Issuu

AND THE WINNER IS... Awards season is an exciting time... from Hollywood to The City Beautiful! On the heels of the 88th annual Academy Awards, the Chamber is gearing up for an exiting awards season of our own! Kicking it all off this year... drumroll please... will be the AXA Advisors Businesswomen of the Year Awards. Recognizing the outstanding businesswomen in our City and Miami-Dade County, who are outstanding leaders and rold models, this celebratory event will take place on Friday, March 4th at the Coral Gables Country Club. Fun fact, Earth Day is largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated annually by more than a billion people. When it's positioned that way, our Green Means Green Awards sound like a global party! Presented by the S.E.E. Green Committee, this awards program recognizes individuals and businesses for their unwaivering efforts in the field of sustainability and green practices. Celebrated with our Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, applications are available through March 18th and winner will be announced April 22nd!

Next up, the 10th annual Rising Star Awards. Presented annually by the 20/30 Group, the Rising Star Awards recognize young professionals, under the age of 40, who are exemplary members of the business community. Honorees are recognized at the Signature Soiree hosted by the spritied folks at Bacardi USA. This event is just as exciting as Leonardo DiCaprio winning his first Oscar! Sound like an award you'd like to apply for? You can do so through March 25th at noon! Rounding out a Chamber year, we will also play host to the George E. Merrick Awards of Excellence, the City Beautiful Awards and the Diamond Awards. All of these are a great opportunity to showcase your businesses and your amazing employees. For more information on these programs, contact Erica Simons at (305) 446-1657 or by e-mail at esimons@coralgableschamber.org. Cue the applause!

IN THIS ISSUE: Thoughts from our Chair Page 2 President’s Perspective Page 3 Trustee Talk

Page 5

Upcoming Events

Page 6

Membership Highlights Page 8 Calendar of Events

Page 9

Sponsor Recognition

Page 10

coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

THOUGHTS FROM OUR CHAIR Wayne Cameron Eldred Chair of the Board, CGCC Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill weldred@tarponbend.com My Dear Chamber Friends, The last six months at the Chamber have been an absolute blast. We have cut dozens of ribbons welcoming new businesses and have had tremendous success with all of our signature events. We are looking forward to the next six months as we gear up for March Madness, our Annual Baptist Health 5K, Golf Tournament, Annual Conference and Merrick Awards dinner, among others. Our Team, President and Board are working diligently on building a more solid foundation. We are working with next year’s leadership already, looking to the future to maintain steady, quality growth, while creating rewarding networking opportunities, even more amazing events, all with the hope each of you will be able to develop new business opportunities. Our programing will get stronger as we develop new educational and self-development scenarios. At this rate, we are on pace to become the most resourceful and dynamic Chamber in the State of Florida and it’s all thanks to each of you. If you or any of your colleagues who are members of our Chamber of Commerce are looking for direction, please reach out to me at weldred@tarponbend.com, so I may personally help guide each of you on your personal or business ambitions and endeavors. I thank you for being so generous with your time, talent and treasure, for it is you the members, who are the glue that makes our Chamber so amazing. So until the next time my friends, please let me know how I may be “At Your Service”.

2015 - 2016 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chairman: Wayne Eldred, Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill Chairman-Elect: John Allen, Home Financing Center First-Vice Chair: Martha de la Pena Rojas, Florida Blue Treasurer: Patrick O’Connell, EWM Realty International Parliamentarian: Brian Barakat, Barakat Law, P.A. Immediate Past Chairman: Linda Knudsen, Baptist Health South Florida Vice Chair, Global Affairs: Carolina Rendeiro, eMerge Americas Vice Chair, Community Affairs: Jon Ridley, Honeywell Vice Chair, Business & Economic Development: Nelson Penalver, LOI Marketing, Inc. Vice Chair, Member Affairs: Gabriel de Armas, Jr., Home Instead Senior Care Vice Chair, Government Affairs: Bruce Bounds, Bounds Law Offices Trustee Council: Nicole Waters, Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Chairman’s Appointee: Luis Requejo, One Payment President & CEO: Mark A. Trowbridge

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Elected-term expires 2016 Amy Donner (Miami’s Community Newspapers) Charles Knight (Florida Power and Light) Al Peraza (Mercantil Commercebank) Frank Fernandez (BankUnited)

Sincerely,

Annual DC Fly-In Every year in the Spring, our Chamber travels to our nation's Capital for our annual legislative and advocacy-oriented DC Fly-In (April 25-27). We arrange for a group rate at a local hotel...and the hotel block is now live at The Cambria Suites. If you are planning to attend with our group, the link information is noted below. Many will arrive late in the day on the 24th (Sunday) and the block will be active that day, too. Each room is a king suite and there is complimentary WiFi. Click here to find the booking link to the Cambria Hotel in DC at 899 O Street NW (near the DC Conference Center). The group name is Coral Gables. No booking code is required. The rate is $209 per night plus taxes (works out to about $240 per night, all in). The block is available beginning the 24th and ends on the 27th.

