Legacy South Florida's Most Influential and Prominent Black Women 2020

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South Florida

Audri Amoro

Theresa Bowe

Vee Escarment

M. Denise Simmons

Introducing South Florida’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry for 2020

URBAN LEAGUE OF PALM BEACH : 7 COUNTY ENTREPRENEURSHIP : 8

The pandemic is adversely affecting the African-American population like no other. As a result, the Urban League of Palm Beach County is teaming up with other organizations to educate and encourage Black communities to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Legacy South Florida honoree Cynthia Eugene-Joseph is one-half of a successful catering business. For this HaitianAmerican, the opportunity to operate a business with her husband is promising generational opportunities and wealth.

PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

PINNACLE

: 14 : 16

As Broward County’s newly-elected Democratic Committeewoman, Legacy South Florida honoree Christine Olivo is taking her job personally. The mother of two Black boys fears for their lives and says decisions made at the polls may save their lives and others like them.

Former Florida state senator Chris Smith has a lofty vision for Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk Business District. He hopes the opening of his new chicken wing restaurant is the spark to revive the area.

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EDITOR’S NOTE 4 INTRODUCING SOUTH FLORIDA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL AND PROMINENT BLACK WOMEN IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY FOR 2020 6 BROWARD COMMISSIONER’S REPORT

By Barbara Sharief

THE BAUGHTOM LINE REPORT

By Germaine Smith-Baugh

7 URBAN LEAGUE OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

By Soulan Johnson

MILLENNIAL

By David Cannady

8 ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Michel’s Catering and Events Co-Owner Embraces Her Entrepreneurial Spirit

By Monique Howard

9 UM ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH

By Dr. Dorothy Fields

MEDIATION/ARBITRATION

By Stanley Zamor

10 COVER STORY Legacy’s ‘Most Prominent and

Influential Black Women’ Honorees Share Common Thread: They Thrive from Serving Local Community

By Russell Motley

12 CAREER LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

By Mary V. Davids

SOCIAL MEDIA

By Tracey Timberlake

13 BROWARD HEALTH

By Joy Oglesby

T

his issue of Legacy South Florida magazine is powerful.

All of the women featured are incredible local leaders that you should watch as we enter 2021.

They now have the distinction of being known as South Florida’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry, 2020. What does this mean? It means they’re breaking

glass ceilings, setting new political agendas, and blazing uncharted entrepreneurial trails.

Their professional titles run the gamut, from a serial entrepreneur who recently appeared on a reality show on the OWN network to a filmmaker who’s hoping to tell the life story of South Florida native Esther Rolle of “Good Times” fame.

You’ll meet honorees like Vee Escarment who’s helping workingclass families become homeowners to acquire generational wealth.

You’ll meet Audri Amoro who works in the non-profit sector, promoting two national antidrug campaigns. And the list of remarkable women honored in this issue goes on and on.

For them, this honor comes at a historic time as they prepare to witness a political force, who looks exactly like them, become the next vice president of the United States.

Kamala Harris has given these

women hope for a brighter future.

“I had a dream. I had a vision,” Escarment told me during the photo shoot for the magazine cover. “God showed me the plan and I was obedient and I listened to the instructions that he had and my goal was always to help the community, help the people.”

Amoro, who also appears on the cover, told me Black women are now setting their sights even higher.

As the scripture says, to whom much is given, much is required.

“It’s humbling and just makes me really feel appreciated and acknowledged for the work I’ve been doing in South Florida for so many years.”

Support our honorees as they continue to give their very best to the community.

Russell Motley Legacy Editor-in-Chief rm@miamediagrp.com n

14 PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

Christine Olivo Aims to Empower Others to Be Vocal and Vote

By Josie Gulliksen

15 BROWARD BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

By Shaheewa Jarrett Gelin

FINANCE REPORT

By Kevin Cadette 16 PINNACLE Former Senator’s New Restaurant Hopes to Jumpstart Revival of Sistrunk Business District

By Yolande Clark-Jackson

18 LEGACY BRIEFS

MEDIA GROUP LLC LIFESTYLE

•

LU X U RY

•

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Subscribe to and view the digital version of Legacy Magazine and view additional articles at http://bitly.com/legacymagazines Facebook.com/TheMIAMagazine • Twitter and Instagram: @TheMIAMagazine

ON THE COVER

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#BeInformed #BeInfluential #BlackHistoryMonth Russell Motley Editor-in-Chief Yanela G. McLeod Managing Editor Jordan Polite Director of Operations Sabrina Moss-Solomon Graphic Designer

Aaliyah Sherie Bryant Social Media Specialist Joe Wesley Cover Photographer Rory Lee Cover make-up artist

Dexter A. Bridgeman CEO & Founder

CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS

Member of the Black Owned Media Alliance (BOMA)

“The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonisms when it accords to every one regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person, the Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief that all hurt as long as anyone is held back.”

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Introducing South Florida’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry for 2020

AUDRI IVERY AMORO

Director of Marketing & Communications National Family Partnership

YVETTE DUBOSE, CPM, NPEC Executive Director/CEO Heart Gallery of Broward

SIERRA HILAIRE

Self-Care Strategist Divine Potential Services, Inc

CHRISTINE OLIVO

Broward Democratic Committeewoman Broward Democratic Party

MONIQUE D. BROWN, PH.D., MCAP SAP, CAD Chief Executive Officer Riviera Beach Integrated Care

KAYSIA M. EARLEY, ESQ.

THERESA BOWE

President Hey, Sandy! PR & Communications

VEE ESCARMENT

CYNTHIA EUGENE-JOSEPH, MSN FNPBC WCC

DELPHINE GERVAIS, LCSW-QS

CEO & Executive Director Generational Wealth Through Homeownership Inc.

CAROL HYLTON

SUZANE JOSEPH

BERTHA L. OSORIO-CAMPBELL Functional Medicine and Aesthetics Nurse Practitioner Institute for Optimal Healing & Aesthetics

SANDY COLLIER

The Home Buying Coach Broker/Owner Sweet Life Realty Group

Lawyer Earley Law Firm, PLLC

President/CEO. CareerSource Broward

TAMARA CELESTE, J.D.

Author, Philanthropist, Real Estate Professional The Keyes Company

Wellness Strategist Suzane Joseph Enterprise

DR. MARTINE SENATUS, PMHNP-BC FNP-BC

VIP Integrative Health Care, LLC

Nurse Practitioner and Floral Designer VITAS Healthcare; Michel’s Catering & Events

MRS. WYNSOME S. McLEAN, LMFT Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Soul Care Institute, LLC

M. DENISE SIMMONS

Creative Director, Producer, Entrepreneur MD Simmons Productions, LLC

DICKY SYKES, M. PSY.

