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The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) hosted its 16th annual Champions of Business Awards, on March 30th at 7:00 PM at the Miami Beach JCC. The annual event recognizes pillars of the business community including a Chamber board member for their leadership.
This year’s distinguished honorees are:
- Michael Shvo, SHVO | Champion of Business Award
- John Stuart, FIU | James McDonnell Outstanding Board of Governor Award
- Reinaldo Borges, Borges Architects + Associates | Boutique Innovative Firm of the Year Award
- Stephanie Leger, First Rate Hospitality | DeAnne Connolly Graham Outstanding Woman in Business Award
“The Chamber is excited to continue its tradition of honoring visionaries in our business community,” said Jerry Libbin, President and CEO, of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. “The honorees are champions of their respective industries, which include real estate development, architecture, education, and hospitality – all of which are instrumental to Miami Beach’s economy.”
The Champions of Business Honorees Are:
The Champion of Business Award: The award is given to a successful business person who has been effective in changing the dynamic within an industry, developed groundbreaking ideas and business strategies and have used technology to advance a brand while maintaining philanthropic activities.
- Michael Shvo, Chairman and CEO | SHVO
Michael Shvo is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of SHVO, the nation’s foremost development, ownership, and investment firm of luxury real estate.
Headquartered in New York City with offices in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, SHVO owns and operates a national portfolio with more than $8 billion in assets under management with more than 4.5 million square feet across industry sectors, including commercial office and retail, hospitality, and luxury residential assets.
The firm’s selective portfolio of architecturally significant properties, from innovative ground up new developments to revitalized landmarks that define skylines in the world’s leading cities includes the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, The Raleigh Miami Beach, 333 South Wabash Avenue also known as, “The Big Red,” in Chicago, Mandarin Oriental Residences at 9200 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Mandarin Oriental Residences, Fifth Avenue in New York City and the AMAN New York, Hotel and Residences at the Crown building.
Michael draws from his diverse background in real estate – from brokerage to marketing and sales to development – to guide his firm in creating and reimagining one-of-a-kind properties at some of the most important and sought-after locations in the world.
He leads the firm’s investment and transaction strategy, capital markets, site selection, design and conceptualization – and anchors a team of some of the world’s most respected investors including pensions funds, insurance companies, financial institutions, and other leading institutional investors, who share SHVO’s vision of creating extreme value by elevating how people live and work.
The James McDonnell Outstanding Board of Governor Award: Given annually to the outstanding Board of Governor for their years of dedication to the advancement and growth of the Chamber and Miami Beach.
- John Stuart, Associate Dean for Cultural and Community Engagement at FIU and Executive Director at the Miami Beach Urban Studios in the College of Communication
John Stuart, AIA, Distinguished University Professor in Architecture, Associate Dean for Cultural and Community Engagement and Executive Director of Miami Beach Urban Studios is an architectural historian and a visual artist developing collaborative research projects on complexity, community, identity, technology, the environment and public space with funding from Van Alen Institute, The National Endowment for the Arts, The National Science Foundation, The National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.
The Boutique Innovative Firm of the Year Award: Presented to an innovative and growing business for their outstanding achievements.
- Reinaldo Borges, Principal and CEO | Borges Architects + Associates
Reinaldo Borges has a Masters Degree in Architecture with a focus on Mixed-Use and Hybrid urban projects and urban design. With over 25 years of Professional experience, he has won numerous international design competitions awards. His work has been published in national and international architectural publications and ranges from design collaboration of the New American Airlines Arena in Miami, to the Royal Palm Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel in South Miami Beach, to a New Carillon Canyon Ranch Resort in Miami Beach, to Community Centers and Fire Stations in Sunrise Florida. He is a Florida and Maryland registered architect, a certified member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and an active member of the American Institute of Architects and the US Green Building Council.
Reinaldo has developed a well-rounded background in the field of architecture, in projects ranging from luxury high-rise multi-family residences to resort/urban hotels and complex mixed-use facilities to Fire Stations and Building renovations. Moderate to Luxury condominium high-rise design and hospitality projects are his strongest design specialties. Reinaldo uses responsive creative problem solving from concept to final detailed execution of the work, with an enthusiastic team oriented approach. He has successfully collaborated with national design teams in design collaborations numerous times. During the design of the new American Airlines Arena where Mr. Borges as the design leader, directed a team of over 20 design professional ranging from Sports Architects to Structural and Mechanical Engineers. Rigorous design oriented and balanced with a strong technical background is the Borges leadership approach to the profession of architecture and engineering systems.
The DeAnne Connolly Graham Woman in Business Award: Initiated in 2015, this award was started by the Women’s Business Council, chaired by DeAnne Connolly Graham and recognizes an outstanding woman, who is a leader in the business community. Honorees are recognized for their continued growth, success and for being an inspiration in the Miami Beach community. In 2022, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce honored DeAnne by renaming the award in recognition of her life’s work and commitment to the empowerment of women.
- Stephanie Leger, President | First Rate Hospitality
Stephanie Leger has over nineteen years of experience in the hotel industry globally, including Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Forbes Travel Guide Inspector, AAA, and many others associated with the luxury hotel industry.
Over the years, Stephanie has provided countless reviews of operational evaluations and trained employees on service standards worldwide at top hotels in the world. She also assisted hotels at times of crisis such as hurricanes, ZIKA, COVID-19, and the recession of 2008.
Her passion for creating employee performance, development and engagement has qualified her as an accomplished professional who works well with individuals of any cultural background. Other areas of expertise in the hotel industry include Spa, Food & Beverage, Recreation, and Casino.
