Merriman, Jr.

With over 15 years of Commercial Real Estate experience, Mr. Merriman has become a leader in the commercial real estate industry, specializing in the sale of investment real estate throughout the United States. He is currently a member of the global organization of the Real Estate Executive Council (REEC) and a sitting member of the Florida International University Real Estate Advisory Council

Due to his passion for real estate, Mr. Merriman has also made a commitment to representing his clients to the fullest by obtaining a Masters of Business Administration with a specification in Real Estate Development. Mr. Merriman now focuses his career on representing commercial real estate sellers.

Mr. Merriman joined NAI Miami in 2008 because of its reputation for excellence and customer satisfaction. In 2021 he obtained and ownership interest by becoming one of the newest partners with the firm. Mr. Merriman believes his clients benefit from the firm’s tenacity to be the best, together with his ability to achieve adequate sales prices that other brokerages simply could not deliver.

Mr. Merriman holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Shaw University (Raleigh, NC) and a Master’s in Business Administration from NOVA Southeastern University.

He is an active member of many organizations; the South Florida Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (Board Member), The South Florida Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America (Board Member), The South Florida Chapter of the Rolls Royce Owner’s Club (Member), NAI Global Diversity Council (Member), Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Member), Real Estate Executive Council (REEC), Broward County Boys and Girls Club (Volunteer), St. Matthew Masonic Lodge, PHA #670, (Past Master’s degree). He is a subject matter expert in real estate sales, financing and development and frequently speaks to organizations and

WORDS

CEO, Founder & President DIBIA Athletic, Dibia DREAM & Siyanse LLC

Brandon Okpalobi is a Nigerian-American former athlete turned STEM educator, youth advocate, social entrepreneur, and host; based in Miami, Florida, and native to New Orleans, Louisiana.

He recognized in 2011 the need to connect early education, after-school programming, and mentorship to improve grades and reduce “risky” behavior. As a response to the need, He created DIBIA Athletic combining sport and academic education to prepare student-athletes in Bermuda, Miami, and New Orleans for advanced levels of play and to secure scholarship funding.

To continue fostering youth, he founded Dibia DREAMi in 2014 to spark change through STEM for school-age children who may not have otherwise been exposed to or felt confident enough to participate in the sciences. Since its inception, Dibia DREAM has reached over 30,000 youth in person in 4 states and virtually in 32 states and 12 countries.

Honoree 2023

SUPERPOWER

WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

Brandon continues to invest in STEM education and inspire youth to connect the dots between classroom and STEM careers with his new company Siyanse, which provides product services and activities designed by experts and delivered directly to the homes of toddlers through adolescent-age students. His commitment to youth and impact has earned him recognition on Forbes Next 1000 List, Black Enterprise Modern Man, and the Florida International University Emerging Leader award. Brandon’s efforts over the past decade garnered attention nationally from President Obama’s Council on Fitness, AT&T, and Discovery Education, where he hosts HandsOn STEM and engages over 50,000 youth. Additionally, he is an Orange Bowl committee member and Miami Foundation’s Miami Fellows Class IX.

Honoree 2023

Superpower Something Most Do Not Know About Me

Honorable Jackie Powell

County Court Judge 17th Judicial Circuit

Judge Jackie Powell was elected to the Broward County Court Bench in 2018. She currently serves in the county civil division. Judge Powell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Florida Atlantic University and Juris Doctorate from Nova Southeastern Law Center.

Before law school, Judge Powell worked as a paralegal with a local law firm. She was encouraged by her employers, attorneys Barbara Heyer-Gold and now retired Judge Marc H. Gold, to enroll in law school. At that time, married with two minor children, she enrolled in law school full-time while working part-time. Judge Powell has been a member of the Florida Bar for 20 years. Judge Powell practiced with the Broward County Public Defender’s Office for almost seven years, serving as a division attorney and later as a supervising attorney.

After leaving the Public Defender’s Office, Judge Powell joined a private civil firm where she served as supervising litigation attorney representing major financial institutions. She subsequently started her own firm representing clients in family law matters.

Outside of the legal arena, Judge Powell enjoys mentoring young people and has done that for over 20 years through her local church and other community organizations. She currently serves as a board member for Voices for the Children of Broward County, an organization that supports children in foster care. She is also a monthly volunteer empowering students at Dillard High School through the My Future Is Now program.

