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Celebrating National Philanthropy month, the Deering Estate Foundation honored its 2024 Champion Partners of the Year on November 20, 2024. A group of awardees were recognized for their accomplishments, and were accompanied by dedicated community leaders, collaborating partners, and Estate volunteers and staff who joined the meeting.
In presenting the 2024 Champion Partner Awards, Deering Estate Foundation Vice President John Anzivino, Executive Director Nina Zanella, and Interim Deering Estate Director Karen Solms, emphasized the importance of cooperative efforts and community engagement in preserving and enhancing the Deering Estate and fulfilling its mission. Celebrating and receiving their awards were:
Art’s Work Unlimited, Inc. – 2024 Restoration and Preservation Partner of the Year
Art Ballard and Phil Heermance lead the talented team at Art’s Work Unlimited that has restored several of our most valued historic collection objects installed throughout the Deering Estate. With over 50 years of experience as master metalworkers with expertise in both ancient and innovative techniques, Art and Phil have repaired and conserved the unique art objects that grace our halls, galleries, and memorable facades in the Stone House. Having won 66 awards in national and international metal competitions, including the coveted Mitch Heitler Award three times for overall excellence, Art and Phil lend superior knowledge and a trained sophisticated aesthetic vision to their work.
The catalogue of works restored by this team is impressive. In 2018 Art’s Work Unlimited undertook the restoration of the Son of Sitges Bronze Plaque bringing its lustrous patina back to life restoring what the effects of exposure to salt mist had taken away. In 2019, the 18th century Renaissance style Spanish Window Grate on the south-facing wall of the Stone House, and two Spanish wrought iron Torchieres were restored. Most recently, two 19th century Reproduction Bronze Pompeian Braziers were treated to repair structural issues and polish the patina to its original painted coating. Restoration of this selection of ironwork masterpieces represents the skillful contributions of this team to preserving the legacy and character of the Deering historic collection.
Sergio Delgado, Republic National Distributors Company – 2024 Corporate Partner of the Year
Businesses and corporations are a major part of the engine which drives our success within the Deering Estate Foundation. They meet specialized needs and make hefty contributions on which we rely for fundraising and event planning. To have these organizations’ support is not only beneficial to us as a foundation, but also a mark of commitment to the community at large. Their efforts show our neighborhoods and other local businesses that they have an investment in keeping our community healthy and vibrant. Sergio Delgado has brought that investment with great enthusiasm through his work with Republic National Distributors. For those of you unfamiliar with Sergio’s involvement at Deering Estate Foundation events, you’re probably more likely to have appreciated his efforts as you have sipped a refreshing sangria at The Seafood Festival or enjoyed a nice chardonnay at Mistletoe and Martinis.
Marlon Johnson, RetroFit – 2024 Programming Partner of the Year
Marlon Johnson is a powerhouse in the Deering Estate’s cultural program, blending storytelling with a purpose that echoes the estate’s dedication to art, history, and environmental awareness. With twelve Emmy Awards, he brings a career focused on social equity, cultural resilience, and amplifying underrepresented voices. His series, The Retrofit, is a prime example of his approach and has been recognized in 2023 with a National Achievement award from the National Association of Counties (NaCO). The series features film, live performance, discussions with thought leaders and filmmakers, and collaborations with fellow artists like Dr. Keshia Abraham and Carla Hill reimagines spaces and expressions while celebrating a shared foundation, linking local issues with worldwide insights. Johnson’s career, built on a solid foundation with degrees in Anthropology and Communications from the University of Miami, includes acclaimed works like Symphony in D and Sweet Soul. His recent Charles Deering McCormick Fellowship supports his tribute to Miami’s Bahamian community, reflecting his dedication to preserving and celebrating local heritage. In short, Johnson’s work at Deering Estate isn’t just art; it’s a visionary bridge connecting Miami’s past, present, and future.
Fernando Salazar, Platea Miami – 2024 Champion Partner of the Year
As a nonprofit, we rely heavily on support from our community to meet our goals to keep The Deering Estate a thriving hallmark of the South Florida landscape. This is accomplished in many unique ways and is shaped by the invaluable talents of community members willing to bring their sacrifices to our doorstep. Occasionally we stumble upon an opportunity not just to bolster our cause, but to forge a real, long-lasting friendship with our community members. Fernando is the owner and executive chef of Platea in Pinecrest. Culinary experiences are one of our most successful undertakings at The Deering Estate, and they’ve become even more popular since Fernando has fueled our efforts. When I first reached out to Fernando, Platea was still a young restaurant. I needed chefs to partner with us for Mistletoe and Martinis, and I had thoroughly enjoyed dining at Platea with my family. So, I took a shot, and I asked him to be one of our Fine Food Sponsors. Immediately, and enthusiastically, he agreed. But with Fernando, his participation was marked with so much passion, I was a little shocked. Often, we have participants who simply want to set up and leave events – a contribution which is expected, and for which we are immensely grateful. As I got to know him, his goal wasn’t just participation, it was community building. “What ELSE can we do?” he would ask. This question would catch me off-guard; I had never been asked this! If I asked him for ideas, he would shower me with them. If I asked a favor of him, he was adamant to fulfill it to perfection. Fernando has been a true friend to me, and to The Deering Estate Foundation, and for that reason it is my humble honor to present him with this year’s Champion Partner of the Year Award.