Director, Office of Diversity in Business Practices The School District of Palm Beach County

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Qualified Supervisor Breakthrough Care and Resource Center, Inc.

BREION MOSES, MPA

Seven Hillz Productions Foundation

JONTERIA WILLIAMS, RN, BSN, CCRN

Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse, CEO Luxury Health, LLC

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BROWARD COMMISSIONER’S REPORT

The Power of 3 P’s Can Help Entrepreneurs Achieve Success

BY BARBARA SHARIEF

The Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in business and industry have many things in common besides success. You see, most people think that success is achieved by the basic premise of hard work and seizing opportunities. I believe these are necessary but there

are other skills that must be mastered to achieve real success in business and personal life.

There are three P’s that I have used in my life and in business to get ahead and stay that way. They are Positive thoughts, Patience and Passion.

The first P is for “Positive Thoughts.” Have you ever desired something but thought it may be out of reach for you to achieve? I believe by thinking positively about your life and business you get back what you project out. If you think you can achieve it, you will. If you allow your thoughts to stagnate your goal will never come to fruition.

The second P stands for “Patience.” Think of it this way, if you are impatient with yourself you will never allow your mind to settle.

I was guilty of letting this happen to me when I started my business. I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to succeed but at times found

that the pressure blocked my ability to critically think out of a situation or problem.

I learned very quickly to take a few breaths and sit still in my thoughts to steady my mind and focus on a solution to my issue. If you cannot achieve this while awake, a good night’s sleep helps you to see things more clearly. If you are stressed, take a break, come back later and you will find your thought process and deductive reasoning skills are improved.

The last P stands for “Passion.”

When you find what you are passionate about take the time to focus on how best to develop that and you can achieve anything. One of the hardest things for a new entrepreneur to decide is whether their idea is a hit or a miss.

When you know what you are developing, whether it’s an online business, hair salon or a healthcare company, the best thing you can do is be comfortable in your role as owner

and leader. The passion that you felt when you had the thought to create it is the same energy that should drive your success. Often, our roles as wives, mothers and caretakers derail our positive intentions. As a mother of three and entrepreneur, I plan daily time for myself to renew my passion and keep my energy level high.

Remember, the difference between entrepreneurs who are successful and those who are not is the successful ones made less mistakes. Success does not mean perfection. It means knowing how to better handle situations that arise and adapting to change whether external or internal. Knowing how to lead others is just as important as knowing how to lead yourself.

Dr. Barbara Sharief is a Broward County commissioner representing District 8. n

THE BAUGHTOM LINE

Black Women Continue to Make Progress, but Still Have a Road Ahead

BY GERMAINE SMITH-BAUGH

Black women are pivotal in the fight against racial, gender, and socioeconomic injustices in the United States. And yet, Black women’s professional progress is wrought with intentionally placed barriers where they are often the targets of racial and gender discrimination.

There is a dearth of Black women leaders across all industries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Black women represent only 4 percent of management jobs compared to about 32 percent held by White women.

Aside from the shortage of Black women in leadership positions, the racial-gender wage gap, where Black women earn 61 cents for every dollar earned by White men, indicates that society consistently devalues Black women’s experiences and their presence in the workplace.

According to the “State of Black Women in Corporate America Report”

by Lean In, Black women have more challenging and worse experiences than almost every other racial and gender group. They are promoted slowly and often experience resistance from coworkers because they are not perceived as fitting the traditional stereotypes of success. In many work settings, Black women experience a greater variety of microaggressions than non-Black women, including discrimination based on natural hairstyles traditionally worn

by Black men and women.

Despite these barriers, Black women

have risen to leadership positions in all sectors of society. Kamala Harris, the first Black and Indian woman to serve as vice president of the United States of America, symbolizes resilience, hope, and opportunity for so many women and young girls. Nationally, there is a steady growth of Black women in positions of power, which we can expect to continue under the incoming administration.

Broward County is also no stranger to Black women leaders. Bertha Henry has been at the helm as Broward County’s administrator since 2008.

Barbara Sharief has been commissioner since 2010 and served twice as mayor.

Dr. Rosalind Osgood serves for a second time as chairwoman of the nation’s sixth-largest school district.

This year, Broward County added two Black women to the Florida House of Representatives: Marie Woodson and Felicia Robinson.

These incredible women join incumbent Rep. Patricia Williams and Anika Omphroy.

We celebrate these achievements

while acknowledging that we still have a long road ahead to achieve equity.

We must take conscious and intentional steps to redress the economic wage disparities and ensure that Black women continue to rise professionally into leadership positions in all industries.

From secondary education to the C-Suite, we are tasked with mentoring and nurturing young Black women to be future leaders. Institutions must create new strategies to address racial and gender inequities where they exist.

To that end, I applaud the Broward County Commission for recently adding discrimination based on hairstyles to the list of prohibited acts under the Human Rights Act.

The Baughtomline is this: The perspective of Black women leaders will result in greater inclusivity and equity in company culture. We must continue fighting to reduce the racial-gender gap and renew our commitment to elevating Black women in leadership positions. n

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URBAN LEAGUE OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

Palm Beach County Black Doctors Help Bridge Disparities of COVID-19 Impact

BY SOULAN JOHNSON

We are living in turbulent and uncertain times with a deadly global pandemic – COVID-19 raging throughout every community in this country after more than nine months of misinformation and tragedy.

To add to the woes, the nation is experiencing the largest unemployment rate in 80 years, heightened racial injustice based on systemic racism, and active voter suppression during the

presidential election year.

Many Americans are wondering how they will keep their families safe and healthy from COVID-19, while trying to provide basic life essentials for their loved ones.

It is at these times that the community looks to great leadership and top medical professionals for guidance on how to stay safe and healthy, especially as reports show that Black communities are disproportionately experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 illness and death than other ethnicities.

An April 2020 John Hopkins Medical study reported 240,000 U.S. deaths cataloged in the “Color of Coronavirus.” Deaths by group through Nov. 10, 2020 consisted of: Asian (8,687), Black (46,211), Indigenous (2,251), Latino (46,912), Pacific Islander (334), and White (123,429).

Additionally, 5,373 deaths are recorded only as “other” race (and likely include more Indigenous people and Pacific Islanders), while another 8,510 had an unknown race.

A group of Palm Beach County

doctors is teaming up to help make sure communities of color have the resources to fight COVID-19.

“Right now, we are trying to get people masks and information,” Dr. Tiffany McCalla said during an interview with WPTV News Channel 5.

McCalla is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician at Good Samaritan Hospital.

She is an advocate of health care in the community and was one of the founding members of a New York sexual assault response team, which led to an increase in local rape convictions.

She has traveled domestically and internationally providing medical care to adults and children with limited access to care. McCalla also served previously as T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society membership committee co-chair.

