He considers himself lucky, one of the few born and raised in Naples, says Rufino Hernandez, an entrepreneur who owns Garden District Design and Golden Gate Nursery. It was a great place to grow up, he says, which helped him become the man he is today. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, with a degree in marketing and public relations, his early career included a stint with a large advertising agency, where he created multimillion-dollar events for corporate giants like Textron, Royal Bank of Scotland, Hasbro and Swarovski. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, prompted Hernandez to return to his Naples roots. He enjoys helping others and contributes his considerable design talents to numerous charity events. One of his proudest moments has been serving as the chair of the annual Pet Lovers Gala to benefit the Humane Society Naples. In the last two years the event has raised nearly $3.5 million for the beautiful animals that can’t speak for themselves, he says.
Hernandez with Cleo, African serval kitten
“I seek and surround myself with people from all sorts of backgrounds and points of view. I love diversity in all of its forms and celebrate self-expression.” |
A legendary figure he admires: St. Francis of Assisi. He gave up all his worldly trappings to teach compassion, understanding and love of animals.
What he’s most proud of: My ability to think creatively and turn ideas into reality.
Who he counts on most: Myself. I have been blessed with the ability to create and manifest my own destiny.
Related Content: Go behind-the-scenes of the Naples’ Super Men photo shoot at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens with our exclusive video. Click here >>
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Photography by Vanessa Rogers
Shot on location with animals from Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
Grooming by Philip Douglas and Kim Zimmerman
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