Leadership

National Chairman – Alci Maldonado - chair@rnha.org

National Chairman Alci Maldonado is a veteran Republican community activist and supporter. Chairman Maldonado has volunteered, worked with, advised, or has been the manager of political campaigns at all levels of State and Federal office for over thirty years in Florida. She has served as an elected Republican Precinct Committeewoman in Polk County, Florida for many years and was previously involved in Miami Dade County politics.  Alci’s recent political activities include service in grassroots Congressional campaign work for former Congressman and current Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady, served as the Polk County Chairman for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential campaign and as the co-chairman of the Polk County McCain Palin Presidential Campaign.  Chairman Maldonado served as the county Hispanic Coalition Chair with the Bush-Cheney 2000 and 2004 Presidential Campaigns and with Governor Jeb Bush’s 1998 and 2002 Gubernatorial Campaigns.  She has also served as the Polk County Campaign Chairman for the successful Mel Martinez for U.S. Senate (Florida) and Charlie Crist for Governor (Florida) campaigns and is the Hispanic-American liaison for the Adam Putnam for Congress Campaign (R-12) and was a volunteer for Attorney General Bill McCollum’s campaign.  Chairman Maldonado was selected by Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer as the first appointment to the Republican Party of Florida Hispanic Leadership Council.  In 2008, Alci had the high honor of being selected as a delegate for the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis – St. Paul Minnesota.  Alci was nominated to the RNC’s 2009 Woman’s Summit due to her strong leadership and volunteerism.  The Woman’s Summit focus is on all aspects of grassroots, communication skills, harnessing the advancements in new media, and sustaining a strong base of women within the Republican Party.  Florida Governor Charlie Crist appointed Alci, in 2008, as Commissioner to the State of Florida Commission on the Status of Women. 

Chairman Maldonado has also been active in community affairs and has worked as a public official to address Polk County growth and efficiency issues as a Polk County Efficiency Commissioner. Currently, Chairman Maldonado is an Executive Board Member of the City of Lakeland’s “Lakeland Vision”, which identifies and implements innovative ideas to promote the City of Lakeland’s history and historical preservation, as well as its progress, current and future growth.  Most recently, Chairman Maldonado was elected to the Executive Board of Directors of Lakeland Vision and Chairman of the Inclusion and Advocacy Committee.  Alci has long been active in women’s and children’s issues with her membership and support of a number of women’s civic and Republican clubs. She has volunteered for diverse organizations such as “New Life,” “Mothers Without Partners,” the Christian Women Association, and others which guide and promote women’s issues, with emphasis of helping single women. Alci has been active in parent/teacher/student organizations, as a head band chaperone and as a Minister of Worship in her United Methodist Church. Chairman Maldonado currently resides in Lakeland, Florida with her proudest accomplishment being her family.  Two sons are attorneys, her oldest daughter is a retail management professional and her youngest daughter is a clinical psychologist.

National First Vice-Chairman – Tony Benegas

National First Vice-Chairman Tony Benegas is a strong Republican advocate in Washington State by developing Hispanic involvement in local and state politics and is a strong community activist and is president and CEO of his own engineering firm. Not one to sit idly by, Vice-Chairman Benegas decided to run for city council. Taking on a 13 year incumbent, Tony raised the funds, waged a campaign, and won in a landslide. Vice-Chairman Benegas been involved with the RNHA since 2004. Practicing what he preaches serving as a PCO, the GOP Benton County state committeeman, and is serving his second term as the Washington RNHA state chair. He was the Washington State Hispanic Chair for the McCain Campaign in 2008 and was active in: developing Hispanic outreach, organizing fundraisers, and leading GOTV for several GOP campaigns, e.g., Bush 2004, Gubernatorial Candidate Dino Rossi 2004 & 2008, US Senate Candidates McGavick 2008, Nethercutt 2006, Congressman Doc Hastings, State Attorney General Mckenna, Secretary of State (WA) Reed as well as several other local state representatives and senators. Vice-Chairman Benegas hails from Texas but like so many hardworking Hispanic families, the Benegas family moved to where the work was Texas, New Mexico, and finally Montana. Tony met his wife Lisa in Helena and together they have raised two beautiful daughters.

Second Vice Chairman- Robert Spindell

Second Vice Chairman Bob Spindell is Chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, 4th Congressional District which includes Milwaukee and is a member of the Republican Party of WI State Executive Committee. Spindell is Chair of the RPW Election Reform & Vote Fraud Committee and past Chair of the RPW Audit Committee. Assistant Treasurer Spindell is the RNHA National Committeeman from WI, a chapter currently being finalized. Bob is one of three Commissioners of the City of Milwaukee Board of Election Commissioners, a Commissioner of the Milwaukee County Lake Front Development Advisory Commission, and Vice Chair of Career Youth Development, an inner city social service agency. Previously, Bob was an Account Executive at Leo Burnett Advertising Agency Chicago; National Director of Marketing at Church’s Fried Chicken, Inc. and owner of several Church’s Fried Chicken and Subway Sandwich Franchise restaurants in Milwaukee. Bob is President of Prospect Realty & Business Brokers, Inc. / Spindell Group, LTD and is an associate of the Gottesman Company, NYC, a national and international merger and acquisition firm. Bob received his BA from the University of Virginia, his MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management and served as a Captain in the United States Air Force.

National Treasurer – Mark McClendon

National Assistant Treasurer – Octavio Sanchez

National Secretary – Debbie Bishop

National Secretary Debbie Bishop has had extensive experience in Republican politics. Assistant Secretary Bishop worked for several years on the official staff of the Republican Party of Florida, as well as for the successful Charlie Crist for Governor Campaign (Florida). Debbie has been involved in politics her entire adult life. She has volunteered with Presidents Richard M. Nixon’s Presidential Campaign, Ronald W. Reagan’s Presidential Campaign, and Ms. Bishop has been very active in all aspects of local politics, including her duties as Treasurer of a Mayoral Campaign in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, as well as her service as the State Chair of The Tennessee Coalition for the White House Conference on Small Business. Debbie served as a member of Senator Bill Frist’s Small Business Roundtable and she was instrumental in writing legislation for the “Study of the impact of Women Business Owners on the Economy”. Assistant Secretary Bishop is passionate about the Republican Party and its support of Less Taxes, Less Government, and more Freedom.

National Assistant Secretary – Genaro Pedroarias