What can happen in 100 days? Turns out, a lot of good! This June, 45 Miami professionals graduated from Leadership Miami (LM) at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) culminating the 100-day leadership development program spearheaded by program chair, Brandon Mitchell of Future Caucus, and vice-chair, William Diaz-Rousselot of Murgado Automotive Group, Inc. Participants attended fieldwork site visits, GMCC events, and completed program curriculum regularly meeting with local industry and community leaders, and subject matter experts at institutional partners such as Barry University, Florida Memorial University, and St. Thomas University. The program is underpinned by experiential learning to address the community’s needs, partnering each of the four cohort’s teams with a local non-profit organization to develop and execute on a project that will leave a lasting impact in South Florida.
Teams collaborated with Be Strong International to provide students backpacks and school supplies for the upcoming school year; built a community food garden for the residents of Camillus House at Verde Gardens; renovated the youth dorm at Chapman Partnership’s Homestead campus; and created a sensory garden for individuals with developmental disabilities at The Wow Center. Participants engaged with the non-profits’ beneficiaries to more closely understand their unique needs, helping to amplify their voices and inform final project outcomes. Jess Crosson, Manager of Group Sales and Services at the Miami Marlins and recent LM class 45 graduate shared, “My initial expectations of the program were far surpassed, largely because of the impact of the service project. Creating the youth dorm at Chapman Partnership allowed me to learn about issues in our county and meet many incredible people. I will never forget the reaction and gratitude of the young men who will live in the dorm my team renovated.” Altogether, participants devoted more than 5,200 hours of community service and raised over $80,900 to deliver on their commitment to create a legacy of good, each project consisting of a sustainability plan to ensure their projects are able to thrive with their non-profit organization well after their graduation from the program.
The program’s graduation was held at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and celebrated the impactful work of the cohort with keynote speaker Madeline Pumariega, Miami Dade College president. Team 3, “Trailblazers” was honored with the Best Cohort Project and Project of the Year awards for their work benefiting Camillus House. Robert Placer was selected by his peers as the Carlos J. Arboleya Community Service Award recipient, and Luisaura Alvarez was presented with the Fieldwork Champion award for her commitment to learning and exploring key components of the city. Rounding out the celebration, Leadership Miami alumni were recognized for their contributions that continue to strengthen and enable the legacy of good created by each LM class. Cristine Hernandez of Chapman Partnership was named Facilitator of the Cohort, and Felipe Basulto of TD Bank was presented with the Alumni of Distinction award for his ongoing service and support of the program.
Leadership Miami’s footprint in the South Florida community is ever present addressing social needs such as housing insecurity, healthcare access, mental health awareness, environmental issues, and food insecurity to name a few. For 45 years, program participants have gained and finetuned invaluable leadership skills, networked with professionals across different industries, and been exposed to immediate opportunities to serve their community. What continues to bind LM participants and its alumni to carry forward this learning tradition is a sense of pride in everything the local community has to offer, as much as how alumni embrace the responsibility and opportunity to continue making Miami a truly magic city through service and advocacy.
So, what else will happen with Leadership Miami this fall in another 100 days? Much more good.
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