Dr. Washington “Nino” Collado was born in the Dominican Republic, in a small town called Jánico (Ha-Nee-Co). His mother, María Tejada, along with seven of his uncles and aunts, were all teachers. After his mother’s death, Dr. Collado and his three sisters moved to the United States to live with their father in New York City.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Queens College, Dr. Collado taught Spanish and English as a Second Language in New York City Public Schools. He and his family then moved to Florida, where he taught in Miami-Dade Public Schools. He later joined Broward County Public Schools’ Multicultural Department to develop curricula and provide training for teachers and administrators on the contributions of Latinos, African Americans, and women throughout U.S. history. He became an assistant principal at Broward County Public Schools and later served as a principal. He has spent 17 years as a principal at the middle and high school levels and served as president of the Broward Principals and Assistants Association (BPAA). During this time, he earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University.
In February 2021, Dr. Nino Collado received the Principal of the Year award for Broward County Public Schools, the sixth-largest school district in the country. Dr. Collado is currently an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University, where he teaches courses on educational leadership, and he serves as an associate at Creative Leadership Solutions.
Throughout his career, Dr. Nino Collado has dedicated a significant portion of his time to teaching and mentoring others. He has traveled to numerous countries and over 30 states as a motivational speaker on topics related to school leadership and family engagement. He has also appeared as a panelist on CNN Español, NPR (New York), Telemundo, Univision, and others. Additionally, he has written over 100 articles for newspapers and magazines, including the Miami Herald, and has authored or co-authored four books. He and his wife Carmen R. Collado are proud parents of four sons: Mario, Alejandro, Miguel, and Victor.
