Mr. Jose G. Baquero Tirado is the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator for response and recovery operations in Puerto Rico following the historic impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria. Mr. Baquero coordinates with the Puerto Rico Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience (COR3) and the Government of Puerto Rico to ensure unity of effort and a successful recovery mission. Mr. Baquero coordinates in developing and implementing economically viable, sustainable and resilient recovery solutions.
Mr. Baquero holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. He has worked as an attorney in private practice, and for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the federal government. As a private attorney, his practice mainly involved litigation in local and federal courts on behalf of international transportation and marine insurance companies in Puerto Rico.
From February through November 2001, Mr. Baquero served as General Counsel of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. In November 2001 he was appointed as Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority by the Governor of Puerto Rico. His responsibilities included operational oversight of 11 airports and 11 seaports in the aviation and maritime bureaus, including the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan and the Port of San Juan. Mr. Baquero served in that capacity until May 2003.
He joined the Transportation Security Administration in June of 2003 as an attorney in the Office of t he Chief Counsel at the Orlando Field Office. Mr. Baquero’s duties consisted in providing legal support to Federal Security Directors and their staffs at Orlando International, Daytona Beach, Orlando Sanford, Gainesville Regional, Jacksonville International and Melbourne International Airports. In April of 2005, he was appointed Assistant Federal Security Director for Operations for Orlando International Airport.
In June of 2005, Mr. Baquero was appointed Federal Security Director for Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands. He established the organizational structure and management systems required for threat identification, risk management, crisis management, employee accountability, and security at airports, including all aircraft.
Mr. Baquero also serves in various roles in the Puerto Rico Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is currently an Assistant Scoutmaster, Associate Advisor, V.P for Scouts with Special needs at the District level, and as V.P. for Enterprise Risk Management at the Council level.
He and his wife Linda have one son, Diego José.