Manuel A. Torres-Nieves (born April 9, 1965), Puerto Rico's longest-serving secretary of the Senate of Puerto Rico in modern times, first served during the tumultuous years of 2005–2008 in which the Senate was controlled by the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (NPP) while the governorship had been controlled by the pro-status quo Popular Democratic Party, served a second consecutive term as Senate Secretary after having served as Acting President of the Senate from January 1–12, 2009, between the Senate presidencies of Kenneth McClintock and Thomas Rivera Schatz. He then served as Puerto Rico's first Electoral Comptroller before his third election as secretary of the Senate during Rivera Schatz' historic second non-consecutive term as Senate President, which ended January 11, 2021. On March 11, 2021, Governor Pedro Pierluisi nominated him as Comptroller of Puerto Rico, a constitutional role which requires the advice and consent of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Private life
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 9, 1965, and a long-time resident of Puerto Rico's largest public housing project, with his parents' help he was able to excel in school and obtain an associate degree (ABA) and a bachelor's degree (BBA), both in Business Administration majoring in management with the distinction "Magna Cum Laude" from the Universidad del Este of the Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez. He obtained his master's degree in public administration (MPA)from the University of Puerto Rico with a major in Administration and Fiscal Policy, with the distinction of "summa cum laude", on June 29, 2011, and an additional specialty in personnel management. In 1991 joined the Puerto Rico National Guard. Since 2016 he is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). A member of the Police Athletic League and the Boys and Girls Club of San Juan, he also excelled in basketball. A widower and a member of the Episcopal Church, he is the father of Jessica and Alex Manuel, a CBP federal agent and the father of Torres' only granddaughter and grandson. He is now married to Linnette Martínez-Ruiz.
Public life
Torres began his public service career in 1991 as Ranking Minority Staffer in the Youth Affairs Committee of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. He subsequently served in the highly sensitive position of executive director of the ethics committee Office at the House, chief of staff to the House Majority Leader and advisor to the director of the Puerto Rico Office of Legislative Services.
For two years, he served as one of Puerto Rico's two representatives in the Council of State Governments Committee on Suggested State Legislation.
Gov. Pedro Rosselló appointed Torres to the board of directors of the Puerto Rico State Insurance Fund Corporation, which has a monopoly on workmen's compensation, and to the board of the Puerto Rico Automobile Accident Compensation Administration (ACAA). He was confirmed both times by the Senate of Puerto Rico in a unanimous vote.
From 2001 to 2004 he was chief of staff to the Senate Minority Leader and legislative advisor to the deputy mayor of the City of San Juan.
Within the NPP, Torres was active for years in its NPP Youth organization. He also was member of the party's Rules Committee, as well as its State Board.
After the 2004 election, incoming Senate President Kenneth McClintock appointed Torres to head the Senate's transition committee and on January 10, 2005, Torres was elected by the Senate as its secretary, its top staffer.
During the 2005–2008 term, the Senate Secretary confronted the particular challenges created by the split within the majority party caucus over whether former governor Pedro Rosselló should topple McClintock and replace him as Senate President, a split which ended in March 2008 after party primaries, and by the fact that there was a partisan split between the governor and the Legislative Assembly.
Torres probably was the most high-profile Senate Secretary since 1949, when the Senate Presidency ceased to be the most powerful elective position held by a Puerto Rican, upon the election of Senate President Luis Muñoz Marín as Puerto Rico's first elective governor.
On January 1, 2009, after McClintock's term ended, Torres became Acting President of the Senate, gavelling in the new Senate on January 12, when the legislative body elected Thomas Rivera Schatz as the fourteenth president of the Senate.
Rivera Schatz announced on November 26, 2008, that Torres would be reelected as secretary of the Senate on January 12, 2009, making him the longest-serving Senate Secretary in half a century and the first to serve two consecutive terms under different Senate presidents.