Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Jimenez.
Hi Jose, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. My family emigrated to Spain in 1981 and arrived in the the United States in 1982. I completed high school in the Los Angeles area, then attended college at the University of Southern California from where I graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.
After college, I became a civil servant, starting as a Public Utilities Engineer at the California Public Utilities Commission. I worked at the agency for nearly 10 years, that last five of which I was the Telecommunications Policy Advisor for successive Commission Presidents.
Cox Communications, one of the country’s largest cable and internet service providers and a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, hired me in 1999 to help them navigate state regulations over telephone service. I interacted with state regulators in Arizona, California. Nevada, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
In 2006, my responsibilities changed at Cox Communications to federal role, which eventually led to my moving from Rhode Island to Georgia in 2008. While at Cox Communications, I led the formation of the first Employee Resource Group at the company, In 2016, I became responsible for Diversity & Inclusion at Cox Enterprises; and got accepted to Leadership Atlanta in 2017. Amid those years, I served on the Boards of Directors for Cable Positive Atlanta, Jerusalem House, and Positive Impact (where I was Board Chair), organizations dedicated to help the community affected by the HIV-AIDS epidemic. I completed Leadership Atlanta in 2018. Shortly after, Cox Enterprises eliminated my Diversity & Inclusion position.
As I looked for the next path professionally, I decided to explore small-business ownership, a search that led eventually to my signing a franchise agreement to open the first net new addition to the AlphaGraphics network of print and sign Centers in several years in Sandy Springs. I was in the midst of activity to open that Center when the opportunity arose to purchase an existing sign shop in East Point. I completed the purchase and open the new Center within a month of each other in late summer 2018.
I navigated the challenges of the COVID pandemic that hit our country just a few months later. I maintained my engagement with the community at large, becoming a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2020. In 2023, I became part of the first class of Leadership Perimeter. At the conclusion of the program in 2024, I became a member of Leadership Perimeter’s Board of Trustees.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would definitely not characterize my road as smooth to this point. Early in life, I dealt with my sexuality essentially on my own, as I sensed it would not be safe to do so openly in Cuba’s homophobic society and culture. I eventually came out as a gay man in my early twenties, and my husband and I just celebrated 33 years together!
Arriving in the United States not speaking any English and with a family who had essentially nothing, I had to work hard to complete high school in two years and seek higher education, again without support. My parents were also new to the country, and they could not help me navigate the process of matriculation from high school and selection and enrollment in college. Unfortunately, my High School’s Senior Counselor refused to work with me on these matters. He was fired a year after I graduated because of a racist statement he made to another student.
My career as a civil servant in California was fairly smooth, as was most of my stint at Cox Communications. The elimination of my role over Diversity & Inclusion at Cox Enterprises came as a complete surprise, throwing an unexpected curve into my professional path. Finally, small business ownership is hardly ever easy. On top of that, my Centers felt the impact of COVID, as many other small businesses in the country did. I have persevered through these challenges thanks to the love and support of my husband, my extended family, close friends, and the small team I have the privilege to work with at my two AlphaGraphics Centers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My two AlphaGraphics Centers offer a suite of visual communications solutions, including graphic design, printing, signage, and promotional products. We love to work with clients regardless of size, whether they are individual entrepreneurs, mid-sized business, large non-profit organizations, or government agencies. I am most proud of the work that our small team does to deliver quality products and excellent client care to our customers. I also love to have a location in East Point, providing services like ours to an underserved part of Greater Atlanta.
Our favorite clients engage with us in strategic consultations to select the most appropriate services and products to help them achieve their goals, whether those include increased sales, improved fundraising, and better community engagement.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the diversity of Atlanta. Having lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where diversity thrives, Atlanta’s multiplicity of ethnicities, cultural experiences, cuisines, etc. feels like home. I also love that we can get just about anywhere in the world from our airport!
What concerns me the most about Atlanta today and into the future is the seeming lack of a cohesive plan to improve our public transit infrastructure to accommodate our increasing population. Atlanta aspires to be a world-class city. We will not become one until this changes.
Contact Info:
- Website: us793.alphagraphics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphagraphicssandysprings/?next=%2F
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alphagraphicstricitiesatlantaairport
