The Latino community in Northern California mourns the death of former Telemundo Sacramento and Fresno General Manager José Alberto Suárez, who was one of the Americans flying in a helicopter that crashed in Samburu County, Kenya.
Suárez served as the president and general manager of Telemundo 33 Sacramento and Telemundo 51 Fresno from April 2019 until February 2024, when he went back to his home state of Florida to manage the Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers stations.
His legacy in Northern California
“José Alberto Suárez was a visionary, someone who united people, a mentor and a tireless advocate for our Latino community,” Telemundo’s Sacramento and Fresno stations said in a joint statement. “José had an extraordinary capacity to bring people together, not simply around an event or an initiative, but around a shared conviction: that when we work together, we can strengthen our communities.”
A track record spanning more than two decades
With more than 25 years of experience in media, Suárez also served as president at other stations, including Telemundo Las Vegas, Telemundo Utah and Telemundo San Antonio.
Some of his career accolades include receiving a Lone Star Emmy, a Suncoast Emmy, three Best Daily Newscast Emmys, as well as several Associated Press awards.
Suárez loved cars and photography, according to his X account.
Telemundo will provide more information in the coming days about how they will honor Suárez’s life and legacy.