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Tony Sanchez Jr. named to advisory board of Vivera Pharmaceuticals

Former Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. President Tony Sanchez Jr., shown here in 2015, has been named to the advisory board of California-based Vivera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (File photo)

Tony Sanchez Jr., a former president of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc., has joined a California pharmaceutical company. Vivera Pharmaceuticals announced July 15 that Sanchez has been appointed to its advisory board.

“It is an absolute honor to be welcomed to the Vivera Advisory Board,” Sanchez said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the staff to develop products that will help tribes address their health concerns.”

Sanchez’s role on the advisory board is listed as tribal government relations, including being a liaison between Vivera and tribal healthcare initiatives. During his tenure as STOFI president he also served as vice-chairman on the Seminole Tribal Council. He’s also a former general manager of Seminole Casino Immokalee, where he spent 12 years. He was in office as STOFI president when the casino added a hotel that opened March 12, 2015.

“To see this dream come to fruition, I can’t say anything but ‘wow.’ This property is like a diamond; we needed to shine it to bring out its luster and brilliance,” Sanchez said at the grand opening.

According to its website, Vivera is “an innovative, science-driven pharmaceutical company focused on opioid deterrence and cessation and non-addictive solutions for pain management.”

Sanchez, who is a graduate of St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas, joins an advisory board that includes former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Dr. Paul Nassif, a noted plastic surgeon and star of the E! series “Botched;” Rick Darnell, president of the National Basketball Retired Players Association’s Los Angeles chapter; Sally Pera, co-founder of Legacy Tech charter high school in the Silicon Valley; and Salah Al Shamsi, a longtime prominent business leader in Abu Dhabi.

Vivera’s director of government affairs is Greg Cervantes, who served as a special advisor for Sanchez when Sanchez was president of STOFI.

“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Tony Sanchez Jr. to our advisory board” Paul Edalat, chairman and founder of Vivera, said in a statement. “With his years of expertise and innovation in expanding the business arm of the Seminole Tribe, Vivera will be all the better for having his perspective as we further develop out tribal healthcare initiatives. Vivera is committed to meeting the treatment needs of tribal communities with a national focus on prevention resources while providing safe, effective therapeutics and programs. Mr. Sanchez will be an integral part of this mission.”

Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson is senior editor. He has worked for The Seminole Tribune since 2014. He was previously an editor, photographer and reporter for newspapers in Southwest Florida and Connecticut. Contact Kevin at kevinjohnson@semtribe.com.
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