I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who participated in the Chamber’s efforts to help the Bahamas. Once we knew the islands were going to be hit with the category 5 storm – our Chamber staff quickly mobilized! We organized a digital live stream “telethon,” which was created by WeStream4u and broadcast on the Chamber’s Facebook page. The program was hosted by President & CEO of the Chamber Jerry Libbin and helped raise necessary funds to assist the residents most in need. Jerry interviewed community and Chamber leadership and took donations on air for 90 minutes. It was a remarkable program, which lives on the Chamber’s Facebook page and I encourage you to view it.
The donations were given directly to Third Wave Volunteers, which is providing solar lights and emergency aid. Started by Dr. Alison Thompson, Third Wave Volunteers has helped victims of Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Tsunami, gun violence, Volcano eruptions and even the Syrian refugee crisis. They do amazing work and It was nice to see our community band together to help our neighboring island during this trying time.
Also, I want to thank everyone who attended and participated in the 23rd Annual Real Estate Luncheon and especially our title sponsor Atlantic Broadband; Junior Sponsors Akerman and Pardo Jackson Gainsburg as well as NMR Design and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams who provided the furniture for the stage. The program really tackled some important issues such as attracting diverse employers to Miami Beach, which would in turn diversify our real estate industry. Moderated by RE:MiamiBeach editor Susan Askew, our panelists Michael Shvo, Matis Cohen, Alicia Cervera Lamadrid and Rory Greenberg discussed how to truly make our city a live-work-play environment that attracts a diverse community.
We are also excited to announce that on September 20, the Chamber will be hosting its Fall Pillar Breakfast, which includes a presentation from FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Office, George Piro. Mr. Piro has held a variety of investigative, operational, and management positions within the FBI. He entered on duty in May 1999 and was first assigned as a special agent in the Phoenix Field Office, investigating international terrorism. In 2003, Mr. Piro was promoted to the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters, where he served as the team leader and interrogator responsible for the interrogation of Saddam Hussein. He spent seven months leading the interrogations of Hussein and other key figures within the former Iraqi regime. This event, sponsored by City National Bank, will be held at the Cadillac Hotel and is free for pillar members and will include a presentation by City National Bank Chief Information Officer Bobby Dominguez about their cyber security efforts.
For a full list of activities and programming, please visit www.miamibeachchamber.com and click on the Chamber events section. If you are a Chamber member, we encourage you to get involved with the council and you can even request to present at one. If you would like more information on the Chamber or would like to join a council, please contact us at 305-674-1300.
Best,
Robin Jacobs
