“Take more risk. Don’t wait to take opportunities or for the perfect time.” That’s the advice Paco Gil would give his younger self. “For example, I waited a long time to come to the United States. I always waited for the perfect time, and it took a long time to get here. If I had gotten here earlier, I probably would’ve started in real estate sooner.”

Timing is everything in real estate and life. Over the past twenty years, since Paco left his native Spain, he has accomplished a great deal in this country.” Together with Thomas Morrison, we lead the Morrison Family Office and oversee a portfolio of real estate, 34 restaurants, a small chain of dry cleaners, and developments like Mr. C Hotel and residences or The Berkeley condominium project.” That includes all the Duffy’s restaurants throughout the state, and they are partners in both Café Sapori and City Cellar, to name a few.” We are in different sectors. Most of our business is in Palm Beach County.”

That was one of the main reasons he wanted to join the Economic Council of Palm Beach County. “The level of the members is impressive. All of them are influential community leaders in different sectors. I admired many of them throughout their careers and what they achieved in their respective areas. I wanted to contribute to the community and share specific knowledge regarding hospitality and real estate. These industries are foundational to the county’s economy. I also want to defend the well-being of our employees.”

Paco manages a team of thirty-five people while overseeing more than 2,500 indirectly in his role as Manager at Sympatico Real Estate, a holding and management firm with a diverse portfolio of properties in South Florida ranging from singular buildings to industrial warehousing. “Our headquarters is on 10th Avenue in Lake Worth, and we have employees commuting as far south as Weston and as far north as Port St. Lucie. That is a challenge. I want to ensure Palm Beach County continues growing and generating opportunities for our employees, families, and us.”

Despite the challenge of affordable housing, he is optimistic about the county’s future. “We have to continue to grow economically and demographically in a sustainable way, and that growth has to fulfill all the county’s needs in terms of entertainment and cultural activities. It has to offer opportunities for highly educated young people. We need large companies that can provide attractive offers, and we need the environment to welcome and attract these companies like Silicon Valley and other places do. Growth comes with an influx of people and a supportive infrastructure. We cannot have growth with just one or the other. We need more museums, restaurants, and schools to attract the people, and we need the people to fill and support these institutions. We must eliminate this seasonality that so strongly impacts all our business.”

As for his business, Paco attributes much of his success to what he learned from his last corporate boss. “Paco Cosentino was a mentor to me. He was a teacher and went back to work in his parent’s company, which was almost bankrupt. He turned it from a local momand- pop and converted it into the largest natural and engineered stone company in the world with billion-dollar sales. I worked for two years for him as his controller and IT manager. He taught me a strong work ethic. He taught me the importance of having information. He did this thing where he would ask you a question, already knowing the answer, just to see if you also knew the answer. Because he was a schoolteacher, he always searched for knowledge. I have always been a very curious learner and have always loved reading or listening to different subjects.” That thirst for knowledge came from his parents.

“They were very influential. They taught me the passion for learning because “everything is in the books.” My favorite books have been history books. History teaches you about the human being- how he is, how he evolved, and how everything repeats itself.”

When not challenging his mind, Paco likes to put his body to the test. ”I do triathlons. I started less than ten years ago. It was hard at first because I had no ligaments in one knee. I had four surgeries, and it was very unstable. However, I found a coach eight years ago who helped me tremendously. I went from being unable to run to doing a half Iron Man in Cozumel, Mexico.”

Married for twenty-four years, Paco and Susanna have two children. Gonzalo is twenty-three and works for Willstrong Construction, and Martina is their twenty-one-year-old. ”She just finished an internship for Congresswoman Lois Frankel. She is a student at the University of Virginia majoring in International Relations with an interest in Sociology and Psychology.” He shared proudly. He’s also proud of his and Susanna’s work throughout the county. “We are involved with 211, The Hispanic Educational Coalition, and the Norton Museum. We’ve been fortunate, and we are thankful. We want to help the Hispanic community so they can integrate and be a part of the community as well.”