Power Families: The Next Generation
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The Management Marvel
Justin Cruz
Age: 41
Family Legacy
Cruz Companies, founded by Justin’s grandfather and run by his father, John Cruz III, and his father’s cousin, Daniel Cruz Jr., is among the largest and oldest minority-owned development, construction, and management firms in the region, with clients ranging from Harvard to Raytheon to the Archdiocese of Boston. Meanwhile, the group’s nonprofit arm funds scholarships and youth programs for the city’s kids.
His Role
Justin directs the company’s management services for its residential buildings around Boston.
Dad’s Take
“The management side has a bit more opportunity without some of the restrictions,” John says. “I expect that over the next few years, Justin will really have some significant growth.”
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The Energizer
Alexander Saunders
Age: 29
Family Legacy
In a landscape dotted with Hyatts and Sheratons, the Saunders Hotel Group’s independent stewardship is a rarity. Founded by Alexander’s great-grandfather in the 1940s and passed down the generations to his Uncle Gary and father, Jeffrey, the company owns some of Boston’s most seminal properties, including the Lenox Hotel.
His Role
As vice president of planning and development, Alexander helps shape the firm’s short- and long-term growth strategies with an eye toward future projects and acquisitions.
Dad’s Take
“Being young and full of energy, he wants to do some new and exciting things that might take us in new directions,” Jeffrey says, “like looking for other assets—locally, but also going a bit further afield and creating collaborations in the Greater Boston area. He’s bringing that appetite to explore opportunities.”
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The Rock-Star Journalist
Angelina Salcedo
Age: 21
Family Legacy
For more than 20 years, Angelina’s mother, Yadires Nova-Salcedo, has hosted and produced WBZ’s Centro, which covers New England’s Latino community; her father, Angel Salcedo, hosts the popular Encuentro Latino TV talk show.
Her Role
Angelina is the student news director at Emerson College’s award-winning television news station, WEBN–TV; the president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ student chapter; and a former Boston Globe correspondent.
Mom’s Take
“I knew that she would end up following in my footsteps because as a baby she would pretend to have her own TV show, called The Angelina Show,” Yadires says. “As a parent, I feel honored and humbled. It is a rewarding feeling to watch your child blossom and develop the passion that you have for your profession and reinvent it to suit her own personality.”