McCalla is passionate about saving lives and is committed to helping African Americans and other minorities fight against COVID-19. “Part of the issue with the COVID-19 virus is that most places don’t test and most places don’t put it into race.”

To help curve the growing concern in African-American communities, McCalla, has joined forces with her colleagues at TLJMS, the Urban League of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County officials, and many other organizations to educate and encourage Black communities to stop the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to the CDC guidelines by wearing masks, washing hands regularly and limiting the number of individuals they come in contact with.

We salute Dr. McCalla, one of Legacy magazine’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry. A phenomenal mother, wife, doctor and advocate for health care reform and eradication of the COVID-19 pandemic, McCalla is an influential black woman empowering communities and changing lives in the field of medicine.

Soulan Johnson is vice president of Development and Communications for the Urban League of Palm Beach County, Inc. n

MILLENNIAL

Millennials Must Take Control of Their Health and Safety

BY DAVID CANNADY

As every generation gets older they start thinking about life differently.

Millennials are no different. However, 2020 has Millennials reaching our tipping point and reassessing what’s most important to us.

This year, we have struggled with so many things. Sports and entertainment heroes like NBA Laker legend Kobe Bryant and Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman tragically

passed away.

We witnessed the rise of a political dynasty in President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who brought a level of honor, civility, motivation, and moral inspiration to our nation. However, we have reckoned with the opposing political styles of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who some have argued have eroded our hegemonic world standing, decreased our moral superiority, and made us question what it means to be an American.

Moreover, as Millennials, we are now in the middle of the second economic recession of our lifetime and we haven’t even reached age 40.

My generation has had to grow up and grow up fast and take charge of our nation’s future during the culmination of criminal justice reform, increased unemployment, child rearing and childbearing, and a global pandemic that threatens every citizen, whether rich or poor.

I myself, am a new father. My wife

gave birth during the peak months of the COVID-19 global pandemic. So, what is most important to this generation at this moment in time? I argue that it is twofold: health and safety.

Let’s talk about health. During the Obama administration, our country’s leaders agreed to do a massive overhaul of our healthcare system. This landmark piece of legislation, former presidents only dreamed of passing through the halls of Congress, was achieved in 2010.

Colloquially named Obamacare, President Obama succeeded in using the bully pulpit to move past massive pushback from conservatives and liberals. Even today, our country is arguing whether we should resend the legislation or make it stronger. But no matter what you think about the current legislation, more Americans have healthcare now than ever before.

Unfortunately, as of today, more than 210,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19 and President Trump has been infected by this virus.

As Millennials, we must take the issue of healthcare head on and make it work for all generations.

There are certain things that should not be politicized and the health of our citizens is one of them. Currently, Florida is fully reopened. There are no state restrictions other than suggested guidelines surrounding 6-feet social distancing and mask wearing.

However, we neither have a widely distributed vaccine nor do we have decreased infection or death rates due to the virus. Every day, more people are dying and more people are getting sick.

It is clear that we cannot rely on our leaders in D.C. or in Tallahassee.

Therefore, we must rely on our local leadership. That is where Millennials come in.

David Cannady is a prosecutor with the Broward County State Attorney’s Office and business owner. Email: info@davidcannady.com; Phone: 954-707-5030.n

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Michel’s Catering and Events Co-Owner Embraces Her Entrepreneurial Spirit

BY MONIQUE HOWARD

Entrepreneur, nurse practitioner, and mother of three, Cynthia EugeneJoseph, embraces her entrepreneurial spirit as she helps her husband, Chef Robinson E. Joseph take their family business, Michel’s Catering and Events, to the next level.

As co-owner, she lends her expertise through creative floral designs, event planning, and bookkeeping, which earned EugeneJoseph, 39, a place among Legacy magazine’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry, 2020.

Eugene-Joseph credits her mother, Gisele E. Eustache, for instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in her. She described her mother as someone with a go-getter mentality who wouldn’t take “No” for an answer.

“My mom is the reason that if there’s something I want to do, even if it seems impossible, I have to figure it out,” Eugene-Joseph said.” This is a woman who worked two, sometimes three jobs just to put food on the table.”

According to Eugene-Joseph, the catering business came to fruition when her husband left his 9-5 job to pursue his true passion.

Proudly being of Haitian descent, the couple decided to honor their cultural roots by not only offering ethnic cuisine but also adding Caribbean herbs and spices to other dishes.

“One of the specialty meals my husband makes and gets a lot of requests for is his Creole chicken and fried pork,” she said. “Our seafood legume is really good.”

When the pandemic struck and crippled businesses across the country, Eugene-Joseph recalled how her catering business adapted to the sudden changes and developed a COVID-19 protocol.

“Considering the CDC guidelines are changing every day, what we find ourselves doing are more private, intimate gettogethers,” she explained. “The most exciting event we recently did was for a 25-year vow renewal.

Intimacy is our watchword.”

Despite the challenges of juggling her career as a nurse practitioner, coownership of a catering business, and being a mother, Eugene-Joseph still rises to the occasion.

“I always say my full time job is first being a mother,” she said. “I have three amazing children. Sometimes I have to wake up a little earlier than I would like to in order to review contracts, review emails, and make sure that I balance the books.”

When considering the obstacles minority women have faced and overcome to succeed in business, Eugene-Joseph says she recognizes the strength and resiliency that women possess.

“We are here and formidable, and we are worthy enough to not just be at the table but to build our own,” she declared. “The black woman has always been the backbone and the one to push through, no matter what.” n

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UM ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH

Recalling B. Smith’s Fashion and Alzheimer’s Disease Legacies

BY DOROTHY JENKINS FIELDS

There was a time when super fashion model B. Smith’s picture appeared on national magazine covers including Ebony and Essence. She made headlines in 1976 as the first black woman on the cover of a major white magazine, Mademoiselle.

At the top of her career she owned three restaurants, published a magazine, was a celebrity chef and was known nationally for her lifestyle brand. A model-turned television host, she demonstrated how women of all economic levels can decorate their homes with style.

An occasional visitor to South Florida, in 2016 she was in Miami for the presentation of her book at the Miami Book Fair. Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help and Acceptance In Our Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), was co-authored by her husband and business partner, Dan

especially among black people.

Once an entrepreneur who created and operated businesses, her health was declining and she was no longer able to function on an executive level. Her bright smile remained.

B. Smith, born Barbara Elaine Smith on August 24, 1949, lost her battle to A.D. on February 24, 2020. The gifts she left behind include her lifestyle Appearing at the 2016 Miami Book Fair, entrepreneur B. Smith and her husband Dan Gasby are joined by team members Nora brand and her example Matellus, director of business operations; and Dr. Margaret of dignity in the face of Pericak-Vance, director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics. Photo courtesy of Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields. adversity.

