Tomas J. Lares has dedicated over 33 years of human services experience at the local, state, and national level, managing and starting non-profits and public advocacy initiatives.
He began his career in 1990, working with Big Brother Big Sisters in Polk County, Florida. In 2004, Lares’s understanding of human trafficking deepened thanks to former U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, (KS). This knowledge spurred him to facilitate one of Central Florida’s first human trafficking seminars in 2005, attracting over 100 attendees. This led to the co-founding of the Space Coast Rescue and Restore Coalition, now known as the Space Coast Human Trafficking Task Force.
In 2007, Lares co-founded the Orlando Rescue and Restore Coalition (Task Force) to network key stakeholders in the Greater Orlando region, marking the beginning of a partnership with the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation.
In 2009, Lares founded a new non-profit called Florida Abolitionist, Inc., now known as United Abolitionists and became instrumental in creating a 24-hour Human Trafficking Hotline in Central FL and for advocating Orange County Government to fund a first of its kind adult female human trafficking crisis/short-term 24-hour residential program in the state of Florida.
In 2014, Lares graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizen’s Academy and was nominated as a finalist for the Orlando Sentinel ‘Central Floridian of the Year Award.’
In 2015, Lares was nominated by Holland & Knight law firm and was chosen for the Orange County Bar Association ‘Liberty Bell’ Award.
In 2016, he was recognized by former State Attorney Jeff Ashton for his efforts and collaboration in assisting the Ninth Judicial Circuit including the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation with creating the specialized human trafficking victim services program.
He continued to leverage innovation and education by partnering with the University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management to develop anti-human trafficking curriculum and training.
In 2018, Lares was a founding member and appointed to the Advisory Board of the University of Central Florida’s Center for the Study of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery.
In 2020, Lares co-founded the Tri-County Alliance On Human Trafficking and joined the volunteer development team at the University of South Florida Trafficking In Persons Lab’s BRIGHT Project. He was honored by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody as the ‘Community Advocate of the Year’ for the state of Florida during the Attorney General’s Annual Summit On Human Trafficking.
In 2021, Lares was recognized as the Orlando Magic Diversity Game Changer.
In 2022, Lares became the co-chair for the Lake-Sumter Counties Human Trafficking Task Force.
In 2023, Lares co-founded and co-chaired the Florida Human Trafficking Legislative Working Group.
Lares has an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a minor in World Missions, and has worked on graduate studies in the MSW program at the University of Central Florida.
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