Fernando Cruz Jr.’s family knows that he has left a mark on Ohio.
Any time they’re out on a drive through the state, Cruz or his wife will hear the children pointing out the many buildings he’s had a hand in, as the founder of Cruz Development: “Dad built that. Dad did that. Dad designed that.”
In recent years, as the Cincinnati-based veteran’s family has grown, so have his hopes for his home state. Cruz’s involvement has grown from that of a developer and architect to one that’s more civic in nature, engaging in politics and advocating for policies that support families, entrepreneurs, and the values he wants to pass on to his children.
Hard Work
Building your own business, especially one in a cyclical industry—like real estate—that sees economic ups and downs every few years, necessitates getting used to rejection. Cruz said two of his most valued traits are persistence and consistency. He attributes his ability to never let a “no” be the final word to his parents and upbringing.“We grew up poor, very poor,” Cruz said. His dad immigrated from Mexico and his mom is a Cincinnati native. Neither had much growing up, he said. “We didn’t have much money, but we had a really, really good family.”
Cruz said he can remember wanting to be an architect since he was 4 years old, and his parents had always encouraged that dream. But he had also always wanted to serve his country and join the Marine Corps, and after graduating from UC San Diego, he enlisted.
Cruz said he had thought about enlisting straight out of high school, but held off and obtained a degree in architecture first, and afterwards realized that’s not how others might have done it. “My dad was like, ‘What? You have it backwards! You should have let them pay for your college!’” he said with a laugh. He spent eight years in active duty and two years on reserve.
“That taught me a lot of discipline, for sure. That was probably the biggest takeaway,” he said.
Cruz said his work ethic can be a fault, too—he wakes up at 4 a.m. and almost immediately begins to work; the laptop doesn’t close again until his head is about to hit the pillow. His wife, who Cruz said consistently gives the best advice, told him it has to stop. To that end, Cruz recently hired an assistant, and now no longer double, sometimes triple, books himself.
Hard work is, of course, a value he wants to pass on to his children, Cruz said, but more importantly, he hopes they have a strong relationship with God.
Shining a Light on Others
Cruz said he came from a moderate Democrat family, and voted for President Barack Obama the first time around, but became a conservative not long after that. Having a family makes you take stock of your values and assess if policies will serve your children, he said.“I’ve always enjoyed politics, but I never felt that I was really somebody who would be influential,” Cruz said in late June, ahead of a meeting with U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer in Washington, while his wife and kids were simultaneously hosting a fundraiser back in Ohio.
Cruz’s home has hosted many politicians.
Cruz has five children, ranging from ages 6 to 27, and they love it, he said, especially the youngest ones.
“They’re at the house right now, all dressed up in suits, and they’re passing out cards,” Cruz said. His children look up to Cruz for his political work, and he’s happy that they’re politically aware and engaged, though surprised to see diverging opinions emerge so early. He said, “Hey, Daddy has his own opinion. You can have your own opinion. That’s what’s great about this country. You can vote for Joe Biden.” His son, now 8, has since declared he’s switched parties.
