Interview with Ronald Bilbao

Interview with Ronald Bilbao, Legislative Specialist at the Florida Education Association. Ronald was born in Miami in to Colombian and Venezuelan parents. He attended Miami-Dade County schools, and became involved with social justice at an early age as he led the first student-lobbying program to the state capital to advocate for juvenile justice reform and an anti-bullying legislation. He worked for Bob Levy in Tallahassee as a lobbyist intern before enrolling at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He founded the North Carolina Coalition for College Access while attending college. In 2010, he moved back to Miami to work for the American Civil Liberties Union where he was a legislative associate lobbying for immigrants, criminal justice reform, and LGBT rights. Ronald then left the ACLU and worked on behalf of nurses and doctors in Miami for the Service Employees International Union and the Jackson Healthcare system. He is on the board of directors for Save Dade, and works for Florida Education Association to represent teachers, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers. He also serves as Chapter Vice Director for the New Leaders Council.