Hans H. Hertell
Hans. H. Hertell was sworn in as Ambassador to the Dominican Republic on November 8, 2001.
An attorney with more than 20 years experience in government, public affairs, and corporate and banking law, Ambassador Hertell was one of the founding partners of the third-largest full service law firm in Puerto Rico, Goldman, Antonetti, Ferraiuoli, Axtmayer & Hertell. From 1992-96, Ambassador Hertell was Managing Director for the Caribbean and Latin America at Black, Kelly, Scruggs & Healey, a government and public affairs company based in Washington, DC. During 1989, he served as a member of the Commission to Review U.S. Magistrates for Reappointment, U.S. Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Between 1982 and 1984, Ambassador Hertell was a political and legal advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico, as well as to the Attorney General, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Treasury of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
As a businessman, Ambassador Hertell was Chairman of American Builders Corp., a general contractor in Puerto Rico, and Chairman of a joint venture between American Builders and Beers Construction Co., a member of the Skanska group from Sweden - one of the largest construction companies in the world. Ambassador Hertell has served on the Board of Directors of OCASO Insurance Offices of Puerto Rico, a subsidiary of one of the largest insurance companies in Spain. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of Interstate Waste Technologies, Inc. and one of three board members of El Comandante Operating Co.
In the banking sector, Ambassador Hertell was Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Ponce Bank (NYSE), one of the largest publicly traded corporations in the Caribbean. From 1989-91, he served as a director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.
Ambassador Hertell was Puerto Rico State Chairman of the Young Republican National Association from 1984-85 and a Member of the National Steering Committee for George Bush's successful 1988 presidential campaign. He has served on the National Finance Committee of the Fund for America's Future and as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1988, 1992 and 1996. In 1999 then-Governor of Texas George W. Bush appointed Ambassador Hertell co-chairman of the George W. Bush Presidential Exploratory Committee in Puerto Rico. Mr. Hertell was a delegate to the 2000 Republican National Convention.
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ambassador Hertell holds a bachelor of arts degree from Fordham University of New York and a juris doctor from the University of Puerto Rico.