PERSON(S)

Awards Organizations

Judge Powell has been recognized numerous times for her outstanding community involvement. Most recently, she received the Zebedee Wright Judiciary award from the T.J. Reddick Bar Association for 2022.

Rising to this level has been no easy feat for Judge Powell, but with drive and determination, she believes anything is possible.

WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME:

Director - Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement

Juliet Murphy Roulhac is the Director for Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement for Florida Power & Light Company. This Fortune 200 company is the largest electric utility in the state and one of the largest electric utility providers of clean energy in the country.

Ms. Roulhac manages NextEra Energy’s national Foundation and Florida Power & Light Company’s community engagement in Florida - she develops giving and engagement strategies for FPL and NextEra. Her role also includes oversight of FPL’s Manatee Lagoon, an educational eco-center dedicated to educating the public about manatees and Lake Worth Lagoon. In her prior role, she managed External Affairs for Broward and Southwest Florida. She started with the company in 1999 and practiced in the General Counsel’s Department prior to External Affairs. She is a licensed attorney with over twenty-five years of complex business litigation and appellate experience.

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SUPERPOWER SUPERPOWER

SOMETHING MOST DO NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

PERSON(S) YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET

Ms. Roulhac is the Chair of the Broward Workshop and the Chair of the Community Foundation of Broward, Vice Chair for the NSU Medical Executive Leadership Council, Secretary/ Treasurer of the Friends of Manatee Lagoon, and serves on the Baptist Hospital BOH/BHE board. She also serves as a CoChair of Prosperity Partnership and a former Chair and current member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance’s board. She is an active member of local voluntary bar associations and previously served on the statewide Florida Bar Board of Governors, and Past-Chair of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Roulhac holds BA and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Florida, is a member of Florida Blue Key, and previously served a 5-year term as a gubernatorial appointee on the Board of Trustees. She has resided in the South Florida area for over 35 years.

SOMETHING MOST DO NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

PERSON(S) YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET

AWARDS AWARDS ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS

Evan

A. Shields

Evan is the Founder, CEO & Managing Partner of Indelible Capital Partners, an impact-driven real estate private equity firm proudly based in Miami, Florida. IndeliCap’s on a mission to invest $1 Billion in the next decade in real estate with an indelible impact on our world.

Evan is a business leader, educator, and public servant who’s dedicated his life to advancing economic opportunity for under invested communities. As an executive, he has led the investment of more than $4.0 Billion in institutional, commercial real estate assets under management (AUM) across every major property type and 30 U.S. metro areas. His work, specifically in affordable housing, has helped house more than 22,000 low-income seniors and families across 16 U.S. states.

Before founding IndeliCap, Evan served as COO for a Miamibased middle-market workforce housing developer. He has also held executive leadership roles in institutional capital markets, investor relations, and acquisitions with New York- and Miamibased firms, including BridgeInvest, a leading institutional real estate debt fund, R4 Capital, one of the U.S.’ top affordable housing investors, and PGIM Real Estate, the global real estate business of Prudential.

Evan graduated from the University of Virginia, where he completed a distinguished major in Political & Social Thought. After college, Evan began his career as a high school math teacher with Teach For America. He earned an MBA with a full-tuition scholarship from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Evan resides in North Miami with his wife, Dr. Adolphia LautureShields, an OB-GYN, and his infant daughter, Josephine. He serves on the boards of Miami’s Next Leaders, Teach For America MiamiDade, the North Miami Chamber of Commerce, and the City of North Miami’s Affordable Housing Advisory Commission and Board of

WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME:

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Mark Shim has over 20 years of banking leadership and management experience. He currently serves as Senior Vice President & Leader for Business Banking at Truist, South Florida. In 2022, Mark was recognized for leading the top-performing commercial banking team for Truist. In 2017, Shim was named the BB&T Business Banking Leader in the Commercial Community Bank division for South Florida with his team of over 10 commercial lenders that are responsible for a portfolio of about 2,000 commercial clients.

Prior to his role in Business Banking, Shim led the retail team at BB&T in Palm Beach and Broward County as Retail and Small Business Manager, which included over 30 branches with more than 180 teammates.

He joined BB&T (now Truist) in 2012 as the Sales and Service Leader for Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. He then served as the @Work Group manager for BB&T in South Florida, where he and his team focused on new client acquisition while strengthening relationships with small business clients and prospects.

