Outstanding Americans by Choice

Image of an American by Choice Certificate

The Outstanding Americans by Choice initiative recognizes the outstanding achievements of naturalized U.S. citizens. Through civic participation, professional achievement, and responsible citizenship, recipients of this honor have demonstrated their commitment to this country and to the common civic values that unite us as Americans.

USCIS will recognize naturalized citizens who have made significant contributions to both their community and their adopted country on a case-by-case basis.

For more information about the initiative, please see this fact sheet (PDF, 149.91 KB).

Note: The following biographies have been provided by the ABC recipients.

2007

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Dr. Ricardo Ernst Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University Washington, District of Columbia

Dr. Ricardo Ernst was born in Venezuela on January 9, 1959. He is a professor at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. He holds a civil engineering degree from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello and a master's in business administration from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración, both in Venezuela.

Alejandro Gomez Monteverde Director/Screenwriter Los Angeles, California

Mexican-born director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde moved to the United States at the age of 17, to Austin, Texas to pursue his film career. Mr. Monteverde graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with an undergraduate degree in film.

The Honorable Manuel A. Diaz Mayor, City of Miami Miami, Florida

Mayor Manuel “Manny” Diaz was first elected as Mayor of the City of Miami on November 13, 2001 and then re-elected to a second term in 2005.

Dr. Renu Khator Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of South Florida Tampa, Florida

Born in India, Dr. Khator received her undergraduate degree in liberal arts from Kanpur University. Dr. Khator came to the United States at the age of eighteen. She earned her master's degree and doctorate from Purdue University in Political Science and Public Administration with particular training in environmental policy.

Dr. Kiran C. Patel Chairman, Patel Foundation for Global Understanding Tampa, Florida

Born in Zambia, Africa, Dr. Kiran C. Patel is the son of Asian-Indian parents. After obtaining his diploma from Cambridge University and The University of London, Dr. Patel attended medical school at Gujarat University in India.

Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad United States Ambassador to Iraq Baghdad, Iraq

Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad was nominated Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Iraq by President Bush on April 5, 2005. He was sworn in on Tuesday, June 21, 2005 in Baghdad. Before serving as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Dr. Khalilzad served as Ambassador to Afghanistan from November 2003 until June 2005.

Rear Admiral José Luis Betancourt, United States Navy, Retired Chief Administrative Officer, San Diego City Schools San Diego, California

José Luis Betancourt serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for the San Diego City Schools. Prior to beginning this assignment, he most recently served as the United States Navy’s Commander for the Southwest Region.

Fang A. Wong Special Operations Specialist with L3 Communications, ILEX Systems New York, New York

Fang A. Wong has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to his community as a member of senior leadership in the veterans organization, the American Legion. Mr. Wong was born in China and came to the United States in 1960. He entered the U.S. military in 1969 as an enlisted soldier.

Dr. Guillermo Linares Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs New York, New York

Dr. Guillermo Linares serves as commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs for New York City. As commissioner, he works to ensure immigrants know how to access city services and meets with civic, religious, and business leaders to discuss the needs of immigrant communities.

Marina Belotserkovsky Director of Russian Communications and Community Outreach, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society New York, New York

Marina Belotserkovsky is currently director of Russian Communications and Community Outreach at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), where she is responsible for assisting over one million members of the Russian-speaking community in America.

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Outstanding Americans by Choice

2007

2006