For more information Gasby, and Vanity Fair editor Michael about Alzheimer’s Disease, join Shanayerson. the African-American Alzheimer’s

It described her new life with Disease Initiative at The John P. early-onset of Alzheimer’s Disease Hussman Institute for Human and the decision to publicly confront Genomics. the stigma associated with A.D.,

Virtual evaluations are scheduled

at your best time. Complete your evaluation over the phone or Zoom to help keep everyone safe. Contact our research-team for more information, at 877-686-6444; Visit: AD-HHG@ MIAMI.EDU. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Ph.D., consultant to The University of Miami’s Hussman Institute of Human Genomics project, “Why We Can’t Wait,” project is a public historian, certified archivist and freelance writer. She helps families and class reunions create a legacy of their past through their own personal stories. In partnership with historical, educational and medical institutions, she helps researchers collect data focused on the black experience in Miami, Florida and elsewhere.

Visit: WHY WE CAN’T WAIT | SSR (societysocialsandreunions.com) n

MEDIATION/ARBITRATION

Power Series Part 2: Resolution Happens When Both Parties Feel Empowered

BY STANLEY ZAMOR

I conveyed the homeowner/petitioner’s demand for $110,000 and the insurance company’s reply offer was $7,000 of “new money.” Apparently, nine months prior the insurance company paid the homeowner for what repairs they needed and they paid the two mitigation company’s bill for $8,000.

But today the homeowner’s attorney is representing that the insurance company underpaid the loss, owes for

destroyed home contents, and owes incurred attorney’s fees/costs to date.

Negotiations lasted for two more hours. Eventually, the homeowner reduced their demand to $80,000 and the insurance company made a final offer by stating they will pay the homeowner $35,000 towards all home repairs and damaged contents, but they’ll pay the attorney’s fees/cost separately once the court determines what that amount is at a later “feehearing.”

The homeowner smiled and nodded in acceptance saying, “Finally!

We can end this and move on.” But then his attorney stopped him and asked for some private time. Twenty minutes later the homeowner’s attorney invited me back into their room and said her client decided to not accept the insurance company’s final offer.

As I ended the mediation, I invited both sides to rejoin me in the main conference room. I reminded the parties that they made more progress today than ever before and as they

continue to litigate they should remember that they’ve opened new means of communication and that there is a resolution as long as they remain focused on retaining the power/control of their case before going to trial.

Almost three months went by, and as usual, I decided to send a followup email to the attorneys, asking them how things have progressed since the mediation. Only the defense attorney responded, sounding very upbeat and saying they resolved the matter several weeks after with the homeowner and the homeowner’s new attorney helped structure an acceptable agreement as soon as they got on the case.

THE TAKE-AWAYS: 1. The parties should feel empowered “throughout” the mediation process.

2. Party self-determination can only be achieved if the parties know it exist.

3. Mediation is an opportunity to explore creative solutions that should be flexible and should not meet set unknown interests.

4. Know your legal representation and have more than one strategy meeting with that specific advocate prior to mediation.

5. For better negotiated outcomes, and to take advantage of the mediation process, the parties should always feel they are informed and in control throughout the mediation process.

Stanley Zamor is a Florida Supreme Court certified circuit/family/county mediator and primary trainer and qualified arbitrator. Zamor serves on several federal and state mediation/ arbitration rosters and mediates with the Agree2Disagree (ATD) Mediation & Arbitration, PA throughout Florida.

He regularly lectures on a variety of topics from ethics, cross-cultural issues, diversity, bullying, and family/ business relationships. szamor@ effectivemediationconsultants.com; www.effectivemediationconsultants. com; www.LinkedIn.com/in/ stanleyzamoradr; (954) 261-8600 n

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COVER STORY

Legacy’s ‘Most Influential and Prominent Black Women’ Honorees Share Common Thread: They Thrive from Serving Local Community

BY RUSSELL MOTLEY

When Audri Amoro arrived on the set of Legacy magazine’s photo shoot for the cover of this issue, it was the first time in months, at least for a social call, that she had ventured away from Pembroke Pines where she works at home for a nonprofit.

“It was awesome,” Amoro said through her protective face mask. “I’ve been quarantined a lot since March and I haven’t had contact with many people at all. So, it was just nice to get out of the house again and do something other than go to Publix.”

Amoro, who promotes antidrug campaigns for the National Family Partnership, is among Legacy South Florida’s Most Influential and Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry of 2020. She and three of the honorees selected to appear on this cover spent a cool December morning posing on the grounds of a $32 million Fort Lauderdale waterfront mansion, once owned by the family of entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga.

“It was beautiful. It was luxurious.

It was something special to be a part of,” said honoree M. Denise Simmons, who owns and operates MD Simmons Productions, which specializes in creating video productions, films, and virtual experiences. “The fact that we were able to have the photo shoot at that location, I thought it was beautiful. The people who I got to shoot with were amazing.”

Advocate Against Child Abuse

One of those amazing women Simmons is referring to is serial entrepreneur Theresa Bowe, perhaps best known for her appearance in “Love Goals,” an unscripted relationship series, which aired earlier this year on the OWN network. Bowe is a real estate agent, a children’s book author, a philanthropist and, more importantly to her, a mother of two young children and wife to retired NFL wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Commanding attention in her floorlength black ruffled gown, Bowe uses her platform to bring attention to a sensitive yet important subject she takes

Honorees Audri Amoro, Theresa Bowe, M. Denise Simmons, Vee Escarment pose poolside at the Fort Lauderdale mansion previously owned by the family of the late entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga.

personal — child molestation.

“It was my mother’s boyfriend who sexually abused me as a child,” Bowe candidly shared with Legacy. “I did tell her and she brushed it off and didn’t believe me, unfortunately. Now as an adult, I have forgiven my mom and I have moved on from it. But I now have the opportunity to make a change.”

As a result, Bowe has published a beautifully illustrated children’s book titled “My Mommy’s Boyfriend,” which teaches young readers and their parents what to do if they ever encounter this situation.

“I recently had an event with over 150 people and I asked them how many of you talk to your kids [about sex abuse] and only five people raised their hands,” Bowe said. “So that just showed me I still have work to do.”

Black Hollywood in South Florida

Filmmaker M. Denise Simmons demonstrated she’s not one to conform to the norm, arriving at the photo shoot wearing black leather pants and redframed glasses. Her personality is as big as her vision of how African Americans should be portrayed on the silver screen.

“Right now, in the film industry there’s not a lot of stories, there’s not

a lot of characters, there’s not a lot of narration that looks like us, that comes from us,” said Simmons, who owns and operates MD Simmons Productions.

