George Rodón was born in Santiago, Cuba, in 1947. George recounted his upbringing in Santiago, particularly the joyous mood once Fidel Castro took control of the island from the longstanding right-wing dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. George explained how the elation quickly soured, prompting his family to flee Cuba on November 13, 1960, almost two years into the Castro regime. After a few months in Miami, George and his family moved to Ohio, where his father landed a medical residency to start practicing in the US. George attended the University of Maryland from 1966 to 1970 and majored in psychology and criminology. In 1971, George returned to Florida to work for the Division of Youth Services. In 1994, then-Mayor of Orange County Linda Chapin appointed George as chief of staff, recalling his broader experiences serving in that position. Given his extensive professional resume serving in prominent public roles and his personal experience living in Central Florida over the past fifty years, George shared his broader observations regarding continuities and changes in the region and state, which he has acquired since 1971.