Editing Sila María Calderón

{{Short description|Governor of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2005}}
{{family name hatnote|Calderón|Serra|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Sila Calderón
| image               = Puerto Rican Governor Sila Calderon at the Pentagon, Feb 27, 2001 (1).jpg
| caption             = Calderón in 2001
| office              = [[Governor of Puerto Rico]]
| term_start          = January 2, 2001
| term_end            = January 2, 2005
| predecessor         = [[Pedro Rosselló]]
| successor           = [[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]]
| office1             = Mayor of [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]
| term_start1         = January 2, 1997
| term_end1           = January 2, 2001
| predecessor1        = [[Héctor Luis Acevedo]]
| successor1          = [[Jorge Santini]]
| office2             = [[Secretary of State of Puerto Rico]]
| governor2           = [[Rafael Hernández Colón]]
| term_start2         = 1988
| term_end2           = 1989
| predecessor2        = Alfonso Lopez Chaar
| successor2          = [[Antonio Colorado]]
| birth_name          = Sila María Calderón Serra
| birth_date          = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1942|9|23}}}}
| birth_place         = [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)|Popular Democratic]]
| otherparty          = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Francisco González|1964|1975|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Adolfo Krans|1978|2001|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Ramón Cantero Frau|2003|2005|end=div}}}}
| children            = 3, including [[Sila María González Calderón|Sila]]
| education           = [[Manhattanville College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus|University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras]]
}}
'''Sila María Calderón Serra''' (born September 23, 1942) is a Puerto Rican politician, businesswoman, and philanthropist who was the [[governor of Puerto Rico]] from 2001 to 2005, becoming the first [[List of female dependent territory leaders|female]] to be elected and serve as governor in [[History of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican history]]. Prior to her term as governor, Calderón held various positions in the government of Puerto Rico, including the 12th [[Secretary of State of Puerto Rico]] from 1988 to 1989, and [[Secretary of Government of Puerto Rico (minister)|Chief of Staff to Governor]] [[Rafael Hernández Colón]]. She was also mayor of [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], the capital of Puerto Rico, from 1997 to 2001.

==Early life and education==
Sila Calderón Serra was born in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]] on September 23, 1942, to entrepreneur César Augusto Calderón and Sila Serra Jesús. Her maternal grandfather Miguel Serra Joy emigrated from [[Mallorca]], Balearic Islands to Puerto Rico in the late 19th century which granted Calderón [[Spanish citizenship]] in 2012.<ref name="EV 2012">{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/vocero.com/docs/v10152012/10?ff=true|title=A su abuelo con ciudadania española Edición|date=October 15, 2012|website=El Vocero de Puerto Rico|page=10|access-date=September 11, 2020}}</ref> She attended high school at the Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Las Madres in [[Santurce, Puerto Rico]]. In 1964 she graduated with honors from [[Manhattanville College]] in [[Purchase, New York]], with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government. She later attended the Graduate School of Public Administration at the [[University of Puerto Rico]].<ref name="prhof">[http://fvillarinni.tripod.com/silamcalderon/ Biografía de Sila M. Calderón] on Boricuas Hall of Fame (2001)</ref><ref name="cidob">[http://www.cidob.org/es/documentacio/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_central_y_caribe/puerto_rico/sila_calderon_serra Sila Calderón Serra: Datos Relevantes] on Centro de Estudios y Documentación Internacionales de Barcelona</ref><ref name="cpprbib">[http://cpprbib.wordpress.com/sila-m-calderon/ Biografía: Sila Calderón] on Biblioteca Centro para Puerto Rico</ref><ref name="lexjur">[http://www.lexjuris.com/biografias/buscar/search.asp?rec_id=255 Biografía de Sila Calderón] on LexJuris</ref><ref name="sclabio">[http://www.labiografia.com/ver_biografia.php?id=482 Sila Calderón] on LaBiografia.com</ref>

==Professional career==
===First career years: 1973–1985===
Her career began in 1973 when she was named Executive Aide to the Labor Secretary, Luis Silva Recio. Two years later, she was named Special Aide for Economic Development to then Governor, [[Rafael Hernández Colón]].<ref name="lexjur"/>

