Tina Vidal-Duart

Tina Vidal-Duart
Born1981 (age 44–45)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Alma materFlorida International University (BA, MIB)
OccupationsHealthcare executive, entrepreneur
Known forCEO and co-owner of CDR Health
Board member ofVice Chair of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust

Chair of the Florida Grand Opera

Member of the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees
SpouseCarlos Duart

Tina Vidal-Duart (born 1981) is an American healthcare executive and entrepreneur. She is the chief executive officer and co-owner of CDR Health, a healthcare logistics and emergency response company.[1]

Early life and education

Vidal-Duart was born and raised in Miami, Florida.[2] Her father is a Cuban immigrant and her mother is Mexican-American.[2] She attended Miami Southridge High School, graduating in 1999.[2]

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Marketing in 2002 and a Master of International Business in 2004, both from Florida International University (FIU).[2] She graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor's degree and summa cum laude with her master's degree.[3] During her undergraduate studies, she served as president of the Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity and was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society and the FIU Honors College.[3]

Career

Vidal-Duart began her career at Pacer Health Corporation, where in over twelve years she held roles including director of operations, chief operating officer, and vice president of business development, focusing on the restructuring of financially distressed hospitals.[3]

Vidal-Duart is the chief executive officer and co-owner of CDR Health, a company that provides large-scale medical logistics and emergency response services.[4] Her company has been contracted by the state of Florida for disaster response and public health initiatives.[5] During the COVID-19 pandemic, CDR Health performed testing, vaccinations, and monoclonal antibody treatments under state contracts.[6][7] The company reported administering over 4 million tests and more than 3 million vaccinations.[4] Following Hurricane Ian in 2022, CDR Health was contracted to provide temporary healthcare facilities and support for special needs shelters.[8] The company has also been involved in responses to other hurricanes, the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse, and federal refugee health assessment programs.[4][9]

Prior to her role at CDR Health, Vidal-Duart founded Pooch Perks, a subscription-based pet treat company, which she sold in 2017.[3] She is a co-owner of White House Napa, a hospitality brand in Napa Valley, and Evita Med Spa, a medical aesthetics clinic in Tallahassee, Florida.[2][4]

Controversy

Pay to Play allegations

Vidal-Duart and her husband, Carlos Duart, have been significant political donors to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican Party of Florida, contributing approximately $1.9 million. While it has been alleged that subsequently their affiliated companies were awarded over $537 million in state contracts, many of which were designated as "emergency procurements" that bypassed competitive bidding, donor records indicate the vast majority of those contracts were awarded before Vidal-Duart and her husband gave any money to Desantis or the Republican Party of Florida. A 2026 investigation reported that hundreds of these emergency contracts, worth over $6 billion and issued by the governor's office, lacked publicly posted contract documents on the state's transparency website, making it difficult to verify what services were provided for the funds.[10][11]

A specific contract for $17.5 million awarded to CDR Health Care Inc. in July 2025 was labeled "Emergency procurement" with the description "2025 OVS FACILITIES – TNT," but no further details about the services or location were made public. Investigative reports concluded this contract was likely for medical services at the Everglades detention center, a facility detainees have called "Alligator Alcatraz." While Vidal-Duart stated the contract was won through a competitive bid including sworn testimony before the Senate Ethics Committee and provision of bid documents in response to public records requests, state records erroneously listed it as a non-competitive emergency procurement.[10][12]

Philanthropy

Vidal-Duart serves as vice chair of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust,[13][14] the county's lead agency on homelessness.[2] She is the chair of the Florida Grand Opera and serves on the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees.[3][15] In 2025, she was honored by the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education at its annual Fiesta Gala.[16][17][18] She has also been a supporter of pediatric cancer initiatives at Baptist Health South Florida.[2]

Personal life

Vidal-Duart is married to Carlos Duart and lives in Miami, Florida.[2]

References

  1. ^ Turner, Callum (2025-09-01). "From Startup Survival to Pandemic Response: Tina Vidal-Duart's Leadership at CDR Health Is Changing Lives". International Business Times. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Tina Vidal-Duart: Building a Healthier and More Resilient Florida". Haute Living. July 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Trailblazer Tina Vidal-Duart". FIU Magazine. Spring 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Bandell, Brian (May 28, 2024). "CDR Health Care CEO Tina Vidal-Duart on using crisis experience to grow business". South Florida Business Journal.
  5. ^ Leonard, Kimberly (September 9, 2021). "Florida's $35 million deal with a politically connected COVID testing company". TCPalm.
  6. ^ Choi, Joseph (March 25, 2022). "Florida paid millions to DeSantis-linked company for COVID drug that feds give out free". The Miami Herald.
  7. ^ Ochoa, Nicolas (August 30, 2021). "Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Site Opens In Tampa". WUSF Public Media.
  8. ^ Sorentrue, Jennifer (October 21, 2022). "Florida awards $30 million contract to politically connected firm for Hurricane Ian medical shelters". TCPalm.
  9. ^ "CDR Health awarded $110M contract for hurricane preparedness". Florida Politics. June 29, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Fedarko, Kevin (2026-02-16). "Billions in Shadow Deals: How a DeSantis donor family cashed in on 'Alligator Alcatraz' while patients suffered". CareTaker News Now. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  11. ^ staff, Lawrence MowerTimes. "Hope Florida charity board asks about legality of $10 million donation". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  12. ^ admin (2026-01-28). "Tina Vidal-Duart Examines Florida's Contract Issues". Avalon Adversaria. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  13. ^ "Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust". www.miamidade.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  14. ^ "Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust". www.miamidade.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  15. ^ "Board of Trustees". Florida Atlantic University.
  16. ^ Magazine, Harlem World (2025-10-21). "Casita Maria Center For Arts And Education Annual Fiesta Gala 2025 (Photographs)". Harlem World Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-11-02. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  17. ^ Gural, Natasha. "91st Annual Fiesta Gala Amplifies New York City's Oldest Latino Charity Dedicated To The Arts". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2025-11-02. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
  18. ^ "The Fiesta 2025". Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education.
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