“I am able to make an impact in my community through film. I’m able to tell the stories of our people. I’m able to capture the essence of our people. And through my films, I am able to affect change.”

Simmons is working on a proposed film project to tell the life story of the late actor Esther Rolle of Pompano Beach, best known for her role as Florida Evans on the classic television sitcom “Good Times.”

“She’s another iconic Black woman in South Florida during our time and we’re just glad to be able to tell her story.”

Building Generational Wealth

Honoree Vee Escarment is empowering Black families throughout South Florida by handing them the keys to their own home. Her nonprofit, Generational Wealth Through Homeownership Inc., is a counseling agency helping participants improve their credit score and boost their savings in hopes of ultimately becoming firsttime homeowners.

“Right now, minority homeownership is at a very low percentage,” said Escarment, who launched the for-profit Generational Wealth Through Real Estate, LLC in 2019. “My goal is to increase minority homeownership and to increase affordable housing in the Florida market. The housing market is very expensive right now.”

Since 2013, Escarment has assisted at least 500 first-time home buyers. Her goal is for more and more families to literally build brick-and-mortar legacies.

“I wasn’t looking to be a hero,” Escarment said. “I am impacting their lives because they’re able to build generational wealth. They can leave it in their family for generations to come.”

It’s evident that Legacy’s honorees all have one primary common trait: they thrive from reaching out to people in need in their respective communities, sharing their wealth of knowledge and resources.

“Connecting with these women just further reminded me how amazing and phenomenal and dope Black women are, especially in the realm of influence and business,” Simmons said. n

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CAREER LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT

Coaching Offers New Road to Employee Engagement and Retention

Mary V. Davids, MS-HRM Career and Leadership Development Coach

BY MARY V. DAVIDS

2020 has been such an eye-opening year for everyone. There have been a lot of ups and downs this year, which has greatly impacted the way managers and leaders interact and engage employees.

This year, the dynamics of work have shifted to adjust to the challenges of

the pandemic, which has provided more opportunities for the relationship between employees and employers to evolve.

Here are some useful tips to let go of outdated managerial tactics and embrace coaching to help employees become more engaged and motivated in the workplace.

Directing vs. Developing: As a leader, it is critical to know when it is appropriate to direct an employee and when you need to develop an employee.

Managing focuses on directing tasks and processes to get a specific outcome for a specific moment in time. Developing an employee requires a more hands-on approach and it also involves knowing the strengths and opportunities of individual contributors. While these two roles may intersect at times, it is important to have clarity about which capacity is necessary at the moment.

Short Term vs. Long Term: Coaching involves more of a cohesive relationship — two or more people working together to achieve personal

and/or professional growth that extends beyond a project. Because the coaching relationship can require more time, many managers tend to avoid it. Feeling obligated to commit more time can be burdensome, especially when you just need to get things done. The good news is, not every team member will require coaching long-term. Short-term coaching may be appropriate for employees that need help in one specific area rather than entering into an ongoing careerdevelopment coaching relationship. Don’t assume you need to step in and coach before asking employees what they are looking to improve upon. Instead of coaching them yourself, you may be able to provide them a resource or direct them to someone else who can assist them.

Prioritize Feedback: Employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are three times more likely to be engaged than those who receive feedback once a year or less. While coaching greatly increases employee engagement,

it is not always a possibility while amid a crisis. Try to make a habit of taking note of things you see but may not have the time to address at the moment. Prioritize setting aside time to talk to your team members immediately after the work is complete. Consistency in this area will not only improve your relationship with your team but also help you to avoid the same challenges in the next crisis.

Knowing when to apply the coaching vs. manager role is one of the greatest techniques a leader can possess. Helping employees develop under your leadership will lead to increased trust, engagement, efficiency, and productivity no matter what business challenges may arise.

Mary V. Davids is an executive career and leadership development coach and owner of D&M Consulting Services, LLC. For more career tips and advice, visit www.slaytheworkplace.com or follow @MVDavids on Instagram and Twitter. n

SOCIAL MEDIA

How to Step into Your Personal Power Online are seeing the need for leaders to step into positions that allow them to fully exercise their leadership online, for the good of all. As a matter of fact, it is my life’s work to help them do so.

So, if you are reading this and wondering how you can show up powerfully, how you can be seen as a power player, or how you can begin your journey to a powerful digital reputation, these three steps will help you get started.

BY DR. TRACY TIMBERLAKE

This issue has highlighted so many powerful women. We celebrate that and love to see women claim their contribution as power players across all industries. I will always advocate and encourage women in this regard.

I think branding themselves as powerhouses in the digital space is more important now than ever. We

Replace Negative Self-Talk with Positive Affirmations:

Oftentimes we limit our leadership opportunities with our own limiting beliefs.

I have worked with hundreds of women who have struggled to show up online because they don’t think they are photogenic enough, tech savvy enough, or whatever other negative thoughts come up in our head.

The first step to showing up as your powerful self is to own it! Own your power and walk in that. Remove

any “I’m not good enough thoughts” with “I am powerful because” thoughts instead.

Shifting your thoughts in this way allows you to build new neuralpathways that reinforce the new beliefs instead of the old ones. And that is critical to seeing yourself as powerful.

Get Visible:

If you want to be a powerhouse online, you need to get online. Find the platforms that work best for you and your industry and start showing up there.

Create content that offers up tips, tricks, and strategies to your followers. Motivate and inspire them with your stories. Be authentic and allow them to get to know you in this new way.

Focus on creating content that is educational, entertaining, promotional or motivational in nature. Your consistency in this area will allow them to see you as a thought leader in your area of expertise, creating social

proof that you are, in fact, a power player!

Network with Other Power Players:

Jim Rohn famously said we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. If you keep powerful company, it’s inevitable that you will become powerful yourself.

And this is 100 percent possible online.

Start connecting through DMs on Instagram and LinkedIn. Try joining some Clubhouse chats where you can share your opinion about different topics and start building up a powerful network of leaders just like yourself.

This strategy can go a long way because your reputation then spreads across platforms and even offline!

Now is not the time to deprive the world of your power. It’s time to fully lean in, pull up a seat at the table, and show up as your whole self, especially in the digital space.

Dr. Tracy Timberlake is an awardwinning business coach. n

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BROWARD HEALTH

Seek Emergency Care Even Through a Pandemic Delayed treatment can have deadly consequences

BY JOY OGLESBY

Since the pandemic began, hospital emergency rooms are seeing less patients, and many who are arriving are much more ill. This is a growing national trend of patients ignoring symptoms and potential life-threatening emergencies instead of calling 911 or visiting the closest emergency room. Instead, they are resisting imminent critical care, or worse, dying at home, due to fears and anxiety about potential exposure to COVID-19.