After Hernández Colón was defeated in the [[Puerto Rican general election, 1976|1976 general elections]], Calderón went to work on the private sector working as Director of Business Development at [[Citibank]], N.A. in San Juan.<ref>[http://cpprbib.wordpress.com/sila-m-calderon/ Sila M. Calderón] on Biblioteca Centro para Puerto Rico</ref> At the time, Citibank in San Juan was one of John Reed's experimental marketing centers. As part of her business development responsibilities, Calderón designed and marketed several new consumer products which significantly increased the earnings of the Retail Division of the Bank.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} In 1978, she became president of Commonwealth Investment Company, a family real estate concern that owned and managed industrial buildings.<ref name="sclabio"/>

===First government positions: 1985–1990===
In [[1984 Puerto Rican general election|1984]], Rafael Hernández Colón was again elected governor and he appointed Calderón as Chief of Staff, being the first woman in that position. In 1988, Hernández Colón named her Puerto Rico's 12th Secretary of State.<ref name="cidob"/>

During this time, Calderón was also part of the Governor's Economic Adviser Council and the board of directors of the [[Puerto Rico Government Development Bank]] and the Center for Specialized Studies in Government Management. She also presided the Inversions Committee of the Industrial Development Company. She was also Secretary General of the Commission that organized the activities of the Fifth Centenary of the Discovery of the Americas.<ref name="cidob"/>

===Return to private life: 1989–1995===
Calderón resigned in 1989 and returned to her business endeavors. She served on the boards of major local corporations such as BanPonce, [[Popular, Inc.|Banco Popular]], and Pueblo International. She also served as part of the Committee for Economic Development of Puerto Rico, the Sor Isolina Ferré Foundation, and as President of the Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation during 1991 and 1992.<ref name="prhof"/>

==Political career==
===Mayor of San Juan: 1997–2001===
Calderón returned to public life in 1995, running in the [[Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico|Popular Democratic Party]] (PPD) primary for Mayor of San Juan. She won the primary handily over her two opponents by a huge margin.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} After that, she became President of the Municipal Committee of the PPD in San Juan, and later became part of the board of directors of the Party.<ref name="lexjur"/>

In the [[1996 San Juan, Puerto Rico mayoral election|1996 mayoral general election]], she was elected Mayor of San Juan, becoming the second woman in the city's history to serve in that office and the first woman elected to the position.<ref>[http://www.ceepur.org/cgi-bin/municipios.pl?municipio=sj&1996=on&map=a Consulta de Resultados: Municipio de San Juan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081128085958/http://www.ceepur.org/cgi-bin/municipios.pl?municipio=sj&1996=on&map=a |date=November 28, 2008 }} on CEEPUR</ref> As mayor, she undertook one of the largest public works program in the city to date, sponsoring various urban redevelopment projects to revitalize [[Old San Juan]], [[Condado, Puerto Rico|Condado]], [[Río Piedras, Puerto Rico|Río Piedras]], [[Santurce, Puerto Rico|Santurce]], and other deteriorated sections of the city. She also initiated the [[Puerto_Rico_Office_for_Socioeconomic_and_Community_Development#Special_Communities|Special Communities Program]] to assist poor communities’ empowerment and economic development.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Rivera Quintero, Marcia | title=El vuelo de la esperanza : Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997–2004 | year=2014 | publication-date=2014 | publisher=San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón | edition=Primera edición | isbn=978-0-9820806-1-0 }}</ref><ref name="Law 1-2001">{{cite web|url=http://www.lexjuris.com/lexlex/Leyes2001/lex2001001.htm|title=Leyes del 2001|website=Lex Juris Puerto Rico|language=es|access-date=June 24, 2019}}</ref>

===Governor: 2001–2004===
On April 21, 1999, Calderón presented her candidacy to be [[Governor of Puerto Rico]]. On May 31, she won the primary and took the presidency of the party, with then-President [[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]] assuming the role of Vice-president. Acevedo Vilá eventually became Calderón's running mate for [[Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico]].<ref name="cidob"/>

