ANNUAL CONFERENCE: What’s Happening Today
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024
THE BILTMORE HOTEL 8 AM 9:30 AM 10:35 AM 12:15 PM 11:15 AM 1:30 PM
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS: THE POWER OF TEAMWORK
Annual Conference Kick-off Breakfast
Matthew Caldwell, President, CEO, & Alternate Governor, Florida Panthers
THE POWER OF BUSINESS Breakout Session I
Ralph Cutié, Miami International Airport
Frederic Wong, Jr., PortMiami
JC Liscano, American Airlines
Juan Kuryla, Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings Ltd.
Moderated By: James Kohnstamm, Miami-Dade County Office of Innovation
THE POWER OF MIAMI Breakout Session II
Dane Skillrud, Citadel
In Conversation With: Richard Roffman Coral Gables Magazine
THE POWER OF MONEY Breakout Session III
Shari Bower, Federal Reserve
In Conversation With: Mark A. Trowbridge, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
THE POWER OF YOU!
Annual Conference Keynote Luncheon
Jorge Mas, CEO, MasTec
THE POWER OF DISRUPTION Breakout Session IV
Craig Stepien, Next Era 2:15 PM
CAFECITO BREAK Run, don’t walk!
THE POWER OF OUR PAST Breakout Session IV
Dr. Paul S. George, Resident Historian, City of Miami
CLOSING REMARKS
It’s raffle time!
Addys Kuryla, Chair of the Board & Florida Power & Light 3:05 PM
CLOSING SOCIAL
3:45 PM
At Fairways 4:00 PM
Granada Ballroom
Alhambra Ballroom
Alhambra Ballroom
Granada Ballroom Alhambra Ballroom Alhambra Ballroom
A MESSAGE FROM OUR
Chair of the Board
Dear Chamber Members and guests,
I am delighted to welcome you to the 2024 Annual Conference featuring this year’s theme, The Power of YOU.
Thank you for joining us today and supporting the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. We are so excited to share the amazing program we have planned for you. I am looking forward to hearing from inspiring leaders, and we hope you will find the sessions both enlightening and engaging.
We know your time is valuable and we thank you for trusting us with it. We look forward to a day filled with valuable insights and meaningful connections.
Enjoy the conference!
ADDYS KURYLA
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
MANAGER
| FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CHAIR OF THE BOARD | CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
At Florida Power & Light Company we are working together with the communities we serve to make Florida an even better place to raise a family and do business.
We congratulate our teammate Addys Kuryla on her installation as the chair of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce!
GREETINGS FROM
Our President
Well Hello There!
Each Spring as we begin the planning process for our Chamber’s Annual Conference in August, our singular focus is on helping our local businesses grow, the Coral Gables community prosper and the professional “YOU” harness the power of engagement.
That is the driving force behind our programming today, coupled with the energy and insight brought forth by our incoming Chair of the Board, Addys Kuryla, and her planning committee. In our view, it is sure to be a winning combination for a great day.
Our theme for the new Chamber year, The Power of YOU! is our mantra to guide your time with us today, as well as your engagement with us throughout the year ahead.
As always, we thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to attend our Chamber’s Annual Conference. This year’s theme is also our own special way of reminding businesses in our local community of our core mission and strategies for success.
Our Annual Conference celebrates our Chamber’s relevance in the business community, as well as our significant position in The City Beautiful and beyond. It is our aim to showcase how we can work collaboratively to engage in the most exciting opportunities on the business horizon, while making sure there are concrete takeaways for you and your company.
We are pleased to partner once again with the Allen Morris Company on the 16th Annual George E. Merrick Award of Excellence to open our conference. Congratulations to Former President of the University of Miami, Dr. Julio Frenk, on his honor.
We also congratulate our Merrick-In-The-Making Awardees: Community Builder Ignacio Borbolla, Delta Air Lines; Innovator Tony Guerra of JohnMartin’s and Philanthropist Cecilia Selsnick of Slesnick and Jochem. Thank you, City National Bank, for your enduring support.
