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Juan
Xuna
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(Born in Vigo, Galicia, Spain,
1948) |
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We lived in South Dakota. Mona and I, would go country dancing often.
Here
we are at the "Grain Bin" with friends. |
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Xuna-D.M.I.S software - 1981 |
At the lathe machine - 1965 |
Hand soccer team- Silesians - 1966 |
My
father –José- was a
Policeman (Policía Armada Corps). When he retired he continued to work, this time as a supervisor of
security guards for a shipbuilding company, until his final retirement in the 1980’s.
He died of a heart attack in 1992 at age 82.
As a soldier (and later a Sergeant) in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) he had been injured multiple times during that fratricidal conflict.
My mother –Amadora- has always been a housewife, and she is still alive and
well at her home in Vigo, her mild diabetes is under control. I have
two older brothers (José Amador, and Elías), and a younger brother (Bernardo) and
sister (María Rosa). I am the only one in the
family who has left Spain for good.
When
studying in College (School of Engineering of Barcelona
-1969) I met the person who
would end up being my first wife –Olga Cintrón- a US citizen from San Juan, Puerto
Rico. She is a Physical Therapist,
and she was studying Medicine in Spain. Two years later we got married.
After finishing the compulsory military service in the Spanish Army (I am a non-US Army
Veteran, Military Police - Madrid) we moved to Puerto Rico where I finished my studies. My oldest son –Ryan
Carlo- was born
in Puerto Rico three months before my graduation.
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Spanish Army, Madrid - 1971 |
Engineering Graduation - 1974 |
First Entrepreneurship - 1981 |
I
graduated as Electrical Engineer from the University of Puerto Rico in June of
1974. The
following month we relocated to Suffolk County, Long Island, NY, where I worked in Avionics and
Data Communications (for Airborne Instruments Labs, and for British Airways).
I became a US citizen in 1976. The
family returned to Puerto Rico in 1980, where I started a software venture
(“Scientific Software”), and became a pioneer in the development of software
for micro-computers (as PCs used to be called).
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Articles
about my software –targeted mainly to dairy farm operations- appeared on 11
articles of local newspapers, and on 3 major farming magazines.
There were also 3 appearances on local TV stations in San Juan, PR.
Despite
the success in the software field, eventually I had to close the entrepreneurship for
lack of venture capital. Without funds, it was impossible for me to expand beyond
the island of Puerto Rico, and reach the markets of scale that were needed to
sustain a viable operation.
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My
younger sons -Jason Melvin and
Kelvin Raymond- were also born in Puerto Rico, in 1981 and 1982 respectively. To make ends meet –and while my software venture was in an
embryonic stage of development- I worked as Professor of Computer Sciences
at the Inter American University, in Caguas, PR.
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In 1986 the company for which I was now working as Production
Manager
–Storage Technology Inc- transferred me from Ponce, PR, to their headquarters
in Louisville, CO, near Boulder. A
few years later, I earned a Master Degree in Telecommunications (University of Colorado at
Boulder). In
1991 I resigned from StorageTek and moved to Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with the
idea of re-starting the farm-software venture that I had given up in 1985.
This time under the name “Animal Science Software International”.
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were hard times, and after 22 years of marriage to Olga, we got divorced in
1993. My oldest son Ryan (now 28)
is currently studying Optometry (Inter American
University, Hato Rey, PR), from where he
expects to graduate in 2003. Jason
(20) studies International Business (University of Colorado,
Boulder).
My youngest son Kelvin (18) has just been released from the US Army
(Engineering Corps), and wants to enroll in Architectural studies (prep. at
Colorado State University in Greeley).
The whole extended family tries to spend Christmas and all major holidays
together. |
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Boating with my sons in PR - 1985 |
Relocated to Colorado - 1988 |
International Frequent Flyer - 1995 |
In
1993, I was studying in Fort Collins, CO, toward a Ph.D. in Computer Sciences when
I accepted an offer by LodgeNet Entertainment Co. Consequently, I left campus and relocated to Sioux
Falls, SD, in early 1994. LodgeNet
at the time had only domestic operations. I
started their international operations, and directed those efforts for three years. I had some serious
disagreements on international policy and strategy with some of LodgeNet’s
executives, and left the company in 1997.
During
one of those many long international trips I had to endure (mostly to Asia and
Latin America) I met the person who would become my second wife, Morgana
(“Mona”) Xuna, a Brazilian-American (maiden name Morgana Aguiar).
She
is an Artist (Painter) from Rio de Janeiro. When
we met she was exhibiting her paintings in a city-sponsored event over the huge
sidewalk of Copacabana beach. She
did many exhibitions of her art works in her native Brazil (please visit her
online art gallery at www.MonaXuna.com
for details). She also exhibited at
the Sioux Falls Civic Fine Arts Center in 1997.
We
got married in New Year's Eve of 1996. Daughter
–Alana Florida- was born on Thanks Giving day of 1998.
Mona is very proud of her new US citizenship (June 2001). Her utmost
enjoyment is having her hands full with Alanita.
She has not had much time to paint canvasses lately.
But, … watch out!
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Wedding Day, December 31, 1996. Juan and Mona Xuna |
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Horse back riding in SD - 1996 |
Our home gallery in SD - 1999 |
Florida Keys - 2001 |
In order to dedicate
fully to my campaign, I resigned to my position as Vice President of a Telecommunication company headquartered in Omaha
(Independent Technologies Inc.). I used to work
mostly from my lakeshore home at Wall Lake, Hartford, SD. As a Director of Software I wrote programs for
IndependentTech (client/server Oracle database applications for our major
client -Sprint). Due to those
projects we had to relocate for about a year in Saint Cloud, MN (there my
daughter Alana was born), and then two years to Lenexa, KS (near Sprint’s
headquarters in Overland Park, KS). In
June of 2000 I was promoted to Vice President of International Operations.
It was then that our house in Dakota was sold, and the family relocated
to Hillsboro Beach, FL. committed to starting an International Sales Operation
for my employer. |
Since
then, I have
traveled in Europe and Latin America, where I normally meet with executives from
telephone companies. On January 15,
2002, was effective my resignation from Independent Technologies (at www.IndependentTech.com
and www.IndependenTEK.com
), to dedicate to my political candidature.
To
make ends meet, I am opening an international consulting business (please visit at www.InternExp.com
). I also trade
with domain-names and build internet websites (please visit www.StrategicNames.com
). For the last 2 years I have also been an active online
trader, hosted at www.RJT.com
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Proofreader: JX |
This page was last updated on 09/16/08.
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