Luis de la Aguilera is Chairman, President, and CEO of USCB Financial Holdings, Inc. and its banking subsidiary, U.S. Century Bank. Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2015. During his tenure, he has worked to accelerate growth, drive profitability, and deliver shareholder value. Under his visionary leadership, the Bank launched a successful IPO in July 2021, diversifying the investor base and generating new capital to support growth plans. The Bank has grown into one of the largest community banks headquartered in Miami and one of the leading community banks in the state, with assets exceeding $2.2 billion and a network of 10 banking centers. U.S. Century Bank earned its 5-star rating from BauerFinancial, the nation's leading independent bank rating firm.
An experienced banking professional of forty years, Mr. de la Aguilera’s prior roles included serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of TotalBank, overseeing branch-based commercial lending and business development at Ocean Bank, and leading business banking and lending activities at Republic National Bank.
In addition to Mr. de la Aguilera's extensive banking background, he is prominent within the Florida Bankers Association, where he served on the board from 2017-2020. Further, he also served from 2012-2015 as a Director of the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida, Gainesville and continues his association as an associate instructor. Additionally, he was appointed to represent Florida on the American Bankers Association (ABA) Government Relations Council for 2014-2015. In 2017, Mr. de la Aguilera was named to the Board of Directors of his alma mater Christopher Columbus High School. He has served on the boards of The Education Fund, the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy.
A committed advocate for pediatric cancer research and awareness, Mr. de la Aguilera served as a founding board member of the SebastianStrong Foundation (2019-2021) and also served on the Miami-Dade Advisory Board of the American Cancer Society. Mr. de la Aguilera graduated from the University of Miami in 1981 with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in business administration.
Aida Levitan, Ph.D., APR, has served as a director since August 2013 and is the Immediate Past Chairperson of the Board. Since July 2006, Dr. Levitan has been the President of The Levitan Group, Inc., a firm that provides strategic branding and marketing services. She has also served as President of ArtesMiami, Inc., a nonprofit organization, since it was founded in 1995. As member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 2017, she serves on the boards of FACE (Facts About Cuban Exiles), including as its Chair from January 2019 to December 2019 and the Cultural Center of Spain in Miami, and has served since 2017 as a Trustee Emerita of the Perez Art Museum Miami. Dr. Levitan was Vice Chair of the National Smithsonian Latino Center Board from 2014 to April 2017 and Chair of the UM Cuban Heritage Collection Amigos from 2016 to 2019. She also served from 2010 to 2011 on the National Museum of the American Latino Commission, named by President Obama and the U.S. Congress. From 2006 to 2009, Dr. Levitan was a member of the Miami board of The Art Institutes, and from 2004 to 2005 she was the President of the national Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (Ahaa). Until January 2005, Dr. Levitan was the Vice Chairperson/President of Bromley Communications, which she helped transform into the number one Hispanic advertising agency in the U.S. (Advertising Age, 2004). In 1986 she co-founded Sanchez & Levitan and sold the agency to Publicis Groupe. Under her leadership as Co-Chairman/CEO between 2001 and 2003, Publicis Sanchez & Levitan became one of the top ten U.S. Hispanic advertising agencies (Advertising Age). Dr. Levitan has directed strategic marketing communications campaigns for major national and global brands. A nationally recognized marketing communications and civic leader, she has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald, Forbes.com, CNN, Telemundo, Univision, and CNBC business news, and other major media. Dr. Levitan received her Ph.D. degree from Emory University in 1977 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami in 1969.
Mr. Kafafian is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of The Kafafian Group, Inc. and a recognized banking industry leader in performance measurement. He has a distinguished 40-year career consulting and advising more than 500 financial institutions across the United States and has been instrumental in the design and development of a nationally recognized bank profitability software product. Mr. Kafafian is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of banking subjects and is often quoted in banking periodicals. He teaches at numerous state, regional, and national banking schools.
Mr. Kafafian’s previous professional experience includes: President-Consulting Services and Managing Director, Tucker Anthony Capital Markets (now RBC Capital Markets); President and CEO, The Q Group, Inc. (merged with Hopper Soliday & Co./Tucker Anthony Capital Markets); Vice President, Bradford Trust Company (merged into The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation); Director of Budgeting and Profit Planning, United Jersey Bank (merged into Bank of America Corporation); Controller, First National State Bank Corporation (merged into Wells Fargo & Company).
Mr. Kafafian has served as President of the Board of Directors of the Association for Management Information in Financial Services (“AMIfs”), is a member of the Financial Managers Society Strategic Issues Council, and is a board member of other companies as well as professional, community, and academic organizations. He has also written a book, published by AMIfs, entitled KEYS TO COMMUNITY BANK SUCCESS – Utilizing Management Information to Make Informed Decisions.
Mr. Kafafian received a B.A. degree in Business/Economics from Moravian University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was awarded AMIfs’ Lifetime Achievement award and is a Certified Profitability Professional.
Ms. Alonso, a highly respected business executive with a proven track record spanning more than 25 years across banking, marketing, social responsibility, and community engagement, most recently served as the President and CEO of United Way Miami, one of the region’s largest philanthropies, from 2017 through 2021.
Under her strategic direction at United Way Miami, Ms. Alonso managed the community’s largest funder of health and human services while overseeing a $40 million dollar budget and more than 250 staff members across multiple locations, as well as a diverse Board of Directors comprised of private and public sector leaders.
Ms. Alonso earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Florida International University and is a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering.
Her involvement in community organizations has included: New World School of the Arts (past Executive Committee Chair), Leadership Florida, International Women’s Forum, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (past Board Chair), Miami-Dade Beacon Council (past One Community, One Goal Co-Chair), Camillus House, Miami Dade College Foundation, The Miami Foundation, and Teach for America. Ms. Alonso is a recognized community leader having received numerous awards celebrating her civic, business, and philanthropic contributions to the South Florida community.
