I am glad to report that The Chamber is closing year 2022 with a solid performance, thanks largely to the dedication of our board members and committee chairs in advocating for key issues that impact our Greater Miami community. During the quarter, membership growth continued in an upward trend, and financial fundamentals remained strong.
On leadership, our Chair, Roberto Muñoz, was selected for induction into the "2023 Alumni Hall of Fame" for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and will be recognized as a 2023 Power Leaders 250 by the South Florida Business Journal; Kenneth A. Jessell was named FIU's sixth President; Caroline O’Connor was promoted as Miami Marlins' first female President of Business Operations, four of our members were recognized as 2022 Ultimate CEOs by the South Florida Business Journal, and Leadership Miami® Class 44 graduated in December. In the political arena, local government officials were elected in November.
During the quarter, The Chamber continued advocating for key issues that impact South Florida, including energy resilience and the electrification of PortMiami, rising concerns about property and casualty insurance; advancing dialogue and finding solutions to the lack of affordability, availability, and land in Greater Miami; and the upcoming legislative session for which our Government Affairs Committee has directed efforts to integrate a tight, concise, and actionable legislative agenda.
As the first half of our fiscal year comes to an end, I want to thank our leadership, sponsors, donors, and staff, for an incredible ride.
I look forward to our continued collaboration and partnerships, as The Chamber moves forward, connecting, convening, and advocating for Greater Miami in 2023.
Happy Holidays!
Alfred Sanchez
Energy Resilience Spark 2.0
On Friday, October 7, The Chamber convened at PortMiami to converse about energy resilience in South Florida, a key issue in The Chamber’s agenda, particularly relevant in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Resilience, we know well, requires a triple bottom line approach and bringing together multiple constituencies if we are to advance lasting solutions in Greater Miami.
Hurricanes like Ian underscore the importance of our Urban Community Growth Group, whose leadership works at the intersection of resilience, transportation, workforce housing, and education and workforce development issues.
The agenda and panelists showcased why Miami-Dade County’s path to Net Zero requires a multi-stakeholder approach. Facilitating dialogue between the public and private sectors, advocating at the local, state, and federal levels, sharing research and resources, and bringing awareness to the community is at the heart of what The Chamber does.
Moreover, partnerships with local government organizations and our members, like Black & Veatch, FIU, Payoli and FPL, are critical in South Florida’s path towards Net Zero.
The Chamber's Resilience Committee looks to engage and impact key governmental and private sector stakeholders to advance solutions and actions protecting our natural resources and supporting the Resilient 305 Strategy–100 Resilient Cities initiative. The Committee acts on multiple fronts and partners with other Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce committees to address these challenges.
Participation in the Resilience Committee is open to all Greater Miami Chamber members who have interests or concerns in this arena. To get involved, contact Kristina Desir at kdesir@miamichamber.com
Sand in My Shoes® Award Honoring Manny Medina
On October 27th, The Chamber honored Manny Medina with the Sand In My Shoes® Award.
A visionary who has transformed Miami into a capital of technology and innovation, Manny is the true embodiment of what this award aims to recognize.
The award honors the outstanding achievement of a single community leader in South Florida, who has made significant contributions to the region, demonstrating a deep love and commitment to South Florida as the best possible place in which to live, work and play.
Click here to watch Manny's speech
Manny Medina is founder and former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Terremark, founder and Managing Partner of Medina Capital, founder and Chairman of Cyxtera Technologies, Executive Chairman of Appgate, and founder and Chairman of eMerge Americas.
Manny’s leadership has helped establish Miami as the hub for the technology industry in the Americas and has had a $1.36 billion cumulative economic impact on the State of Florida and supported more than 7,000 jobs.
We want to thank our Chairman, Roberto Munoz, Elite Family Office, for his leadership in honoring Manny Medina as well as our sponsors and members for their support in making this event possible.
Click here to view photos of the event
Leadership Miami® Class 44
Leadership Miami® Class 44 celebrated graduation on December 7, having contributed funds and volunteer hours to the Greater Miami community.
On Saturday, October 1st, Leadership Miami® held its monthly Focus Session at United Way and sponsored by BankUnited. The session covered topics on financial services and technology.
Chairs from both committees spoke to participants on committee goals and upcoming meetings and programs. Gerry Litrento, BankUnited, Senior Executive Vice President, spoke on financial services and technology. Margaret Brisbane and Matt Haggman spoke with Brandon Mitchell on technology and Miami.
On November 5 and December 3, two more sessions where held as participants continued raising funds for the different nonprofit organizations supported through the program.
Led by Jeni Bouza, Bank of America; Brandon Mitchell, Venture for America; and Ashaki Bronson-Marcellus, BankUnited, Class 44 - celebrated graduation on December 7, having contributed funds and volunteer hours to the Greater Miami community.
The program is designed to prepare the next generation of South Florida leaders. It offers participants the opportunity to share an intensive learning experience focused on community issues and leadership skills developed with local universities.
We look forward to Class 45 Opening Conference on February 3 and 4, 2023, at FIU.
International Business
Consular Corps and Trade Representatives
During the third quarter of 2022, the International Committee hosted, co-led, or supported the following events:
- A delegation from the Central Brazil Consortium, on August 31
- A Hungarian Delegation, on September 8
- The 50th Annual Conference of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ)
- The World Trade Center Miami Americas Food and Beverage Show, on September 11-13
- The Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States (Camacol) Hemispheric Conference, on September 11-13
- A Business Leaders Roundtable with the President and Chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Reta Jo Lewis, Esq., on September 16
- The Southeast United States (SEUS)-Japan meeting, on September 22
- A networking lunch with 25 tech companies from Argentina, on October 3rd, hosted by the Consulate General of Argentina in Miami
- The celebration of the 111th National Day of Taiwan, on October 6, hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami
- The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Consular Corps and Trade Representatives Annual Reception, on October 11
- Welcome of the Honorable Sarah Kavanagh, Consul General of Ireland in Miami
- An Americas Linkage to Israel Reception, hosted by Consul General of Israel in Miami, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky to celebrate the mission’s success, on December 8.