Elected-term expires 2017 Andria Hanley (Camillus House) Raquel Hickey Matthias Kammerer (The Biltmore Hotel) Barbara Norland (YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade Inc.) Anabella Smith (Zyscovich Architects) Elected-term expires 2018 Thad Adams (Allen Morris Company) Ana Chaoui (Coconut Grove Bank) Nikki Deas (Vine Communications) Yesenia Moreno (Albion Staffing) Rene Negron (AXA Advisors) Chairman’s Appointees-term expires 2016 Carlos Garcia (Hancock Askew & Co., LLP ) Manny Garcia (Concierge Esq) Drew Kern (EWM Realty International) John O’Rourke (Montica Jewelry) Zachary Sulkes (Bacardi USA) EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS City of Coral Gables Commissioner Patricia Keon City of Coral Gables Javier Betancourt City of Coral Gables Business Improvement District F. Michael Steffens (Neville Steffens Architects, PA) Coral Gables Community Foundation Mary Snow The Beacon Council of Miami-Dade Nelson Lazo (Doctors Hospital)

Currently, we have 13 delegates registered to join us and are working on our schedule/plans for meetings with elected officials, agencies and partners while in town to advocate on behalf of our business community. coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE - THE CHORE OF CHORES Mark A. Trowbridge

President & CEO Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce mtrowbridge@coralgableschamber.org

Growing up, I used to tell my parents that I felt like an indentured servant seeking to free myself from the yoke of chores every Saturday. Clearly, they were not amused by this behavior, or my insolent tone, and only responded by adding more duties to my already overflowing plate of continuous service. I felt like one of the footmen on Downton Abbey, toiling away at a life of serving others, whilst making tea and trying to avoid the stinging eye of the Dowager Countess. Sure, it took 18 years, three months and seven days to finally extricate myself from the chore of doing chores, but I had my freedom, which led to me heading off to college to discover that these tasks never end. Sure, when you are out on your own and doing things for yourself, it just feels different. But, the skills I learned mowing the lawn, recycling the newspapers, cleaning the bathrooms, mopping the floors and making my bed every single morning paved the way for a better life – and make you a better spouse, partner, roommate and human being. I hated doing chores while growing up. I loathed the early morning rousting out of bed on a Saturday to vacuum, dust and help fold the laundry. In the intervening days, there was the garbage removal, emptying of the dishwasher and clearing of the plates/loading of the dishwasher after dinner (which was usually lovingly made in a crockpot). Because my sister and I could never agree, Mother Trowbridge had a system. I did certain chores on the even days and my sister on the odd days, based on the number of letters in our names. But we both pitched in – whether in alternating formats or not – on the most cumbersome chores, such as spring cleaning.

quite fit. But even as much as I hated that, I loathed the recycling of the newspapers (long before it was considered en vogue). Before we could toss them, we had to put them back together (day by day, section by section, for two different dailies). My dad once had a career in the newspaper business, so this was his hard and fast rule. Painful, if not overly anal retentive, was the order of the day. As the youngest boy in the family, I inherited mowing the law from my middle brother. My mom did not feel that my sister should do any outside chores (maybe her virtues would be questioned?), so those fell to me. Mowing, raking, trimming and hedging were all mine in the spring, summer and fall. Then, in the brutal winter months, it was shoveling the snow, which was always wet and heavy and oh so cold! My back still aches from the heavy lifting. The chore of doing chores is pleasant to no one, just like running errands when time is so precious. But, there is a sense of accomplishment when you finish that is undeniable. Plus, it helps you understand responsibility and the need to contribute. My value system was shaped by the desire to pull my own weight (no easy task) and learn a skill that was centered in responsibility. It made all the difference in my work ethic growing up and today. I learned a lot about myself from being an indentured servant, but I learned more about how the world really works. So, thanks Mother Trowbridge for teaching me life’s most important lessons through thrusting that mop into my hand, helping me square off the corners on the top sheet, and handing me that feather duster each and every Saturday. It led me to a very special place filled with my own handyman William and my own lawn guy Miguel, Lucia my cleaning lady and Magda the dry cleaner who make my life much easier than when I was growing up. Freedom feels pretty darn good, even with my own clutter close by!