Michelle Grant Murray – 2024 Community Partner of the Year
Michelle Grant-Murray is a powerful force in Miami’s cultural landscape. She uses dance and performance as tools for empowerment and community connection. As founder and artistic director of the Olujimi Dance Collective, she brings her unique voice and vision to the Deering Estate through various programs. Her recent Kemetic Yoga workshop series combined movement, meditation, journaling, and discourse, providing participants with a holistic, transformative experience. Through her signature program, The Black Artist Talk, Michelle creates a dynamic forum for Black artists to explore politics, creativity, and preservation themes. Her extensive background includes directing and choreographing, as well as contributing to academic discourse as a professor at Miami Dade College and the author of Beyond the Surface: An Inclusive American Dance History. Her dedication to fostering inclusive dialogue and advocacy for the Black creative community makes her an exceptional asset to the Deering Estate,
Courtney Reeder – 2024 Volunteer of the Year
Have you ever met someone who you knew instantly was a force, a beautiful person, inside and out. Dedicated, hardworking, creative, funny. Someone who always focuses on the positive. An eternal optimist, a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, and most especially friend. And, according to her family, a natural bossy boss. Well, that is Courtney Reeder. It was my great pleasure to meet Courtney in September 2019 after a Board of Director’s meeting. I remember thinking to myself, who is this powerhouse in such a small package with a megawatt smile? As I got to know Courtney, and her beautiful (and large) family, my respect and admiration for her only grew. Not only was she a blessing to her family and her community, but she was also the creative and operational energy behind Golden Rule Seafood. And do we want to talk about her generosity of spirit? I remember when we had to postpone the 2020 Deering Seafood Festival on the Bay because of the pandemic. Courtney and her father Walter came to the office to make sure that Michelle Streit, Event Coordinator for the Deering Estate Foundation, was ok. Who does that… I’ll tell you who, Courtney Reeder and the Mullins Flores family. It was not long after that Courtney came to the Foundation office to share a crazy idea. When she arrived, her energy and enthusiasm were barely contained. She announced, in that raspy exuberant voice, “I want to chair Seafood Festival”! The rest is history! Although the festival was postponed three more times, Courtney chaired the 2022 festival which ended up being an extraordinary success, raising the more than any other festival. But wait there’s more! Courtney, with input from her father Walter Flores, and support from her family, also decided that it would be great to have a special event prior to the seafood festival, and, with her vision and creative flair, she made it happen. The first Chef’s Table on the Bay – Havana Nights with guest chef, Cindy Hutson, was a great success with the promise of many more including Chef’s Table on the Bay Mardi Gras, Chef’s Table on the Bay A Night in Tuscany, Chef’s Table on the Bay An Asian Inspired Evening, and the most recent Chef’s Table on the Bay A Night in the Tropics with guest chef Eileen Andrade, which, by all accounts was the best so far.
Stay tuned for the 2025 Chef’s Table on the Bay featuring Platea Miami! We cannot disclose the theme yet as we need to keep some surprises! Courtney, you give yourself in so many ways and to so many people, it is our honor to present you with the 2024 Volunteer of the Year award.
Jorge Gonzalez Graupera/Jorge Graupera Films– 2024 Marketing and Media Partner
The 2024 Marketing and Media Partner award is presented to Jorge Gonzalez Graupera/Jorge Graupera films for producing a series of short films that help convey the history of artifacts at Deering Estate and highlight the preservation work funded by the 100 Ladies of Deering, Deering Estate Foundation, Deering Estate, and private donors. Jorge’s work, as seen in these films, captures personal narratives and cinematic interviews that engage individuals by sharing their knowledge and expertise of historical events. To date, Jorge has completed six short films including “Flight Into Egypt,” “The Start of Something Amazing,” “Maria Tubau,” “Louis Vuitton trunk,” “Original Bookcases,” and “Anders Zorn Etching.” Additional short films in progress include the original Otis Elevator, restoration and return of the Chairs of State and restoration of the Boltus figures. These short films are an important resource for Deering Estate. They serve as a digital archive and as a marketing tool used to share the stories of Deering Estate more broadly with local, national, and international audiences. The films can be viewed on the 100 Ladies of Deering website and the Deering Estate YouTube and Vimeo channels. The films are also featured on the Deering Estate & Deering Estate Foundation weekly email newsletters and social media channels. We are grateful for the work of Jorge Gonzalez Graupera and the production of the series of short films that help preserve the legacy of Deering Estate by ensuring that our history can be shared with and remembered by future generations.
Somerset Academy Silver Palms – 2024 Educational Partner of the Year
Somerset Academy Silver Palms has been a long-time educational partner to the Deering Estate, participating in the NESTT program (Nurturing Environmental Stewards of Today and Tomorrow) since the 2018-2019 school year. The collaboration between the Deering Estates Learning team and Somerset’s administration and teachers, including Didi Penas and Raquel Rivera, fostered the development of a yearlong curriculum which served nearly 1700 students in the 2023-2024 school year. NESTT is a customizable program that brings science textbooks to life and subjects that spark interest and engage students for tomorrow’s STEM careers. Last year’s program with Somerset included both mobile learning opportunities, taking place directly in the school, and onsite visits to enhance their curriculum. The school provided our team to opportunities to participate in outreaches for their special events, helping us to reach further into the community. We are happy to present this award to Somerset Academy Silver Palms for their years of dedication to the NESTT program.
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