Carlos Andres chairs the Miami Lakes Public Safety Committee, a post he’s held since January.
Andres, 40, is a certified public accountant with his own firm, Carlos Andres CPA, which he opened in Miami Lakes in 2023. He keeps a virtual office at Venture X for his audit and accounting services.
He is married to Carly Andres, a school psychologist in county public schools. They have two daughters: Brielle, 11, and Emery, 7, as well as Daisy-May, a Maltese/Yorkie mix and a bunny named Flower.
“I’m the only male in the house,” he said.
Q: Where are you from and what is your background?
A: I was born in Hialeah to Cuban immigrants, Carlos and Ivonne Andres, and we moved to Miami Lakes in 1992. I’m the eldest of four siblings. Our parents instilled in us hard work, principles, the value of education, family and faith. I attended Miami Lakes Elementary, Horeb Christian School and Monsignor Edward Pace High School. I earned my bachelor and master’s degrees in accounting from Florida International University.
Q: What do you like most about Miami Lakes?
A: A lot. [I like that] it’s a small community, trees, lakes, shops, our beautiful location in Northwest Dade. We’re 20 minutes from the beach. It’s the definition of live, work and play.
Q: What do you dislike about the town?
A: My wife and I have been living here more than 33 years. We know Miami Lakes as a town with cows and people riding bikes. We see this today, but not as much as we used to. We need food markets and restaurants and stores to complement our small-town feel, rather than the chains, and to get more businesses to invest in Miami Lakes.
Q: What are your responsibilities on the committee and what do you hope to accomplish?
A: The purpose of the [Committee] is to work with residents and businesses and Miami-Dade Police and Fire to raise awareness about crime and safety. We do that with events like Coffee with a Cop, Coffee at Fire Station 64; Cars for Heroes. ... Next year we want to continue campaigns like Lock it or Lose It. We want to give out radio frequency identification pouches that can block your key fob signal from being stolen. We’ll address speeding, trespassing, violating curfew and swimming safety. Crime is low, let’s keep it low.
Q: What is your biggest accomplishment in your life or career?
A: I can’t go anywhere without my wife and kids that God has blessed me with. Marrying her has given me amazing in-laws that have supported us. As a CPA, I’m an active board member of the Miami-Dade chapter of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants. I’m very proud the work we’re doing at the [committee], Cars for Heroes was a big success. At the moment, I don’t aspire to run for council. We’ll see what the future brings.
Q: What was your fantasy career?
A: A fighter pilot with the United States Air Force and later an astronaut. Learning to fly is on the bucket list. But I love what I do.
Q: What books are you reading, and are there any podcasts that you’re listening to?
A: Local and state podcasts, the town council meetings, I like to stay informed with that. Public radio podcasts, anything news- oriented.
Q: What have you streamed/binge-watched on TV?
A: Currently watching “Tulsa King” and looking forward to the next season of “Stranger Things.”
Q: Where did you last go to on vacation?
A: We try to do a different city in Florida every year. The last one we visited was Jensen Beach.