Now, you have to appreciate that my mother is a second-generation hoarder. So, we were always surrounded by a ton of…well…stuff. And, this was further exacerbated by the fact that my mom was a school teacher and every kid used to buy her a holiday gift and end-of-the-year gift. This just added to the clutter and made it nearly impossible to dust, organize and clean. If you have ever been in my office, you get the generational genetics of this behavior. And so, we kids would get up early, cover our base chores (bathrooms, kitchen, dusting and vacuuming, followed by the mopping and the organizing) before moving onto our own rooms and laundry. We had to strip our beds and then help re-make them once the laundry was done. That dreaded fitted sheet was the bane of my existence as it just never coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

EXPERTS FOCUSED ON YOU. What sets us apart is who we bring together. At UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, you don’t just get a doctor. You have a specialized team of physicians, researchers, nurses and other experts relentlessly focused on you. UHealthsystem.com

TRUSTEE TALK Nicole Waters

Chair, Trustee Council Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables waters@mbcoralgables.com

TRUSTEE EVENTS:

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016

It’s been an exciting year for the City Beautiful and the Coral Gables Chamber as we celebrate 90 years. In celebration of this milestone, it’s important to look back and acknowledge key contributors to this achievement. Of course it all started with George E. Merrick, but he was just the beginning of great leadership at the Chamber. Since George, we’ve had 82 Chairs lead our business community to the success we enjoy today. It’s also no surprise that George, nor any other chair, could keep the Chamber moving in the direction of greatness without a strong, professional, and knowledgeable team behind them.

January's Trustee Luncheon featured the 2016 FIFA Women's World Coach of the Year and U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach, Jill Ellis.

Did you know our current Coral Gables Chamber staff has more than 46 years, and countless hours, of service supporting initiatives and events designed to grow our businesses? They are an impressive team working closely with the Board, Committees, and volunteers to ensure members have full access to tools available in order to maximize their investment. So the Chamber has seen great leaders, and worked with some of the best staff, but a Chamber is nothing without its members and the Coral Gables Chamber has some of the best. Made largely up of Trustee members, 182 companies to be exact, you’ll find the right mix of opportunity for business, friends, and community today and for many years to come. Thank you for being a part of our history!

BankUnited hosted Trustee members for a reception at their South Miami branch in January.

Trustee members enjoyed a night of limitless libations at the February Trustee Reception at Bacardi USA!

Pictured with Trustee Diplomats Sara Hernandez, Susan Rutrough and Ana Chaoui, Kerri Barsh educated Trustee Luncheon guests of the effects of global warming.

coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

UPCOMING EVENTS

The annual process of electing officers and directors for the Chamber will take place in May. On May 16th, you will receive an e-mail entitled "Cast Your Vote Now! -- The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors Election, for the 2016 - 2019 Term" inviting you to participate in the Chamber's Board elections. Chamber Board elections are being hosted online through a secure voting resource, Election Buddy (www.electionbuddy.com). Please follow the instructions in that e-mail to submit your secure and anonymous vote. If you have recently updated your contact information, please notify the Chamber today so we ensure that you have the opportunity to vote on the Chamber's leadership slate. Please contact the Chamber at (305) 446-1657 if you have any questions. Thank You!

