Fermin Diaz, professional engineer, is proof that the American Dream exists. At the age of 14, the Cuban-born Diaz was sent to live with relatives in the United States and ended up in Naples in 1969. By the time his parents could join him in the United States, Diaz had worked his way through an AA degree in pre-engineering at Edison. In fact, a night class at Edison marked a turning point in Diaz's career. A fellow student, the wife of a founder of the Naples-based firm, WilsonMiller, was impressed with Diaz's work ethic and abilities. The engineering and design firm, which has guided award-winning master-planning and public infrastructure projects throughout Florida, hired Diaz.

That was over thirty years ago. Today, with a degree in civil engineering and countless awards to his credit, Diaz is president of the company that took him on as an eager young entry-level engineer. WilsonMiller is consistently named one of the top design firms in the nation, and locally, has earned the reputation as one of the "best places to work," according to the Economic Development Council of Collier County. The company's Rural Lands Stewardship Plan has become a model for rural planning around the country. Gulfshore Life magazine recognized WilsonMiller as "Outstanding Large Business" in its 2005 Philanthropists of the Year awards.

With all these accolades (and more!), Diaz is an enthusiastic mentor and supporter of young people, and WilsonMiller's philanthropic efforts focus on education. "Providing education is one of the most important things we can do for our youth," says Diaz. "My experience was that Edison focused on providing a good education to students. The caliber of the professors that I was fortunate to have provided me with the foundation that I needed to complete my career goals."

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