By Jefferson Geiger
Wagner alum Angelo Castillo BS ’81 MBA ’83 made history in April when he became the first Hispanic mayor of Pembroke Pines, Florida. Sandwiched between Miami Dade County and Palm Beach on the edge of the Everglades, the natural beauty of the community guides him in his civic duty.
Rather than “retire to the chair” — as he puts it — Castillo wants to make a difference. He’s been working on a strategic plan and attending town hall meetings to address public safety concerns and environmental issues such as recycling and preserving open space.
“It's a very humbling experience, but it's one that I feel very prepared to take on,” Castillo said.
The new mayor credits that preparation to his time at Wagner. Born in Cuba and raised in the New Dorp neighborhood of Staten Island, Castillo followed his older sister’s footsteps in attending the school. He majored in business administration and returned to campus to receive his master’s before studying law at New York Law School.
His career includes executive roles in the administrations of New York City mayors Ed Koch, David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani, as well as Governors Mario Cuomo and George Pataki.
“In government, the accounting rules are slightly different, but it's still a business,” Castillo said. “You have to bring in money, you have to manage money and you have to manage programs. You have to understand trends. There are many of the root functions of business that do apply to government.”
Castillo moved to Florida with his family in 1996 to work as the director of the Florida State Office of Community Planning and Development. Afterward, while running a nonprofit, he was first elected to the Pembroke Pines City Commission in 2004.
However, Wagner still tugs at his heart. He fondly remembers Cunard Hall on foggy fall mornings, the Union covered in snow and the magnificent views of New York.
“‘Beautiful Upon a Hill’ is not just the school song — It is the perfect description for everything Wagner,” Castillo said.
He made many lifelong friends — some he visited recently on a trip to the Poconos — and he enjoyed how the professors were just as friendly as his classmates.
“I'm really thankful that I had the opportunity to go to Wagner,” Castillo said. “Wagner brings out the best in you. It exemplifies the American small college experience in which almost everyone knows everybody else. I fondly remember my classes and the professors who knew me by name.”
Castillo doesn’t have advice specific to students seeking office. Instead, he offers a message applicable to anyone chasing their dreams.
“Find the thing that calls to you and pursue that, and you'll be successful,” Castillo said.
