District (Ponce and Jayuya) for 13 years. He presided the House's Comisión de Hacienda (English: Treasury Commission) during the administration of governor Sila Calderón. In 2000 he presided over an important commission that investigated government financial procedures a few months before the general election. The work he did garnered him all sort of criticism from his political opposition. In 2004, Zayas Seijo was elected unanimously as the official candidate for the mayoral seat in Ponce, after the death of long-time mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago. On 2 November 2004, he was elected mayor of Ponce by an ample margin. He was sworn into office on 9 January 2005. On 4 November 2008, Zayas Seijo lost the election to the candidate of the New Progressive Party, María "Mayita" Meléndez Altieri and was succeeded on 2 January 2009. Legacy Zayas Seijo is best remembered for the establishment of the Biblioteca y Archivo Histórico de Ponce Mariana Suárez de Longo (Mariana Suárez de Longo Library and Historical Archive of Ponce) at a cost of $10.5 million USD. He also established the Museum of Puerto Rican Autonomism at Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro in 2006. He started construction of the Centro de Convenciones de Ponce and gave birth to the concept of the Ponce Aquarium. However, neither one was completed by the time Zayas' administration came to an end in January 2009. In October 2008, Zayas Seijo inaugurated Plaza Agüeybaná II "El Bravo" at the intersection of PR-123 and PR-2 in the Caracoles sector of barrio Playa, Ponce. A plaque at the site marks the inauguration of the park dedicated to the memory of the leader of the last Taíno battle against the Spanish invaders in 1511. Zayas Seijo is also credited with expanding the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park in October 2008, and with the establishment of the Centro Ponceño de Autismo during his tenure. Personal life Zayas has been married to Nancy Colón since 1973. They have four children together. See also Rafael Cordero Santiago References External links Ponce website 1951 births Living people People from Santurce, Puerto Rico Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico) politicians Mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine alumni