Telemundo Executive José Suárez Dies in Helicopter Crash at 55

José Alberto Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo‘s TV stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers-Naples, Florida, died Wednesday in a helicopter crash, according to the NBCUniversal-owned broadcaster. He was 55. Suárez was one of four Americans who died in a helicopter crash in Samburu County in northeastern Kenya, according to NBC’s Miami station. All seven people aboard the aircraft, including the pilot, were killed, NBC News’ “Today” reported. In a statement, NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde, NBCU Local Chairman Valari Staab and Telemundo station group president Jose Cancela said: “We are heartbroken to learn the tragic news that José was killed in a helicopter accident in Kenya. José was an exceptional colleague who cared deeply about his teams, the communities they served and the important role our stations play in people’s lives. He brought energy, humor, warmth and a strong sense of purpose to his work, and his impact was felt far beyond the stations he led. Our hearts are with his loved ones, and with all of José’s colleagues and friends who are grieving this terrible loss.” Popular on Variety Suárez worked for NBCU in multiple roles over the course of 20 years, including leading stations in San Antonio, Sacramento, Fresno, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Most recently, he was GM of Telemundo 31 (Orlando), Telemundo 49 (Tampa) and Telemundo Ft. Myers-Naples. Before becoming a station leader, Suárez was director of creative services and programming for NBC’s WTVJ in Miami. Earlier, he had held digital media roles with the NBC 6 in Miami and Telemundo 51. Before joining NBCU, Suárez held news and on-air roles for media outlets in Florida, Ohio and Texas. He had been a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists since 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile. Suárez had received multiple honors in his career, including a Lone Star Emmy, a Suncoast Emmy, three Emmys for best daily newscast and several Associated Press awards, according to NBC 6.