“Please don’t avoid the hospital

if you are in an emergency situation,” said Evan Boyar, M.D., district chief of emergency medicine at Broward Health.

“When we look at heart attack and stroke specifically, we see that numbers are down significantly over last year.

People didn’t stop having heart attacks and strokes, so that means they are choosing self-care at home, which in some circumstances is having lethal effects.”

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that those with underlying health conditions, unpaid caregivers, Black and Hispanic adults, young adults and those with disabilities were more likely to avoid urgent and emergency medical care.

“You don’t know how the delay in medical care for a chronic or acute condition will impact your health,” Boyar said. “Patients cannot and should not suffer in silence. If it feels like an emergency, it is. We can’t help you unless you seek care. Your life and long-

term health depend on it.”

Broward Health offers Level I and Level II trauma centers for pediatric and adult patients with emergency teams that can treat the most complex cases due to a multidisciplinary team prepared for all health crises, from car accidents and traumatic injuries, to stroke and cardiac events. Pediatric emergency physicians care for unique medical issues that children face, including broken bones, lacerations and severe illness.

Broward Health continues to follow the following safety measures: • Anyone entering a Broward Health hospital or facility will receive a COVID-19 screening, including Broward Health staff.

• Temperature checks are done with a nocontact forehead thermometer. Anyone with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be redirected to a separate area.

• Anyone entering a Broward Health hospital or facility must wear a mask covering their nose and mouth.

• Enhanced sanitation measures, such as hand sanitizing stations and electrostatic spraying of disinfectants that kill COVID-19 in minutes, are found throughout the hospitals.

• All patients being admitted to the hospital will receive a COVID-19 test prior to their procedure.

• Rapid testing across the system allows COVID-19 patients to receive necessary care quickly and to be split into a separate area to ensure there is no contact with non-COVID patients.

• Restrictions are in place for patient visitation.

• Helpful visual markers help ensure social distancing.

“Our emergency departments and hospitals are very safe,” Boyar said.

“We have implemented extensive safety measures and adhere to the strictest guidelines in delivering the highest level of comprehensive care.

The health and safety of our patients, caregivers and staff is our number one priority.” n

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PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP

Christine Olivo Aims to Empower Others to Be Vocal and Vote

BY JOSIE GULLIKSEN

but Olivo said she and her fellow Democrats continue to work to “survive the general election.”

“We’re still surviving it,” she shared. “I didn’t realize we had that many people in our country blindsided

by Republican politics. The race should not have been that close. I feel as Democrats we didn’t do enough to get our message across and give our people hope. We were given so many chances, enough was laid out to make this a landslide and we didn’t do it.”

However, in her new position as Broward’s committeewoman, she said she is going to ensure that women exercise their power.

She said: “Women are naturally influencers, and we need to own our power of influence, unite and fight together if we do that we can win.

So many people feel discouraged,

Christine Olivo decided to get political when things got personal and she feared for the future of her threeand five-year-old sons.

“In 2016, I watched on election night as small specks of blue on the map disappeared and got overrun in red,” said Olivo, the recently elected Broward County Democratic Committeewoman. “I felt instant fear for my children’s lives.”

She immediately began posting political videos to her Facebook page.

People started commenting, with one of her videos getting 200,000 views.

“My views kept increasing so I stopped and asked a few people why they were following me, and they said ‘you have a voice for the people.

There’s something so relatable about you. You genuinely care about the well-being of others,’” she explained.

Then, in 2018 after Andrew Gillum, the first black nominee for Florida governor in the state’s history, lost Olivo decided to run for office.

“Someone told me to stop complaining, take action and run for office,” Olivo said. “I decided to run and had to literally teach myself how to register to run and navigate the entire process.”

She dove into research and educating herself. At 35 years old, the mother of two young boys secretly enrolled at Barry University, where she earned a bachelor’s in public administration. This was in addition to running County Democratic Committeeperson Christine Olivo. her own small business as a Broward Photo by Ruth Dolcine licensed aesthetician.

“I was going to night so it is up to us as black women to school to finish,” she said. “I had stick together. Only then will we see dropped out of college when I was 19 change.” to work and help support my family.”

Regarding female Democrats

Completing college and getting Stacey Abrams of Georgia and Vice elected were major accomplishments,

Following the death of George Floyd, Christine Olivo participates in a Black Lives Matter march sponsored by the Dream Defenders on May 31 in Fort Lauderdale. Photo by Sami Gonzalez

President-Elect Kamala “My views kept increasing so I stopped Harris, Olivo said, “it’s and asked a few people why they were about time.”

Abrams, Georgia’s following me, and they said ‘you have a first gubernatorial Africanvoice for the people. There’s something American female candidate “is the epitome of courage. so relatable about you. You genuinely care How courageous it is to about the well-being of others accept defeat (Abrams) and say I’m going to turn this around and empower be a great balance and give people the people to use their voice and vote. In hope they’re looking for.” essence, as Broward’s Democratic

Olivo added her name may Committeewoman that is my job too.” appear on a ballot again in 2021 when

Olivo said she is ecstatic about she plans to make another run at a Jan. 20 and watching Vice Presidentcongressional seat. elect Harris be sworn in. “I’m filled n with hope and believe she’s going to

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BROWARD BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Discussing Inseparable Connection Between Business and Politics

BY SHAHEEWA JARRETT, ESQ.

This year has taken us on a roller coaster ride in many ways, including politically. We had intense national and local elections, where equity, fair treatment, and competency were literally on the ballot.

While we are a non-partisan entity, we do encourage our members and business owners in general to become

politically active in their communities.

Our elected officials should know who they represent up close and understand our needs and concerns.

What does politics have to do with business? Everything! Having trouble with permitting or getting a response on a zoning issue for your retail establishment? Need infrastructure changes so customers can access your business safely and easily? Need funding to help your business survive the impact of the Coronavirus? Who controls that money has everything to do with who gets it.

Federal, state, and local laws and policies determine whether we have thriving communities. Your voice as a business owner, resident, and taxpayer is important. Our elected officials, as policy makers, can influence the process to ensure equity and fair play, therefore you need to develop these relationships.

You need to pay attention to what is happening at federal, state and local meetings, which are televised or live streamed. Be vocal about agenda items

that will impact you, your community, and your business.

Earlier this year, the Chamber was a co-host, along with 13 other local chambers, for a three-day session called “Campaign School & Community Leadership Training.” The school covered topics such as running for local and state office, getting appointed to local boards and committees, and a review of local issues.

It was important for us to do this because our members need to understand how to engage with decision makers and how to serve so our government agencies can make better decisions for residents and small business owners.

The Chamber has already started our “Business & Politics” series. In October, we received a county review from then County Mayor Dale Holness. In November, one of our members, Yolanda Cash-Jackson, a lobbyist, provided an overview of the political landscape locally and in Tallahassee. We will continue this into 2021 and beyond so our

members can be informed and engaged.

