Juan Miret is a Venezuelan-born journalist and a resident of Central Park since 2007. He is an award-winning writer and photographer, whose work has appeared in bilingual publications, in addition to being syndicated nationally.
He has exhibited his photography at Living Arts of Tulsa and Tulsa City-County Library, and he has chaired the Committee of Día de Los Muertos Arts Festival and served our City as past chairman of the Greater Tulsa Area Hispanic Affairs Commission. He is also one of the most energetic and positive people I know, giving back to the community in a variety of ways almost too many to count, because the list literally goes on and on and on.
In 2018, Juan ran for the District 4 seat (which includes downtown) on the Tulsa City Council and competed favorably with a crowded list candidates that may go down as one of the strongest in history.
Presently, Juan serves as the Past President of the Mayo School Foundation Board; he is a board member of Kendall Whittier Main Street, the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations, and the Tulsa Latin American Chamber of Commerce, and a Community Advisory Board Member of Tulsa Public Schools.
For several years he has acted as a Committee Chairman for the Annual Day of the Dead Arts Festival. Juan is also the founder of Bolillos with a Purpose, a local initiative to fight hunger while increasing community awareness and providing solutions with a social justice focus.
He was part of the Hispanic Leadership Institute, inaugural class; neXtulsa ClassVI; and Leadership Tulsa Class 59, the flagship Tulsa program that helps individuals build their personal, professional and community leadership skills. He is also a member of the Gathering Places’ Hispanic / Latinx Advisory Committee.
Professionally, Juan has devoted much of his career to working in the non-profit sector in a variety of roles. He acted as the Associate Director of Marketing & Development for the YMCA of Greater Tulsa, and as the Senior Specialist of Communication and Public Relations for Growing Tulsa, among others.
Currently, Juan is the Director of Advancement at San Miguel, a Middle School dedicated to helping children from challenging environments, regardless of race, nationality, or religion, to achieve academic and personal success. San Miguel partners with other non-profits to help further the goals of the Lasallian motto: Enter to learn. Leave to serve.
Juan Miret is the author of the children’s book ¡Vivan las Eñes! and the bilingual book Cultura for all! He launched Project eÑe, a multicultural initiative to highlight Hispanic stories, culture, art, cuisine, music, entrepreneurial experiences, academic achievements, innovative ideas, and what it means to belong to a growing community in this corner of the Midwest.
Juan Miret is not one to spend much time talking about himself, preferring to focus his attention on building community and elevating others. So, I had to dig deep to come up with some personal notes to share with you from answers he gave in an interview back in 2020.
In answer to the question, what gets you excited about life, Juan said “the extraordinary possibility to build a thriving future for our kids. We have every reason to be optimistic and determined and focused on the future. Yes, we are facing massive challenges, but we cannot give up because optimism is better than despair.”
Juan was not born in Tulsa and did not grow up in Tulsa, but he chose to be a Tulsan and came to the United States like many other immigrants to fight for a brighter horizon, for new opportunities, a new home, and new dreams. “Leaving all you know behind is hard, leaving your family and your friends is difficult, and not being able to defend your homeland destroyed by a corrupted regime hurt so much.
Trying to discover yourself in a new place while keeping your traditions, routines and language life is not easy. The American dream is not a fairytale. We immigrants gave it all when we decided to come here, and we will not abandon our new home.”
When asked what brings joy to his life, Juan responded “being with family, a good book, the ocean, the rain, sunrises, and sunsets. Life, life brings me joy, a life where all voices can be raised, where everyone is welcome.”
Summing it all up, Juan described himself as “just a Caribbean guy with a passion for writing stories that inspire people and for capturing unique moments with the camera. I am a storyteller.” Personally, I don’t think the stories he tells are any more fascinating that the story he is living. I’m proud to know him and call him a friend.