In 2000, Calderón led the [[Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico|Popular Democratic Party]] (PPD) during a close campaign for governor against [[Carlos Pesquera]] (PNP) and [[Rubén Berríos]] (PIP). Calderón was elected governor, becoming the first elected female governor in the history of Puerto Rico.<ref>[http://www.ceepur.org/elecciones2000/escrutinio/resumen.html Elecciones Generales 2000: Resumen del Escrutinio] on CEEPUR.org</ref> After being sworn in, Calderón appointed her two daughters, [[Sila María González Calderón|Sila Mari]] and María Elena, to serve as First Ladies.<ref>[http://fvillarinni.tripod.com/silamcalderon/ ''Boricuas Hall of Fame: Biografía de Sila M. Calderón'']</ref>

As governor, Calderón took action to help the most disadvantaged communities. With the passing of Law 1 of 2001 the government invested $1 billion to create the [[Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development]] with the intention of developing the marginalized communities of the island.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-03-01|title=Sila Calderón defiende la inversión en Comunidades Especiales|url=https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/sila-calderon-defiende-la-inversion-en-comunidades-especiales/|access-date=2021-10-14|website=Primera Hora|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=ayudalegalpr.org|url=https://ayudalegalpr.org/resource/ley-nm-1-del-2001-ley-para-el-desarrollo-inte?ref=Fxkw2|access-date=2021-10-14|website=ayudalegalpr.org|language=es}}</ref> The program intended to create 14,500 development projects in 686 communities.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-08-30|title=Sila Calderón dice que Aníbal Acevedo Vilá la amenazó|url=https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/sila-calderon-dice-que-anibal-acevedo-vila-la-amenazo/|access-date=2021-10-14|website=Primera Hora|language=es}}</ref> The program has been criticized for many of the projects never being completed and funds instead being diverted.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Salamán|first=Adriana De Jesús|title="Aquí hubo un desfalco" con fondos de comunidades especiales|url=https://www.noticel.com/ahora/gobierno/top-stories/20201218/aqui-hubo-un-desfalco-con-fondos-de-comunidades-especiales/|access-date=2021-10-14|website=www.noticel.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2003, Calderón announced her determination to fulfill the commitments of her platform and her decision not to seek re-election in 2004.<ref name="cidob"/>

On May 26, 2004, Calderón had to deal with a man who entered [[La Fortaleza]], the governor's mansion, with a knife and took a receptionist hostage, demanding to speak directly with Calderón. After Calderón negotiated with the hostage taker, the man dropped the knife and surrendered to the police.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-05-28-0405280213-story.html|title=Governor Ends Hostage Standoff in Puerto Rico|first=Matthew Hay |last=Brown |website=OrlandoSentinel.com|language=en-US|access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref>

==Present==
Calderón is a partner in Inter-American Global Links, Inc. (IGlobaL), a business and trade consulting firm with links in Central America, the [[Caribbean]] and the United States. She chairs a philanthropic Foundation which has establish a non-profit and non-partisan entity – The Center for Puerto Rico: Sila M. Calderón Foundation –  which gives attention to the issues of poverty, women, urban revitalization, ethical values and social responsibility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fundacion Sila M. Calderón www.fundacionsilamcalderon.org |url=https://fundacionsilamcalderon.org/ |access-date=February 12, 2021 |website=Fundación Sila M. Calderón |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Honours and awards==

During her career, Calderón has received many honors and awards:<ref name="prhof"/>

* The Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce named her Outstanding Woman in the Public Sector three times (1975, 1985, 1987). 
* In 2005, she was named as one of the Distinguished Women of the Year by the Product Association of Puerto Rico.
* In 1987, she was granted the [[Order of Isabella the Catholic]] by [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|Juan Carlos I]], [[King of Spain]].
* In 1988, she was selected Leader of the Year in the field of Public Works by the [[American Public Works Association]], Chapter of Puerto Rico.
* In 2003, she received the Harvard Foundation Award.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2003-10-16|title=Harvard Foundation honors governor of Puerto Rico|url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2003/10/harvard-foundation-honors-governor-of-puerto-rico/|access-date=2021-10-15|website=Harvard Gazette|language=en-US}}</ref>
* In 2004, she received the Golden Plate Award from the [[Academy of Achievement]] in Washington, DC.

