The Puerto Rican Professional Association of South Florida (PROFESA), is an organization conceived on April 28, 1999, by a group of local Puerto Rican professionals in South Florida to fill a void in the Puerto Rican community and help strengthen existing community organizations in the area. It was inaugurated on October 16, 1999, and in less than two years, PROFESA became one of the largest Puerto Rican organizations in South Florida and one of the most active in the community. Anchored on three pillars: Culture, Network and Empowerment, PROFESA’s "triad" guides the priorities of the organization. The meaning behind the word PROFESA is as follows: "PR" stands for Puerto Rican, "PROFES" is for professional and the "A" stands for association. Although PROFESA is a Spanish word, it can be easily pronounced in both English and Spanish. More importantly, its meaning: to "profess", teach, or lead, is what we envisioned for our organization. Among our goals is to "profess" understanding and love for Puerto Rico, its culture, and the aspirations and potential of our people who have evolved from the humble "Jibarito" into a still humble, but more educated, proud, and modern Puerto Rican professional. The mission of PROFESA (an IRS 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization), is to establish a platform that unites Puerto Rican Professionals through empowerment, networking, and service to the community. Also, we promote cultural awareness and recognize the contributions of Puerto Ricans.