Think about how you will become more active in 2021. Whether you choose simply to introduce yourself to your city, county, state, and federal representatives to develop a relationship or decide to serve in a public capacity yourself, the message here is to get involved.

If 2020 taught you anything, please let it be that sitting on the sidelines will get you nothing. Refusing to engage the process does not bring about the desired and necessary change. Being silent allows others to overlook your perspective, issues, and concerns.

It is time to close the book on apathy and “in-the-moment” thinking and begin to write a new story of continuous and long-term advocacy. Here we come 2021!

Enjoy the holidays and the New Year festivities and then get ready to work next year. n

THE FINANCE REPORT

Celebrate Black Women Entrepreneurs by Investing in Their Businesses

BY KEVIN CADETTE

Black women are nearly 14 percent of the female population in the United States, but 42 percent of all new women-owned businesses from 2014 to 2019. For black and Latinx-founded companies, 36 percent have female founders as opposed to 21 percent overall since

2015. But of the $276.7 billion in funding raised by companies in 2018 and 2019, Black women founders accounted for just $747 million, according to Pitchbook. What is the rationale for Black women not being invested in at the same rate as everyone else?

Investors looking to invest in startups are looking far beyond the presented proposal. They are critiquing the DNA of the founder and assessing if they can pull off what they are proposing, if they will be able to lead and pivot as needed to be successful.

If Black women are not receiving funding, then that rejection says more about the investors than the founders.

So why not black women? We can all conjecture why, but at the end of the day, if we want to celebrate Black women we need to invest in them. If we want Black women to flourish, we have to ensure they have the means to do so.

Investing in Black women founders improves the entire community. We are investing in ourselves.

This year, Black founders have garnered more interest from venture capitalists in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The VC industry “got a little woke” and Black founders received more reviews.

Are we at the cusp of change?

Possibly. At least the industry has taken a step in a positive direction.

But we need to keep our foot on the gas as we are not going to have any semblance of equality with momentum alone. The journey continues, and we all know how hard it will be.

When I review Black Angels Miami’s work in 2020, we have always kept Black women front and center. Black women have been prominent simply because there are so many amazing Black women

doing impressive things in tech. In 2020, our very first talk was from a Black woman fund manager and since then we haven’t looked back. In 2020, we have presented 12 amazing investment opportunities. Of those, seven were led by Black women. We did not have a female agenda. Those entrepreneurs and leaders simply represented the best of us.

Half our board is made up of black women — Ok, that was on purpose, but our programming has simply been the best and brightest, and that is what women are. If you are interested in investing in startups, and enjoy being around like-minded individuals that believe in our philosophy, I welcome you to join us.

Check us out at blackangels.miami and click on members. You can also follow us on twitter @blackangelsmia. n

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PINNACLE

Former Senator’s New Restaurant Hopes to Jumpstart Revival of Sistrunk Business District

BY YOLANDE CLARK-JACKSON

New restaurant owner Chris Smith has a lofty vision for Fort Lauderdale’s Sistrunk business district.

“We want to bring back Sistrunk to what it used to be — a powerful name in a powerful community, ” said Chris Smith, a lawyer, entrepreneur, and former state senator who was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale.

Smith served eight years in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, becoming a minority leader. Now practicing law in Ft. Lauderdale, he is also the owner and operator of Smitty’s Sistrunk, a new restaurant Smith said he believes will help revive a once vibrant neighborhood.

“Every city has a Sistrunk boulevard,” he said. “This area used to have Black businesses then it became the place where people would roll up their windows as they drove through at night.”

Smith also said opening a restaurant in an economically Smitty’s owners Chris Smith and his wife (right) Desorae Giles-Smith take a break challenged community might be in the restaurant’s dining hall, which features the images of community leaders on a “crazy idea,” but he felt it was the walls. important. socially distant to eat and drink with as a picture of Smith with

“I think we deserve it,” he family or friends or have an afterPresident Barack Obama. said. “We deserve something like dinner cigar.

Smith created Obama’s first this in our neighborhood, and I

“When people leave this campaign office in Florida think as a community we are ready restaurant.

I want them to say that they during his initial bid for the for something like this. And, I have not only had a good meal, but that they presidency. been proven right. There’s been an enjoyed themselves.

I want them to

Smitty’s is a family outpouring of support.” say: There was good music...we hung affair. Smith and his wife

The grand opening was on out on the inside and hung out on the both run the restaurant and November 28. Smith says he was outside.

The food was good. It was his mother serves as the overwhelmed by the response. affordable.

And, I enjoyed my time at general manager.

“The community really came out.”

Smitty’s.”

Smith said one of

Located at 1134 N.W. 6th St.

At the end of a two-year journey his goals for the restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Smitty’s is a to get the restaurant up and running. is for people “to feel dine in sports-bar style restaurant Smith says it was all worth it. When comfortable in the space.” that specializes in wings and fries, Among the menu items at Smitty’s are the chicken wings smothered Legacy magazine met with him for He also said he wanted it to both of which can be dipped into in a special Smitty’s sauce. the interview, he was already showing be affordable.

Restaurant a variety of special sauces, including around another Black couple who will

When diners enter the sports-bar patrons can order six wings the restaurant’s signature “Smitty be opening a restaurant a few streets style restaurant, the first thing they will and fries for $10, have a beer, and Sauce.” down. notice is the black and white mural on store cigars in one of the cigar lockers

Featuring an outdoor patio, diners

The couple said after seeing news the back wall. It includes a collage of located in the corner of the restaurant. can also order beer and wine and enjoy of his restaurant on social media, they pictures that feature influential Black Currently, City Commissioner Robert small bites including mozzarella sticks were inspired to travel from Nashville men and women from the community, McKinzie has a locker to store a few and fried okra. to invest in the area, demonstrating from the late civil rights lawyer W. boxes of his favorites.

Smith said he wanted to bring the that Smitty’s is already having a George Allen to state Sen. Perry

Another unique feature of the kind of product to the neighborhood ripple effect along Sistrunk’s business Thurston. restaurant is a set of garage doors that that went beyond a takeout spot or corridor.

Images also include Dr. James pull open to the outdoor patio that faces diner. “This is the kind of place you Sistrunk, a pioneer in the area for n Sistrunk Boulevard. The dedicated would find in Las Olas or Wynwood,” whom the restaurant is named, as well space enables patrons to sit outside he said.

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CareerSource Broward Congratulates Our Very Own

President/CEO, Carol Hylton As One Of Legacy Magazine South Florida’s 2020 Most Influential & Prominent Black Women In Business & Industry!