Calderón has also received several honorary degrees:

* 1989 – [[Manhattanville College]] – Doctor in Arts and Humanities
* May 1997 – [[Manhattanville College]] – Doctor of Humane Letters
* May 2001 – [[Boston University]] – Doctor of Laws 
* May 2001 – [[New School University]] – Doctor of Laws

During her tenure, Calderón gave particular attention to strengthening the economic, commercial and cultural ties between Puerto Rico and its Latin American neighbors.  Underlining this effort, official visits were paid by Governor Calderón to the [[Dominican Republic]], [[Panama]] and [[Costa Rica]] in the years 2001, 2002 and 2004. In recognition of her administration's efforts of collaboration between these countries and Puerto Rico, their governments bestowed upon her their most important civil orders: the [[Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella]] of the Dominican Republic; the [[Order of Núñez de Balboa]] of Panama; and the [[Order of Juan Santamaría]] of Costa Rica.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}

==Personal life==
Calderón was married to engineer Francisco Xavier González Goenaga from 1964 to 1975.<ref name="cidob"/> They had three children together: [[Sila María González Calderón|Sila María]], Francisco Xavier, and María Elena. Both Sila María and María Elena are attorneys, and they served as "First Ladies" of the Commonwealth during Calderón's governorship.<ref name="prhof"/> Francisco is an investment banker at [[RBC Capital Markets]].

In 1978, Calderón married entrepreneur Adolfo Krans. They divorced in 2001 after 23 years of marriage.<ref>[http://corp.primerahora.com/archivo.asp?guid=8C48FAB6D32F11D5A2F400508B124842&year=2001&keyword= Ahora es oficial el divorcio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425233812/http://corp.primerahora.com/archivo.asp?guid=8C48FAB6D32F11D5A2F400508B124842&year=2001&keyword= |date=April 25, 2012 }} on ''[[Primera Hora (Puerto Rico)|Primera Hora]]''; Díaz Alcaide, Maritza (November 7, 2001)</ref>

Calderón married again, during her tenure as governor, with Ramón Cantero Frau, her former Secretary of the Department of Economic Development. The wedding was celebrated on September 10, 2003.<ref>[http://www.bodaclickpr.com/report/boda-sila-maria-calderon-y-ramon-cantero-frau.html Boda de Sila Calderón] on BodaClickPR</ref> They were divorced two years later.<ref>[https://www.adendi.com/archivo.asp?Xnum=763801&year=2010&mon=8 Comprometidos Cantero Frau y Ada Torres Toro] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629141918/https://www.adendi.com/archivo.asp?Xnum=763801&year=2010&mon=8 |date=June 29, 2016 }} on ''[[El Nuevo Día]]''; Hernández, Yanira (August 20, 2010)</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|Biography}}
*[[List of governors of Puerto Rico]]
*[[History of women in Puerto Rico]]
*[[List of female governors in the United States]]

{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{IMDb name}}
*[http://www.cidob.org/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_central_y_caribe/puerto_rico/sila_calderon_serra Biography by CIDOB] (in Spanish)

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{{s-bef|before=[[Alfonso Lopez Chaar]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Secretary of State of Puerto Rico]]|years=1988–1989}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Antonio Colorado]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Héctor Luis Acevedo]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of mayors of San Juan, Puerto Rico|Mayor of San Juan]]|years=1997–2001}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jorge Santini]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Pedro Rosselló]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Puerto Rico]]|years=2001–2005}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]]}}
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{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Presidents of the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico|Chair of the Puerto Rico Popular Democratic Party]]|years=1999–2003}}
{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Aníbal Acevedo Vilá]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Héctor Luis Acevedo]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)|Popular Democratic]] nominee for [[Governor of Puerto Rico]]|years=[[2000 Puerto Rican general election|2000]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Puerto Rico Governors}}
{{Puerto Rico Secretary of State}}
{{PRPPDnominees}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calderon, Sila Maria}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Chiefs of staff of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Governors of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Manhattanville University alumni]]
[[Category:Mayors of San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Order of Merit of Duarte, Sánchez and Mella]]
[[Category:Politicians from San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) politicians]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico)]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of Catalan descent]]
[[Category:20th-century Puerto Rican women politicians]]
[[Category:Secretaries of state of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Women mayors of places in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Women governors of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:20th-century Puerto Rican politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Puerto Rican politicians]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican philanthropists]]
[[Category:Women governors and heads of sub-national entities]]
[[Category:21st-century Puerto Rican women politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:21st-century mayors of places in Puerto Rico]]