This morning you will hear opening remarks by Matthew Caldwell, President & CEO of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Caldwell has built a championship team over the past decade along with a winning culture. Three breakouts on our economic prowess in Miami-Dade, the Power of Miami and the economy will round-out the morning.
Lunch is headlined by MasTech CEO Jose Mas, whose story of coming to this country and living the American Dream is both inspiring and powerful. The afternoon will close with two more sessions on disruption and our 100-year history, before we break for happy hour at Fairways.
I would like to thank our Executive Committee, Board members, committee chairs, Ambassadors and Diplomats for their service this year. I offer a very special thank you to our staff team. I also want to thank all our sponsors for this year’s Annual Conference, beginning and ending with our presenting sponsors, FPL and the University of Miami/UHealth, for their generosity and faith.
Finally, all who attend this Annual Conference will better understand the leading role of our Chamber as the most important voice for business in our greater community. Take the time today to get to know someone you have never met. Form a bond. Break bread. Do business together.
That is the Power of YOU!
MARK A. TROWBRIDGE PRESIDENT & CEO | CORAL
16 TH ANNUAL
George E. Merrick AWARDS
OF EXCELLENCE
George E. Merrick, the founder of our City and Chamber, was a visionary ahead of his time and a community leader who understood the importance of collaboration, consensus and collegiality.
Merrick had a passion for developing a community that addressed all aspects of daily life: education, commerce, aesthetics and involvement. Coral Gables was envisioned as a planned paradise nestled along the quiet waters of Biscayne Bay.
The George E. Merrick Awards of Excellence celebrate this achievement and seek to annually recognize a community leader who embodies the spirit and vision of Merrick through their contributions to Coral Gables. In addition to this year’s George E. Merrick Award of Excellence, the Chamber recognized three individuals who exemplify the characteristics of a young Merrick with the 10th annual Merrick-in-the-Making Awards.
Our 2024 George E. Merrick Award of Excellence Distinguished Honoree is:
DR. JULIO FRENK
FORMER PRESIDENT
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI PRESENTED BY
Alhambra Towers Offices
City National Bank of Florida is with you at every step of your life journey. From personal banking and mortgages to commercial real estate and corporate finance, we provide solutions to keep your family thriving and your business growing.
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FONTANA, SUNDAY BRUNCH, CASCADE, FAIRWAYS, POSTO DOLCE, & AFTERNOON TEA
Formal or casual, indoor, al fresco, poolside or alongside the golf course, allow us to take you on an exceptional culinary journey in a stunning historic setting offering myriad of award-winning options.
1200 Anastasia Avenue Coral Gables, Florida 33134 RESERVATIONS: 305.445.1926 | www.biltmorehotel.com
OUR SPEAKERS
MAtthew Caldwell
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Matthew Caldwell is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Alternate Governor of the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers. A U.S. Army veteran and former Vice President at Goldman Sachs, Caldwell first joined the Panthers as Chief Operating Officer in 2014. Just two years later, Caldwell assumed the role of President & Chief Executive Officer, making him the youngest CEO in all of U.S. professional sports at the time.
In lockstep with Panthers ownership, Caldwell’s servant leadership has catapulted the organization’s commitment and outreach to the South Florida community-from providing free educational programming to thousands of local students and committing more than $5 million to local nonprofits, to crisis relief efforts that have ranged from rebuilding a local family’s home after a fire to sheltering and feeding thousands of community members at Panthers home arena during Hurricane Irma.
Under Caldwell’s leadership, the Panthers have also placed a heightened emphasis on advancing diversity, inclusion, and access, both within the sport of hockey and the community beyond.
James Kohnstamm
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
OFFICE OF INNOVATION
As the economic driver and population center of the 3rd largest state in the nation, Miami-Dade County is a highly diverse and international community and is the most exciting market for economic development.
