February might be a short month but it was jammed packed with Chamber activity programmed by the Pillar Trustee Board. Earlier in the month, we honored nine City of Miami Beach First responders for heroic efforts performed in the line of duty. This year in addition to recognizing members of the Miami Beach Police Department, the Fire Department, the Ocean Rescue and the Communications Department, we also had the pleasure of recognizing an emergency room doctor from Mount Sinai Medical Center and a K-9 from the police department. The Heroes breakfast was started five years ago and has become one of the most popular events the Chamber organizes. It’s great to see the Chamber, the City and the Community come together to acknowledge people that sacrifice so much to keep us safe. I’d like to thank our title sponsors, the Loews Miami Beach and City National Bank, our presenting sponsors AT&T and Vision Movies as well as all of our Hero and Gift sponsors. We were able to give $5,000 worth of gifts to each hero.
I also want thank everyone who attended and organized the Chamber Pillar Trustee’s Goals Conference, which gathered business leaders, residents and stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities facing Miami Beach. The outcomes will be used to set the agenda and direction of the Chamber for the coming year. We really rolled up our sleeves and went to work at the half day event, which included exhilarating addresses from Urbanist, Richard Florida, and Marketing/Branding Expert Bruce Turkel. It was great to see such a diverse group of attendees gather from neighborhood associations, local municipalities, businesses and various organizations to discuss important issues in the four breakout rooms where we discussed Quality of Life, How to Sustain a Vibrant City, Miami Beach – the Brand, and Doing Business on Miami Beach. The highlights from each breakout room will be announced through an email blast in the coming week and will be posted on the Chamber’s website along with a link to view Richard Florida’s speech. The event was hosted at W South Beach and I’d like to thank our title sponsor City National Bank and our presenting sponsors WeWork, Atlantic Broadband and COMPASS for helping to make this event possible. I’d like to recognize our Event Chair Leila Chang (Florida Dental Benefits) and the subcommittee that help insure the event was a success.
I also want to extend my gratitude to our Mayor Dan Gelber, who spoke at both events, the City Commission and staff that attended. Last, but not least, I’d like to thank the Co-Chairs of the Pillar Trustee Board Seth Feuer (COMPASS) and Aaron Tandy (Pathman Lewis) who’s leadership has been invaluable in the success and growth of our Pillar Trustee Board.
If you are interested in learning more about the Pillar Trustee Board and/or more information about the Chamber, please contact Danny Diaz at 305-674-1300 extension 3190.
Best,
Wayne Pathman