Professionals like Carol are here to help Broward County employers save money, energy and time through our On-the-Job Training Program, virtual recruitment events, candidate pre-screening services and more – all at NO COST. For more information or to find a career center near you, visit www.careersourcebroward.com.

Find us on: The ad is paid for by 100% federal funds through a grant totaling $2,699,727. An equal opportunity employer/program.

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

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LEGACY BRIEFS

YOLANDA CASH JACKSON CREATES LARGEST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm, announced that Management Committee Member and Government Relations Shareholder Yolanda Cash Jackson has created The University of Florida Levin College of Law’s largest endowed scholarship fund.

Cash Jackson

Jackson, who received her J.D. from UF Law in 1990, had long envisioned a program designed to recruit academically talented graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to UF Law. With Jackson’s initial gift, plus other alumni contributions in the Spring of 2020, the HBCU Pathway to Law fund quickly surpassed $100,000 in commitments. In honor of civil rights icon John Lewis in July, Sarasota developer Hugh Culverhouse donated $1,000,000 to the new scholarship fund. The HBCU Pathway to Law fund will help UF Law enroll at least five HBCU graduates annually with full tuition scholarships. These students will be known as John Lewis Scholars and receive enhanced engagement opportunities with the UF Law Black Alumni network.

Jackson said she hopes her donation will motivate additional contributions from UF Law alumni, friends of the law school, law firms, bar associations, corporate entities and charitable foundations in honor of John Lewis and the strong traditions of America’s HBCUs.

NATALIE PINER PROMOTED TO VICE PRESIDENT AT MCCLATCHY

Natalie Piner has been promoted into the role

of Vice President, Strategic Business Partner for News for McClatchy People team, which owns media outlets including the Miami Herald. Piner has worked for the McClatchy People team for the last 15 years in a variety of leadership roles, including most recently as the Director of Talent Acquisition.

Piner Prior to that she served as the East Regional HR Director. As strategic partner, Piner will collaborate with newsrooms and be a full participant in news leadership, contributing ideas across a range of issues, including training opportunities, diversity and inclusion initiatives and career-path planning for news staff.

MONICA RICHARDSON NAMED MIAMI HERALD EXECUTIVE EDITOR

The Miami Herald’s parent company, McClatchy, has named Monica Richardson as its first Black executive editor in the newspaper’s 117-year history. The 30year newspaper veteran was previously the senior managing editor at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “We are thrilled to welcome Monica Richardson to Miami,” Kristin Roberts, McClatchy’s senior vice president of news, said in a statement. “She has a strong record of leadership in local journalism at one of the great metro newsrooms in the country. Now, she brings her commitment to accountability journalism and a track record of successful digital innovation that

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serves local audiences.” Richardson officially joins the Herald as the top editor on Jan. 1, 2021.

EVAN SHIELDS ELECTED TREASURER OF MIAMI-DADE DEMOCRATS

Evan Shields was unanimously elected treasurer of Miami-Dade’s Democratic Executive Committee at its December organizational meeting.

“I believe we need a trustworthy leader with an organizer’s spirit who can get things done,” Shields stated on his website prior to the election. Shields “As an activist, educator and business leader, I’ve embodied these traits in all that I do and believe I’m up to the task.”

Shields has been an elected member of the Democratic Executive Committee since 2019. He’s a member of the Miami-Dade Democratic Black Caucus, and a former Membership Chair of the Downtown Dems. In the 2020 election cycle, he was a founding board director of the Northeast MiamiDade Democrats. Throughout the pandemic, the group built broad coalitions across the community and recruited a diverse team of more than 150 volunteers that, among other things, staffed early voting sites, and adopted 40 Election Day precincts.

Shields earn his MBA in corporate finance and commercial real estate from UNC Chapel Hill.

BLACK WOMAN IN TECH CREATES NEW FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HBCUS

Dominique King is the first to bridge a funding platform for Historically Black Colleges & Universities via a single mobile app. The “I Heart My HBCU” app allows users to donate spare change to any of the 104 HBCUs in one place.

“When creating this app, it was important for me to encourage HBCU alumnae to support all HBCUs,” King said.

King “Users can easily adjust how much or how little of their spare change they share to their five favorite HBCUs.”

A Howard University grad, King said she is passionate about her efforts to preserve the viability of those institutions. Users can download the I Heart My HBCU app in iOS or Android stores and link their bank account. The app rounds up each credit or debit card purchase to the nearest dollar. The spare change will then be donated to the user’s five favorite HBCUs.

As a non-profit organization, 80 cents of every dollar will go towards funding student scholarships, student emergency funds, sports programs, academic Programs, campus upgrades, and endowments, to name a few.

DANIELLE COHEN HIGGINS MAKES HISTORY ON MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION The Miami-Dade County Commission

appointed Danielle Cohen Higgins as the first African-American to represent District 8. The civil rights attorney fills the seat vacated by MiamiDade’s new mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Higgins was selected by a 10-1 vote in a special meeting after commissioners decided to make the appointment rather than spend taxpayer dollars to hold a special election for district residents.

After receiving a scholarship to the University

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2020

of Florida, Higgins became the first person in her family to attend and graduate from college. In 2006, she earned her Juris Doctorate from Florida State University School of Law and was admitted to the practice of law at age 24. In 2009, she opened her own civil litigation law firm, Cohen Law, Higgins with the mission of providing excellent, yet cost efficient, legal services to small businesses and individuals.

Cohen has an extensive track record of public service. She recently sat on the board of directors for the South Florida American Heart Association, served as a Young Ambassador to the Miami Children’s Health Foundation, and worked as a mentor and board member with Take Stock in Children. She was also elected to sit on the largest statewide board of trial attorneys, the Florida Justice Association.

JSD’S MORRIS COPELAND HONORED FOR CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY

Morris Copeland, director of the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department, is a 2020 honoree of the David Lawrence Jr. Champion for Children Award, presented by the Children’s Trust. JSD is the processing facility for all arrested juveniles in Miami-Dade County.

In this capacity, Copeland Copeland continues to advocate passionately for at-risk children in the community.

During his tenure as the director, JSD has documented a 62 percent reduction in juvenile arrests and a 39 percent reduction in arrests of children 12 and under.

According to the Children’s Trust, Copeland is deeply committed to developing and implementing innovative and humane juvenile justice strategies that will have a positive impact in the lives of the at-risk children and families served by the JSD.

DR. BILLY JONES ELECTED PRESIDENT OF BROWARD COLLEGE FACULTY SENATE

Dr. Billy Jones has been elected president of the Faculty Senate at Broward College, where he serves as an English professor. In 2018, Broward College’s South Campus recognized Jones as Professor of the Year. Jones earned a doctorate in Education and Leadership at Barry University. Jones He earned a Master’s in English Education at Florida International University. n

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