the firm was renamed Kell Muñoz Architects, Inc. after Dan Wigodsky left to start a private practice. In 2008, John Kell, Jr. retired and the firm became Muñoz and Company in 2013.[15] Muñoz & Co has a widely diverse portfolio of projects including governmental, institutional, higher education, public education and corporate work. Their designers have been recognized with more than 143 juried design awards, and their work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Architectural Digest, among others.[16]

Smithsonian

Muñoz was active in the establishment of Museo Alameda—one of the first formal Smithsonian Affiliates—which closed its doors in 2012. For a number of year he has been involved with the Smithsonian Institution in Latino boards and also in the effort to create a National Latino Museum on the Mall in Washington D.C. He serves as chairman of the national commission established to study the creation of what would be known as The Smithsonian American Latino Museum.[6] He is a former vice chairman of the Smithsonian National Board, chairman emeritus of the Smithsonian National Latino Board and serves as a trustee of Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

National Parks Foundation

He was appointed to the board of the National Parks Foundation in March 2012. He helped to establish The American Latino Heritage Fund, to support the creation of national monuments and heritage sites to record the contributions of Latinos to the history of the United States.[17]

TheDream.US

In 2013 he joined Amanda Bennett, Don Graham, Carlos Gutierrez, as founders of TheDream.US.[18]

Latino Victory

In 2014, he joined forces with Eva Longoria to form The Latino Victory project whose mission is to build political power within the progressive[19] Latino community to ensure the voices of Latinos are reflected at every level in government.[20]

Democratic National Committee

He was the national finance chairman for the Democratic National Committee.[21]

He is an alumnus of Loyola University New Orleans, serving on the board of trustees. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he and his colleagues contributed comprehensive design services to establish a new master plan for Loyola campuses.[citation needed]

Recognition

  • Hispanic Heritage Foundation Award for Leadership, September 2014.[22]
  • Hispanic Contractors Association of San Antonio, Architect/Designer of the Year 2018.[23]
  • United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, LGBTQ Advocate of the Year 2019.[24]
  • United States National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, World Heritage Celebration Award 2019.[25]
  • UnidosUS, Graciela Olivarez La Raza Award 2020.[26]
  • Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, National Superstars Award 2020.[27]
  • 2022 NHMC Impact Awards: Washington D.C.[28]
  • Comic Relief US Visionary Award 2023.[29]

References

  1. ^ Daily, BELatina (2020-07-15). "Momento Latino Is a Latinx Super Squad Whose Mission Is to Start a New Movement for the Community". BeLatina. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  2. ^ "Henry R. Muñoz III". TheDream.Us. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  3. ^ "Henry R. Muñoz III". Latino Victory. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  4. ^ "1 in 4 Latinos know someone who has been infected with COVID-19, poll says". NBC News. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  5. ^ Biediger, Shari (2020-01-27). "Muñoz & Co. CEO Stepping Down, Citing New Role in Biden Campaign". San Antonio Report. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  6. ^ a b Trescott, Jacqueline. "Panel recommends a national Latino museum be built near the Capital". Washington Post. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  7. ^ Lippman, Daniel (5 May 2019). "DNC finance chairman Muñoz steps down, replaced by Korge". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  8. ^ Spangler, Todd (12 May 2021). "Funny Or Die Acquired by Designer and Activist Henry R. Muñoz III". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Henry Muñoz". Politicon. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  10. ^ Charnoff, Brian (26 January 2011). "Henry Muñoz's successes come at the cost of controversy". My San Antonio. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  11. ^ "Unique Partnership with New York's Largest Multicultural Physician-Led Network Integrates Multiple Risk-Management Programs into a Single Platform". www.businesswire.com. 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  12. ^ "Momento Latino". Momento Latino. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  13. ^ "Stars unite in CBS' 'Essential Heroes' event to honor Latino achievements". Los Angeles Times. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  14. ^ Spangler, Todd (12 May 2021). "Funny Or Die Acquired by Designer and Activist Henry R. Muñoz III". Variety. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Muñoz and Company, About". Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  16. ^ "About". munozandcompany.com. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  17. ^ Rodriguez, Laura. "House and Senate Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Design a Location for the National American Latino Museum". Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  18. ^ "HENRY R. MUÑOZ III – CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER OF MUNOZ & COMPANY". TheDream.US. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  19. ^ "MISSION & VISION – LatinoVictory.us". LatinoVictory.us. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  20. ^ Chung, Andre (27 February 2015). "Latino Victory Project: Making Demographic Destiny A Political Force". NBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  21. ^ Baugh, Josh; Martin, Gary (23 January 2013). "Muñoz elected DNC finance chair". mySA. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  22. ^ Reilly, John. "Hispanic Heritage Foundation Announces 2014 Hispanic Heritage Awards Honorees. PBS to Broadcast the Awards as a One-Hour Special Nationally on September 29". PBS. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  23. ^ "HCA de San Antonio - Home Page". hcadesa.org. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  24. ^ "USHCC". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  25. ^ "US/ICOMOS at Work" (PDF).
  26. ^ "2020 UnidosUS Capital Awards to Recognize Bipartisan Leaders and Courageous Changemakers in a First-Time Virtual Experience". Template-C-Article-One-Column-No-Top-Image. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  27. ^ "Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art 2020 Fall Gala | Linktank". linktank.com. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  28. ^ "NHMC Impact: Washington D.C." NHMC.org.
  29. ^ "Oh, What a Night! | Comic Relief US". www.comicrelief.org. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
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