Name: Otto Miguel Padron
Hometown: Valley Village
E-mail Address: otto63@me.com
Business Position: President and CEO, Meruelo Media
Civilian Education: Bachelor of Science in Communications and Economics, University of Miami, Florida; MBA, Florida International University School of Business; Master in Strategic Studies, US Army War College.
Organizations/Clubs/Philanthropies: Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise; Walk of Fame Chair, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce; and FCC DEI Working Group
Civilian Honors: Department of Homeland Security, American by Choice, 2021; Radio INK’s 40 Most Powerful People in Radio 2022, 2021 and 2020.
Military Retirement Date, Rank and Service: 1 Jan 2022, COL, US Army (38 Years)
Name of Spouse and Children: Angelica Vale Padron, Carolyna Padron, Elizabeth Padron, Angelica Padron, and Daniel Padron.
Army Reserve Ambassador: Ambassador Otto Padron is a Cuban immigrant who began his US Army career in 1983 as a Special Operations Soldier in the rigorous 1st Ranger Battalion of the legendary 75th Ranger Regiment (Airborne). Today he leads Meruelo Media, the largest and fastest growing wholly minority-owned and veteran operated Media Company in California. Its broadcast portfolio holds some of the most institutional media brands in the Southern California. In 2014, Otto led the design and construction of The Meruelo Broadcast and Studio Center multi-million-dollar state of the art facility in mid Los Angeles. Before joining the Meruelo Media team, Otto was Senior Vice President of Programming for the Univision Television Network, where he managed more than $500MM in domestic programming assets. Under his leadership, Univision Network set audience records and new standards in Spanish language content creation. Ambassador Padron was commissioned in 1991 and for almost four decades he distinguished himself in multiple assignments and positions of growing difficulty and responsibility. Ambassador Padron retired as Colonel with multiple deployments and combat tours. His last military assignment was as Deputy Division Commander of the Wild West 91st Division based in Fort Hunter Liggett, California. Ambassador Padron was one of three individuals whose contributions were recognized in the 2008 U.S. Army National Television campaign titled “Army Strong” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQXIYnIzTBk