Vince C. Lago was elected Mayor of the City of Coral Gables in April 2021. Prior to his election, he served as City Commissioner for eight years holding the post of Vice Mayor from 2019 to 2021.
Mayor Lago has shown a strong dedication to civic and philanthropic causes serving on various decision making boards and foundations in our community. As a former member of the Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Board, he has brought a reasonable and creative approach while remaining committed to preserving the unique character of Coral Gables – always placing its residents’ quality of life first and foremost. During his time in office, Mayor Lago has spearheaded a multitude of legislative initiatives and encourages the City to be at the forefront of sustainability.
He also serves on various community and civic boards. As a college student, he was one of the youngest board members to be appointed to La Liga Contra el Cancer (“The League Against Cancer”), where he co-founded the annual “Arroz Con Mango” gala which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of the charity’s mission to provide free medical care to cancer patients.
Mayor Lago previously served on the Board of Directors of the Coral Gables Community Foundation. As a member of the board, he has worked toward the organization’s goals of promoting and enhancing the quality of life of the residents of the City Beautiful while raising funds to help the elderly, youth, and disabled in our community.
He has a strong passion for the arts that he will use to enhance culture and public spaces in Coral Gables. Since 2009, Mayor Lago has served as a board member of Locust Projects, a non-profit contemporary art organization which supports emerging and mid-career artists. He also serves as a board member of the City of Miami’s Arts and Entertainment Council.
He was recently appointed as a Board member to the Coral Gables Museum and believes in educating the community on the importance of art and culture.
Mayor Lago is dedicated to the advancement of higher education by serving as a board member of the President’s Council at Florida International University (FIU). Having earned both a Masters in Construction Management from the Engineering School at FIU and a Bachelors of Business Administration from FIU, he has shown dedication for his alma mater by raising funds for scholarships.
Mayor Lago is dedicated to transportation planning and is committed to enhancing South Florida’s transportation system while meeting energy conservation needs and preserving the physical and social environment of the community.
In 2017 he was appointed as a board member to the Miami Dade Transportation Planning Organization representing the City of Coral Gables. In 2019, he became appointed to the Junior League of Miami’s Community Advisory Board and provides expert knowledge on important community advocacy projects.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he moved to Coral Gables in 1980. He graduated from Gulliver Preparatory School in 1996. In 2007, Mayor Lago married Olga Mari Saizarbitoria Lago, a Coral Gables native and a research analyst for Discovery Communications. In May 2011, they welcomed their first daughter, Mirentxu Cristina Lago and in August 2014, their second daughter Catalin Maria Lago. In his professional career, Mayor Lago is an executive at a distinguished management and design firm which focuses on commercial construction and specializes in the construction of medical and educational facilities.”
