Miami Connection
Aminda Marques Gonzalez shaped Miami journalism over decades at The Miami Herald, leading investigative reporting that exposed local issues like assisted-living regulations and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, earning Pulitzers and finalists. As the first Hispanic executive editor and later publisher of the Herald and el Nuevo Herald, she oversaw news for South Florida's diverse Cuban-American community and 1.2 million weekly readers. Her work strengthened media coverage of Miami-Dade, Hialeah, state politics, and regional stories, while serving on boards influencing local journalism standards.
About
Born in New York to Cuban immigrant parents, Aminda (Mindy) Marques Gonzalez earned a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida in 1986. She began her career as a summer intern at The Miami Herald's Neighbors section, advancing through roles like metro reporter, assistant city editor, and deputy metro editor, covering Hialeah and the landmark Santeria case to the U.S. Supreme Court. From 2002 to 2007, she served as Miami bureau chief for People magazine, overseeing coverage of the southeast U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. Returning to The Miami Herald in 2007 as multimedia editor, she launched Miami.com, became managing editor in 2010, and was named executive editor—the paper's first Hispanic and second female in the role. Under her leadership, the Herald became a multiple Pulitzer finalist for coverage of the Haiti earthquake, assisted-living failures, and a drug sting operation, and later won Pulitzers including the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. In 2020, after 34 years in journalism, she joined Simon & Schuster as Vice President and Executive Editor, acquiring narrative nonfiction, memoirs, and history books.