As hundreds of Aventura Marketing Council/Chamber of Commerce (AMC) members entered the beautiful Ocean Ballroom at the Trump International Beach Resort, they were greeted by the inspiring music of the 13th U. S. Army Band led by Sgt. First Class Morales.
Nothing like a patriotic march to get you moving at 7:30 am!
AMC Chairman Gary Pyott, Association 1st, opened the meeting that not only was filled with AMC business members and elected officials, but a great contingent of veterans, active military and members of the Guard and Reserve. Pyott recognized the award-winning Charger ROTC Cadets from North Miami Beach Sr. High School under the direction of Maj. Rountree for their professional presentation of colors.
The band was just part of the AMC’s annual “Salute to the Military” November Breakfast Meeting sponsored by Doug Zaren, CEO of Memorial Hospital South, a proud Marines veteran. Zaren spoke with pride about his service with the Marines before joining Memorial Healthcare System, and on this last Veterans Day, he visited all five Memorial Hospitals in his “dress whites” complete with well-deserved medals to honor veterans and those in the Guard and Reserve. Memorial Hospital South is part of the Memorial Healthcare System, one of the largest public healthcare systems in the nation and highly regarded for its exceptional patient and family-centered care. Their flagship facility is Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, offering the community a variety of medical and surgical services. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial provides a comprehensive array of pediatric services and is the leading children’s hospital in Broward and Palm Beach counties. The Memorial family of hospitals also includes Memorial Hospital West, Memorial Hospital Pembroke, Memorial Home Health Services, Memorial Manor nursing home and a variety of ancillary healthcare facilities. As CEO of Memorial Regional Hospital South, Zaren oversees the facility’s nationally-recognized Rehabilitation Dept., Sports Medicine Center, Women’s Services and Emergency Care. “I’m extremely proud to say that Memorial South has the commitment of service, safety and quality and is always putting the patients and families first.”
Peter Caspari, Florida Outreach Director for the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), worked with Rebecca Heinl, Broward ESGR Chairman, to invite guest speaker, Col. Ricardo Roig, Commander of the Florida Army National Guard (FLANG), 50th Regional Support Group. “I’m proud to introduce one of my Officers, 1st Lt. Phillip Tanner, a citizen soldier who exemplifies the ESGR program. He has his master’s degree in justice, was a top graduate, then was a top graduate of the US Army Flight School. The Florida Army National Guard has three primary missions: Respond to the President’s call to support national security objectives; Respond to our State’s needs by providing military support during State emergencies and disasters; and provide a valuable service to our communities through programs that support Florida citizens. The Guard is a community-based force with almost 12,000 Guardsmen and over 400 state employees, 128 units in 55 communities across the state. Our Guardsmen and their families are actively involved in our communities and have a profound commitment to public service. The Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy is one of our valuable programs that provides a highly disciplined and motivational environment for at-risk youth. This 17-month program has over 300 graduates each year who are awarded their high school Equivalency Diplomas or GEDs. Each student finishes with plans for job placement, continued education or military service, and over 4,600 have graduated since its inception in 2001.” Speaking on one of their most successful programs, he added, “The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve” is a Department of Defense program supported by a network of more 3,750 volunteers, such as Peter Caspari and Rebecca Heinl, located across all 50 states, District of Colombia and four territories. Hiring Guardsmen and Reservists makes good business sense…. these are disciplined and skilled workers who display pride, leadership, responsibility and professionalism in what they do. They understand the mission of their civilian job and make it a priority to get results, all while displaying a strong work ethic.”
Col. Roig gave the “top ten” reasons for hiring Guard and Reservists, starting with Global Perspective, On-Time, All the Time, First-Class Image, Calm Under Pressure, Can-Do Attitude; Physical Conditioning; Understand Diversity; Responsibility; Professionalism and the #1: Leadership. Roig added, “One of my mentors, Gen. George Patton, said, ‘Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.’
Tim Farrell, CEO of Veterans4You, awarded two Purple Hearts and a Gold Star Family member himself when his brother lost his life while in service, introduced Beth and Itzhak Agami , a Gold Star Family, (a family that has lost a loved one in service of their country).
Farrell presented the traditional Gold Star Teddy Bear to the Agami’s in memory of their son, Daniel, who lost his life while on active duty in Iran.
A surprise award was presented to Aventura Police Chief Bryan Pegues and his leadership team by Caspari, Heinl, Col. Roig and Farrell for their amazing support of the families of the three US Army Golden Knights who were watching over their loved ones after a serious accident at Homestead Air Force Base. As soon as the Aventura Police Dept. heard about the accident, they worked with Aventura-area restaurants to bring food for the families who were at the hospital awaiting word of the fate of their sons, the Golden Knights. The APD made multiple deliveries of food each day until the families were able to return home.
For more information, visit mhs.net; Memorial Hospital South is located at 3600 Washington Street, Hollywood 33021, 954.966.4500
