Mike Hernandez III

Though he earned his fortune in Dallas as CEO of the automotive leasing company D & M Leasing, Micheal "Mike" Albert Hernandez III focuses his philanthropic efforts on his hometown of Brownsville, Texas. Mike Hernandez III spent most of his childhood in Brownsville before moving to Dallas and has donated more than a million dollars to the Brownsville Scholars Program so that low-income students may have the same opportunities he had at Texas A&M University.

In addition to his financial support of promising high school students, Mr. Hernandez has detailed a plan that would provide $10 million in funding to the area and established OP 10.33, a political action committee with the goal of expanding health care, computer access, and social services to the residents of Brownsville.

Mr. Hernandez considers himself semiretired from work at D & M Leasing, which he now owns after gradually rising in the company through 20 years of service. He has now turned much of his free time to his charitable efforts and has developed interests in other fields, including advertising, cattle ranching, and oil production.