GEM investor
HIDDEN
GEM A periodic e-newsletter prepared and produced exclusively for our Chamber’s GEM Level Members Albion Staffing Solutions, Inc. AXA Advisors, LLC City National Bank of Florida Compass Doctors Hospital EWM Realty International Florida Blue Grove Bank & Trust Intermedia Touch, Inc. Mercantil Bank Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Miami HEAT/AA Arena Miami-Dade County Michael Forman DOM, P.A. Sora Global Insurance & Consulting, LLC Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill The Allen Morris Company The Biltmore Hotel UHealth University of Miami
Vol. 1 | Issue 1 Winter 2019 Our GEMs! Adrian Nunez of the University of Miami is pictured alongside Board Member Myrna Vaca of UHealth and Patrick O’Connell, Chamber Chairman, with EWM Realty International.
Dear
Fellow GEMs:
What does it really mean to be a GEM Investor in our Chamber? How do you maximize your GEM investment? Do you have special privileges as a GEM? These are questions I have heard over the first year about our new, premium membership level, and I am hoping that this GEM-only publication helps to answer these questions and more. As you already know, our Chamber is by far the most active and relevant business organization in South Florida, and I am sure you and your company made the commitment to invest at the GEM level for this very reason. The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce knows how to deliver... period. The twenty companies that comprise the GEM level of membership are our most engaged and of the highest profile in our community. Your investment goes a very long way to enable us to deliver the services, events, and overall experience our engaged members desire and deserve. Thank you for taking this GEM journey with us. I hope you find great value in the benefits unique to the GEM Level Membership, and I encourage you to write or call me anytime with questions or suggestions to improve our collective Chamber experience.
Chairman of the Board | Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Business Development | EWM Realty International GEM Investor e: oconnell.p@ewm.com
Welcome...
By: Mark A. Trowbridge President & CEO | Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce e: mtrowbridge@coralgableschamber.org
to our inaugural Hidden GEM newsletter, a celebration of our most significant investors and top-tier Chamber members and leaders. Our goal with this publication is simple - to keep you updated on what is happening not only in our Chamber, but in our community and beyond, as well. Now that we have curated this new membership investment level over the past 18-months, we have a better understanding of what our GEM Level Members need and desire. Plus, we understand the importance of working closely with each of you to help you achieve your goals and receive the ultimate return on your investment. Since we began this process in the summer of 2017, we have reached our goal of inviting and securing 20 members of our Chamber to upgrade to GEM, a list of which is contained on the cover page. What has been amazing has been the cultivation process – learning from each of you about how to grow and leverage our Chamber and stretching our imaginations and your benefits to the limit. During that time, we have hosted an event with the Miami HEAT, an up-close and personal book reading/ signing with David Lawrence and his new work and spent quality time curating your membership needs. We completed our new strategic plan in August 2018 at our Annual Conference and began it’s roll-out. This year’s overarching theme has been focused on Growth, which dovetails nicely with our Chairman’s theme of Doing BIG Things. We also continue to be the only local Chamber with long-term, high performing stability and results in our leadership and our finances. For the thirteenth straight year, we have a clean audit and resources in the bank that allow us to stay focused on you. As we look deeper into 2019, we remain incredibly excited for our community and our Chamber, as well as for you, our valued investor. Opportunities on the horizon that will add to your unique benefits portfolio include a private dinner at the newly revamped and renovated Tarpon Bend Raw Bar and Grill, courtesy of owner/operator and fellow GEM member Wayne Eldred. Advocacy fly-ins to Tallahassee (Feb 3-5) and Washington DC (May 6-8) continue to highlight our membership agenda and are more critical than ever given the many new faces among our elected officials in our state and nation’s capitals. We have also begun to put together our first-ever benchmarking trip to Charleston, SC – an opportunity to learn from a peer business community and bring back Best Practices to the Gables. GEM members get first dibs on joining us in March! In addition, we are working on a transportation briefing onboard the new Brightline this Spring, complete with a reception with our peer Chamber at the Ft. Lauderdale station, designed and built by our very own Zyscovich Architects. Finally, we have requested a private tour of the Boeing Simulation Complex in Miami Springs exclusively for our GEM members, hosted by Ambassador Donna Hrinak, President of Boeing LATAM/VP of Boeing International. Stay tuned. As always, we hope to see you at our monthly receptions and luncheons, a dynamic platform for the movers and shakers, as well as the top decision makers, in our community. All the while, we are here to help you make connections and grow your business. Much is on the horizon programmatically for our Chamber as we network together, including a small business summit, Latin American Outlook Report launch, and a continuation of our Conversation with the Consul Series. Make plans to be present. So, stay tuned, get engaged and lock-in on all we have to offer each of you GEMsters. Our Chamber is no longer a hidden GEM or unpolished precious stone – we are a full-blown jewel that shines the brightest in the South Florida spotlight!
YOUR
W. Allen Morris Chairman & CEO | The Allen Morris Company | GEM Investor
-fellow-
GEMs in action!
Luis Chiappy Senior Manager/Executive Vice President, Southeast Region | AXA Advisors, LLC Past-Chair of the Chamber | GEM Investor
GEM investor
Martha de la Peña Rojas Senior Manager, Market Development | Florida Blue Immediate Past-Chair of the Chamber | GEM Investor
Dr. Michael Forman (Left) Owner | Michael Forman DOM, P.A. GEM Investor
Kim Stone (Center) Executive Vice President, Business Development Miami HEAT/AA Arena | GEM Investor
“Intermedia Touch has had memberships in many organizations, but none like the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. The unique way in which the GEM membership, events and networking are managed has allowed our company to build strong ties in our community, provide us access to topics and speakers about our economy and current events affecting our country and abroad, and grow our business through referrals. I would highly recommend this Chamber for anyone looking to network and grow with the most respected professionals in South Florida.”
v
- CRISTINA MILLER
PRESIDENT, INTERMEDIA TOUCH, INC. GEM INVESTOR | BOARD MEMBER
Shine bright... GEMs on the move & in the news!
The Allen Morris Company will present their proposed project, Coral Gables City Center, to the Coral Gables City Commission on Tuesday, February 12th. Intermedia Touch recently announced a business relationship with MGM Casinos, exciting 2019 launches at Hard Rock Casino and a new installation at FIU. AXA Advisors, LLC will present the Businesswomen of the Year Awards on Tuesday, March 12th, the 21st year. Mercantil Bank, sponsor of our small business IMPACT Series, announced a corporate re-brand as Amerant Bank. Doctors Hospital and their Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute continue their strong alliance with the Miami Heat and will open a newly renovated, state-of-the-art center in Summer 2019. UHealth hired leading cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Joseph Lamelas, who will headline our Chamber’s Good Morning Coral Gables breakfast on February 21st. Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill celebrates its 15th anniversary on Miracle Mile and unveils a new specially designed drink chip for patrons. The Biltmore Hotel celebrated its grand re-opening of their Donald Ross designed golf course this past month, with a first drive off the tee by former Governor Jeb Bush. The University of Miami is excited to announce the hiring of Manny Diaz, Jr. as their new head football coach. Diaz was previously the team’s Defensive Coordinator. City National Bank presents Veritage Miami with its opening Craft Beer Night on Thursday, February 7th! Grove Bank & Trust announced its new President and Chief Lending Officer, Jose R. Vazquez, earlier this month. Congratulations to Dr. Penny Shaffer of Florida Blue, new Chair of the Board of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council.