MIAMI , FL , November 19, 2009 -- Today, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce presented the third annual International Business Leadership Awards at Jungle Island . Univision’s Teresa Rodriguez emceed the event that honors international businesses that significantly impact the economy of the state of Florida .

The 2009 International Business Leadership Awards recipients are by category:

•Business Retention and Expansion: Seaboard Marine (large co.); Haper Meyer Perez Hagen O’Connor & Albert (small co.)

•Education and Training: Medtronic, Inc. (large co.); Readix, Inc. (small co.)

•Entrepreneurship: Jackson Memorial Foundation (large co.); Miami Fashion Week (small co.)

•Innovations/Innovative Practices: Brightstar Corp (large co.); Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches (small co.)

•Joint Ventures: Port Everglades

•Philanthropic and Community Leadership: Baptist Health International Center of Miami

•Special Individual Recognition: J. Antonio “Tony” Villamil, Dean School of Business, St. Thomas University; Principal Economic Advisor, The Washington Economics Group

The recipients were selected from the following finalists:  AF International; Assist-Card USA; Avery Glass & Mirror; Bupa Insurance Company; Dadeland Travel; Diageo; Econocaribe Consolidators, Inc.; Economic Development Advisory Group; Fortune International Realty; Globalvia Infrastructures; IHG Latin America & Caribbean; IKEA; Intelsat; Leaf & Associates, LLC; Medical Tourism Association; MOCAShop; Neoris; Summa Media Group; SafetyPay, Inc.; Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; Telefonica USA; and Trini. 

Applications were reviewed by a panel of judges whose business expertise spans international business: Brian Dean,

president, Gateway Florida, Inc.; Claudia Gioia, managing director, Burson-Marsteller Latin America; John Price, managing director, Business Intelligence, Latin America, Kroll; Carolina Rendeiro, president, Right Space Management, LLC, and International Business Development Group Chair, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; and Sandra L. Roberts, Ph.D., assistant professor, Barry University.

The 2009 International Business Leadership Awards program was made possible by the following sponsors: Jackson International; Ana G. Mendez University System; Akerman Senterfitt; Express Travel; Godoy Oliva Group; Leblon; The Washington Economics Group; Baptist Health International Center of Miami; Brightstar Corporation; Bupa Insurance Company; Diageo; Port Everglades; Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches; Seaboard Marine; and St. Thomas University School of Business; and partners: Enterprise Florida, Inc.; Broward County Office of Economic Development; and WorldCity.

For information about the International Business Leadership Awards, contact Liane Ventura at 305-577-5445 or lventura@miamichamer.com.

# # #

About the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is an association of businesses and professions organized to create economic progress in Miami-Dade County . To carry out its mission, the Chamber serves as the voice of business enterprise and involves the private sector in community leadership. For more than 100 years, the Chamber has been widely recognized and respected for its extraordinary record of economic development and community improvement.

The Greater Miami Chamber is an activist chamber. Its program of work is organized in five areas: Advocacy, Domestic Business Development, International Business Development, Leadership Programs and Marketing & Member Services. The Chamber has an award-winning website, www.MiamiChamber.com; holds the license to the Miami Free Trade Zone, Inc.; and has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Executive Speaking Forums in America .