Former President Leonel Fernandez was recognized as ?Business Leader of the Year? by the magazine, ?Latin Trade.? The award was made during a banquet in Miami at which Fernandez shared the limelight with top hemisphere business leaders. A Dominican delegation, led by former Vice President Jaime David Fernandez, was present. Fernandez served as President between August, 1996 and August 2000. The publisher of ?Latin Trade,? Mike Zeliner, praised Fernandez? achievements in the field of education, saying that the former chief executive always regarded himself as principally an educator. Fernandez efforts to make Internet access available to more people was also lauded. Zeliner noted that during the Fernandez administration, the GNP had achieved a 6.7 level of growth without inflation, a unique accomplishment in contemporary Latin America.
