Puerto Vallarta People Profiles

Every Amazing Accomplishment Begines with a Simple Idea: In 2004, Bob Price moved to Puerto Vallarta, yearning to return to and explore the unique terrain and biodiversity of the mountainous area near El Tuito. This magnificent landscape had been imprinted on his mind from his first exposure to the area some 20 years before. Bob assumed that Puerto Vallarta had an established botanical garden and was astounded that one didn’t already exist.

The Need to Communicate, Josef Kandoll: Josef Kandoll is a fine example of a person who communicates with a strong conviction. A former artistic photography student and a participant in several journalism workshops, he has captured creative images since his childhood, through his lens and via his writing. A native of Washington state, he has lived his two great passions of writing and photography, since moving to PV.

Manuel Ramírez: Experience and Success: Manuel Ramirez Miranda came to Puerto Vallarta 30 years ago to manage the local Lloyd branch. He got the job while vacationing in Guadalajara, after serving for two years in the US Army during the Vietnam War.

Molly Fisher: Serving the Community: Unity is a central theme in the community service projects organized by Molly Fisher of P.E.A.C.E. (Protection Education Animals Culture & Environment), the acronym working in both Spanish and English. It stands to reason that Molly, bilingual herself, would create an organization that bridges languages, cultures, ideas and social systems.

Lita Aguirre: Vallartan Bloods Run Deep: While Lita Aguirre wasn’t actually born in Puerto Vallarta, she has felt a bond with the city for as long as she can remember. “On my father’s side, I’m a descendant of don Guadalupe Sánchez, the founding father.

Juan Luis Cifuentes Lemus: Doctor Taxista: The enthusiasm and passion of Dr. Juan Luis Cifuentes Lemus, Honoris Causa of CUCosta (Centro Universitario de la Costa, UDG), precedes this marine biologist, public activist and environmentalist. With a motto of “living beings well-evaluated” (los seres vivos bien evaluados), he focuses his prime attention on the youth, believing that “what we know, we take care of.”

Jenny McGill: Musing on Her Recently Published Book's Success: Consular work, which may seem like a glamorous activity, is actually very demanding of time and energy, as eloquently described by former Puerto Vallarta Consular Agent Jenny McGill in her recently published memoir. Titled "Drama & Diplomacy in a Sultry Mexican Beach Town," the book describes her experiences prior to and during her consular years in Puerto Vallarta.

A Tribute to Bernardo Applegate: Some people do what they do simply because they love doing it and it needs to be done, never for a moment seeking any glory. And by all accounts, longtime Puerto Vallarta resident Bernardo Applegate, who spearheaded the development of the south part of town and passed away recently at the age of 93, was just such a man.

Juan Manuel Gómez Encarnación: The City’s New Chronicler: The city’s chronicler is very important to Puerto Vallarta. For many years, Carlos Munguia was responsible for documenting the city’s history, and his work left a profound mark on local society. After he passed away, Juan Manuel Gomez Encarnacion was chosen.

Fernando Baños: Renaissance Man: This true Renaissance man includes art, literature, history and humanities in his repertoire. Every week during the Malecon sculpture tour Fernando Baños meets the public at the foot of his “Millennium” sculpture, created under his artistic name, Mathis Lidice.

Renee Perez: Putting It Together: I didn't think any grown woman could be so cute and perky, but Renée is like a ray of sunshine, bursting with enthusiasm about her family, her work and the world around her. And I guess that's part of why she brings out the best in each and every one of her theater students at the American School.

Best Promising Tennis Player: Thais Romero: Sharp and experienced, two words that perfectly define young Thais Romero, one of the most promising players in the international tennis world. Thais came to Puerto Vallarta when she was six years old, the age when she started playing tennis.

We Bid Chef Roger Adieu: If you were here during the ‘90s, chances are you’ll remember with fondness the late Swiss-born chef Roger Dreier and his namesake restaurant Chef Roger — the place to go in Puerto Vallarta for nearly a decade and a half.

Underwater Passion: Kirstie Kaiser says the minute she entered the ocean for her first dive, she knew she “had made the wrong choice.”