Passion for Acting Leads to VT Career

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in aspiring actor Douglas Diaz Jr.’s part in the hit TV series Ozark being reduced to a single scene. What he thought would be his big break came two years after playing a role in the Tyler Perry movie Nobody’s Fool, but the pandemic’s impact on Ozark production told Diaz, a Cuban-American born and raised in Miami, that it was time to pivot career-wise. After 11 years in acting, Diaz moved from Atlanta back to Miami in 2023. Not long after, he was introduced to Kohtler Elevator Manufacturers, Inc., and the vertical-transportation (VT) industry. He joined the Miami area company as a business development specialist in November 2024 and says the industry has welcomed him with open arms. The mentorship of Kohtler CEO Veronica Querales and her son, Jeanpaul Querales, has been particularly impactful, Diaz said. “I’m very people-centered, and I believe we have the responsibility to provide value and quality in every way — not just in the product, but how we communicate, support and show up,” he said. “That same mindset is shared throughout Kohtler, and I feel aligned with their mission.”