Honoree 2023 Honoree 2023

Prior to BB&T, Shim served as Regional Manager at Bank Atlantic for their Palm Beach and Treasure Coast region.

SUPERPOWER SUPERPOWER

Having a core sense of purpose and identity that allows me to connect with people in a way that increases my influence with them.

SOMETHING

I am an introvert.

PERSON(S) YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET

Passionate about community involvement, Shim currently serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach and the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. He’s also a member of Caribbean American for Community Involvement (CAFCI).

Shim also serves on the advisory board for 21st Century, an organization that provides funding for non-profit and charitable organizations.

Shim has been married for twenty-two years to his wife Marsha and they have 2 children, Mark and Morgan. A dedicated family man, Shim enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.

Regional

Rashad D. Thomas is the Regional Director for AT&T Florida, overseeing local and government relationships in Miami-Dade and parts of Broward County. Before his new role at AT&T, he worked on Strategic Partnerships and Community Relations for PortMiami, the busiest port in the world. He was also the Assistant to Deputy Mayor Maurice Kemp in the Office of Mayor Carlos Gimenez. In this role, he was responsible for the COVID-19 Response Team, where he addressed all matters regarding essential and non-essential businesses, the Senior Meals Program, and New Normal Tactics related to the reopening of Miami-Dade County.

Mr. Thomas is a Bethune-Cookman University graduate and attended Harvard Business School -Young American Leaders Program. He also served in various capacities in MiamiDade County government for 18 years. He began his career as a Community Organizer and has held several positions in Miami-Dade County government, where he was responsible for policy, legislative affairs, special development projects, Community Action, Human Services, Homeless Trust, and Juvenile Services.

My superpower is being able to connect with anyone, no matter their age, gender, or ethnicity. I would consider myself the ultimate people person.

SOMETHING MOST DO NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

PERSON(S) YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET

WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME:

AWARDS AWARDS ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS

Shim obtained his undergraduate degree in finance from Florida Atlantic University in 1999.

-Nelson Mandela

Before his return to the Mayor’s Office, Mr. Thomas served as the Vice President of Business Connect and Legacy Projects for the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee for Super Bowl LIV in 2020. Rashad is a: 2017 Legacy Magazine 40 Under 40 award recipient, 2017 Bethune-Cookman University 40 Under 40 award recipient, Class X Miami Fellow, 2019 Legacy Magazine Influential Leader in Business, 2018 and 2019 FIU Emerging Leader finalist, 2019 MiamiDade County Black Affairs Board: Man of Valor, Black Professionals Network 2020 Black Men in Excellence, and 2021 Black Affairs Advisory Board Community Pillar

A native Miamian, Rashad is married to Shannon and the father to three handsome boys.

WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME:

“We’re all born with two hands. One for helping yourself and the other for helping others”

Honoree 2023

Maurice L. Woods

President & CEO Easterseals South Florida

Maurice has over twenty-five years of success in entrepreneurial, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations. Since 2021 has been the President & Chief Executive Officer for Easterseals South Florida. Before his current role, Maurice served as Chief Strategy & Operations Officer for Broward County Public Schools (BCPS). In this role, he was responsible for leading the strategic planning process, developing performance metrics, and executing operational plans to deliver against the strategic goals.

Previous experience included serving as the Program Director for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship organization and President & Chief Executive Officer of Harvest Advisors, a Chicago-based management education firm specializing in capacity analysis, strategic planning, and business development activities for growth-oriented for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Maurice has served as Deputy-Chief Information Officer for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with responsibilities that included strategic planning, operations, business process improvement, and special project assignments.

Before joining CPS, Maurice worked for a global consulting firm specializing in corporate and operations strategy for Fortune 500 companies across several industries. He also spent several years with a major Consumer Packaged Goods company working in various functional capacities, including Sales, Finance, and Strategic Planning.

Maurice is a Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Executive Scholar in Nonprofit management who also earned a dual MBA in Strategy and Finance from the same institution. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Economics from California State University-Sacramento.

Maurice serves on the board of nonprofit organizations, actively participates in professional organizations, and volunteers for various organizations related to the mentoring and coaching of innercity youth. He is an avid beginner golfer who enjoys tropical vacations, sporting events, bike rides, and listening to jazz with his wife and two daughters.

WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME:

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”