coralgableschamber.org â”‚ CHAMBER CONNECTION â”‚March - April 2016

SAVE THESE IMPORTANT DATES Thursday, March 24, 2016 - 5:30 PM March Madness Business Expo Don’t let your bracket get busted! Mingle with local business owners, network with hundreds of the community’s most engaged leaders and enjoy savory tastings courtesy of the City Beautiful’s hottest restaurants! Location: The Biltmore Hotel 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables Sponsored By: Home Financing Center & LOI Marketing, Inc. Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - 5:30 PM Supporting Sponsors: EWM Realty International, Tarpon Wind Down Wednesday Bend Raw Bar & Grill and the Biltmore Hotel Location: Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill Purchase an expo table and showcase your products and services! 65 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables Cost: $250 Chamber Members; $350 Non-Members Sponsor: MAPFRE Insurance Attend the Expo! Cost: $25 Chamber & #YoPro Members by 2/26; $35 Chamber Cost: $30 - 1 admission; $50 - 2 admissions; $120 - 5 admissions; Members & Guests After 2/26 $35 Guests Friday, March 4, 2016 - 8:30 AM - SOLD OUT Wednesday, March 30, 2016 - 11:45 AM Trow Knows... CEOs Trustee Luncheon Sponsor & Host: Goldstein Schechter Koch Location: Hyatt Regency Coral Gables 2121 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 11th Floor, Coral Gables 50 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables Speaker: Michael & Christina Pappas, The Keyes Company, Sponsor: Florida Power & Light Our first Father & Daughter duo! Speaker: Eric Silagy, CEO, Florida Power & Light Cost: $45 Trustee Members by 3/25; Friday, March 4, 2016 - 11:30 AM - SOLD OUT $55 On-site Registration & Guests AXA Advisors Businesswomen of the Year Awards Location: Coral Gables Country Club Friday, April 1, 2016 - 8:30 AM 997 N. Greenway Drive, Coral Gables Trow Knows... CEOs Presented By: AXA Advisors Sponsor & Host: Goldstein Schechter Koch Supporting Sponsors: Baptist Health South Florida, First2121 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 11th Floor, Coral Gables Bank Florida, LOI Marketing, Inc., Miami Children’s Health Speaker: Eddy Arriola, CEO, Apollo Bank Foundation, NAWBO, University of Florida MBA Program, Cost: $20 Registration Fee OWIT Limited to the first 25 registrations! Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - 5:30 PM Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - Noon Trustee Reception - Exclusively for our Trustees! RE-Connect Luncheon Sponsor & Host: Doctors Hospital Sports Medicine Location: Morton’s the Steakhouse Rehabilitation Center 2333 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Coral Gables 1222 South Dixie Highway (University Center Plaza). Sponsors: Credomatic Merchant Services, EPGD Attorneys Coral Gables at Law, P.A. & Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Parking can be found in the lot directly outside of the facility. Online payment and registration is now required in advance! Ladies, please wear either flat shoes or wedged sandals. Complimentary registration for Trustee Members Wednesday, April 6, 2016 - 5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 7:30 AM Location: Sushi Maki Good Morning Coral Gables 2334 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables See if you have the luck o’ the Irish as we get an early start Sponsor: MAPFRE Insurance on our St. Patrick’s Day festivities! Cost: $25 Chamber & #YoPro Members by 4/1; $35 Chamber Location: Biltmore Hotel Members & Guests After 4/1 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables Presenting Sponsor: UHealth Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 7:30 AM Speaker: Benjamin Riestra, Chief Administrative Officer of Good Morning Coral Gables the Lennar Medical Center, UHealth Location: Biltmore Hotel Cost: $25 Chamber Member by 3/11; $40 On-Site Registra1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables tion & Guests Presenting Sponsor: UHealth Supporting Sponsor: Gulliver Schools Thursday, March 24, 2016 - 2:00 PM Cost: $25 Chamber Member by 4/15; MEGA IMPACT Seminar $40 On-Site Registration & Guests Build a Championship Business! Hit the hardwood and slam dunk your Business Development, Business Operations, Business Compliance and Business to Consumer Relationships at this Final Four seminar! Location: The Biltmore Hotel 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables Sponsored By: Mercantil Commercebank, N.A. & UHealth Supporting Sponsors: 2000 Ponce Business Center & Vicky Bakery Coral Gables Cost: $55 Chamber Members; $75 Guests; Register for this seminar and attend March Madness on us! Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - Noon - SOLD OUT RE-Connect Luncheon Location: Morton’s the Steakhouse 2333 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Coral Gables Sponsors: Credomatic Merchant Services, EPGD Attorneys at Law, P.A. & Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Speaker: Gayle Bainbridge, Global Risk, LLC

coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS

SPONSORSHIP / INVESTOR HALL OF FAME Through February 2016

January - February 2015 Action Translation Services, Inc. Active Health Institute Amy Bloom Inc. Applause Your Paws Aragon 101 Blackledger Technology Advisors, LLC Becker Public Relations Benjamin Douglas Consulting CAREERXCHANGE, Inc. Center for Rejuvenation Centric Consulting, LLC Chateau Travel Services C.A. The Coastal Group of South Florida Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Curb Appeal International Realty Essence Nutrition The Florida Villager Gastronomicom GI Joe Home Inspections Giralda Place Hancock Askew & Co., LLP HITT Contracting Inc. Inkberries Invest: Miami I.P. Enterprise Solutions Joyce CPA, LLC Keys Lighting & Design Center Latin America Executive Search Consultants Law Offices of Jacqueline Salcines, P.A. LDA Graphics, LLC Marenco & Warshofsky, PL Martinez Morales Miele Experience Center nQuery Telecom Solutions One Two Tree, Inc. QuikForce Red Chemistry Reel City Films Rise Up 4 Change Robb & Stucky Furniture Interiors Roca Gonzalez, P.A. Saggio Realty, Inc. SIMA Group / Sustainable Miami Stow Simple TabbedOut Trust & Co. United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida Websites MIA WorldCity

$5,000 and Above • The Allen Morris Company • AXA Advisors, LLC • Bacardi USA • Baptist Health South Florida • Bay Plumbing Company • Brown-Forman Beverages • Business Improvement District of Coral Gables • City of Coral Gables • City National Bank • Doctors Hospital • EWM Realty International • FirstBank Florida • Florida Blue

• Florida Power & Light • Gulliver Schools • Home Financing Center, Inc. • LOI Marketing, Inc. • Mercantil Commercebank, N.A. • Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables • Miami Herald • Photo Offset, Inc. • South Motors BMW • Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill • University of Miami • UHealth

$2,500 - $4,999 • Caviar, LLC • Gulliver Schools • Samuel Adams - Boston Beer Company

* BOLD denotes Trustee member

coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

EVENTS CALENDAR

‘16

March │ April

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

1 8:00 AM Global Business Affairs Committee Meeting

5:30 PM Trustee Reception

Thursday

2 3 8:30 AM 4 12:00 PM Trow Knows...CEOs 8:00 AM featuring Michael & Christina RE-Connect Luncheon Chairman’s Ambassadors Pappas, The Keyes Company Committee Meeting 5:30 PM 11:30 AM 9:00 AM Wind Down Wednesday Women’s Business Network AXA Advisors Businesswomen of the Year Awards Luncheon Committee Meeting 9 10 8:00 AM Business & Gov’t Affairs 8:00 AM Committee Meeting M-Team Committee Meeting 9:00 AM Cultural Affairs 8:00 AM Committee Meeting Business & Education 4:00 PM Committee Meeting Small Business Committee Meeting 16 7:30 AM 17 Good Morning Coral Gables 9:00 AM 20/30 Group Committee Meeting

29 30 11:45 AM Trustee Luncheon

8:00 AM S.E.E. Green Committee Meeting

8:00 AM Global Business Affairs Committee Meeting

Friday

23 2:00 PM 24 25 Noon MEGA IMPACT Seminar 2016 Rising Star Awards Applications Due 5:30 PM March Madness Business Expo

12:00 PM RE-Connect Luncheon

31 1 8:30 AM Trow Knows... CEOs featuring Eddy Arriola, Apollo Bank

6 8:00 AM 7 Chairman’s Ambassadors Committee Meeting

5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday

9:00 AM Women's Business Network Committee Meeting

11 12 8:00 AM 13 14 Business & Gov’t Affairs 5:30 PM 8:00 AM Committee Meeting 9:00 AM Trustee Reception M-Team Committee Meeting Cultural Affairs Committee Meeting 4:00 PM Small Business Committee Meeting

18 8:00 AM 19 20 7:30 AM 21 S.E.E. Green 3:30 PM EARTH DAY Good Morning Coral Gables Committee Meeting IMPACT: A Seminar Series 9:00 AM for Small Business 11:30 AM 20/30 Group WBN Luncheon Committee Meeting

26 27 28 29 11:45 AM 8:00 AM 8:00 AM Business & Education Trustee Luncheon Green Means Green Committee Meeting Awards Breakfast

DC Fly-In • DC Fly-In • DC Fly-In • DC Fly-In • DC Fly-In • DC Fly-In • DC Fly-In

coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016

SPONSORSHIP RECOGNITION WIND DOWN WEDNESDAY JANUARY

JANUARY

GOOD MORNING CORAL GABLES

FEBRUARY

WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK LUNCHEON

SERIES SPONSOR

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

TRUSTEE LUNCHEON

TRUSTEE RECEPTION FEBRUARY

IMPACT SEMINAR SERIES

THEATRE NIGHT

NEW MEMBER RECEPTION

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

NEW YEAR'S NETWORKER

Espinosa Financial coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │March - April 2016