James leads a professional team dedicated to growing Miami’s economy by expanding local businesses and recruiting new job-generating investments.
Focused on advancing partnerships for sustained regional cooperation to drive economic diversification and creating economic opportunities for all, he have driven expanded job creation and investment goals.
He has managed over 130 economic development projects that generated 13,000 jobs and $1.8 Billion of investment. Clients include: Amazon, Boeing, Airbus, UPS, Cosentino, and many more.
Ralph Cutie
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Ralph Cutié is the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. He oversees operations at Miami International Airport (MIA) and four general aviation (GA) airports in the Miami area, which together generate $31.9 billion in business revenue and support more than 275,000 direct and indirect jobs. MIA leads the way, handling more than 50 million passengers and nearly three million tons of cargo annually, placing it among America’s busiest international passenger and cargo airports.
JC Liscano AMERICAN AIRLINES
Juan Carlos Liscano is the Vice President Miami, Caribbean and Latin America Operations for American Airlines. He oversees the airport operations in 50 cities throughout 17 countries in Mexico, Central America and South America.
He joined the airline in 1994 as an operations agent and has held numerous leadership roles throughout his career at American. In the past several years, he has served as the Managing Director of Los Angeles Hub, Managing Director of Flight Service Strategy and as Managing Director of Customer Care in the Miami Hub.
Frederic Wong, Jr.
PORTMIAMI
Deputy Wong oversees PortMiami’s Cruise and Cargo Operations, Vessel Berthing Office, Housekeeping, and Facilities Maintenance, which includes passenger loading bridges and the gantry crews. His purview also includes Port Permits, Safety and Security, to include the Miami-Dade Police Sheriff Department, and PD’s Marine Patrol. He also serves as the Chairman of the Crane Management Board which is responsible for PortMiami’s STS Cranes. He’s integrally involved with the port’s major initiatives such as cargo terminal’s Electric Rubber Tired Gantry’s, wharf strengthening and electrification, yard densification, and future cruise shore-power efforts.
Deputy Wong has over 28 years of experience in all facets of port operations and previously served almost 5 years as
JAXPORT’s Chief Operating Officer. Before heading to NE Florida, he left PortMiami as the Assistant Port Director of Operations, responsible for all cruise, cargo, and security operations.
Juan KurylaNORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD.
Juan Kuryla servies as the Senior Vice President of Port Development and Construction with NCLH. In this role he leads the company’s commercial development, construction and private island operations teams.
Previously, Kuryla led PortMiami as CEO and Director, overseeing operations and capital development of the ‘cruise capital of the world.’
Dane Skillrud CITADEL
Dane Skillrud joined Citadel Securities in 2021 and is the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Systematic Equities & FICC at Citadel Securities. In his role Dane is responsible for the end-to-end success and health of the multi-billion-dollar trading operation. He also plays a lead role for the Miami Office.
Dane is deeply passionate about education. He serves as a Board Member of Matriculate, a country-wide non-profit that has helped >14,000 high-achieving high school students from under-represented backgrounds (e.g., low income, rural) find their way to high graduation-rate universities through remote advising.
He also serves as a Member of the Florida Council of 100, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic well-being of all Floridians through the relentless pursuit of better, business-driven public policy.
Richard Roffman CORAL GABLES MAGAZINE
Richard Roffman is a 35year veteran publisher with extensive national and international experience. Mr. Roffman currently publishes Coral Gables Magazine along with Global Miami Magazine and co-hosts the nationally syndicated AM talk
radio show, “Made in America,” syndicated throughout the United States by Radio America. Mr. Roffman has founded and published Latin Trade, LatinCEO and South FloridaCEO magazines. He is a past-chairman and member of the board of the World Trade Center Miami, was appointed to the District Export Council by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was a member of the Board of Directors of the FTAA, Inc. for the State of Florida. Mr. Roffman has also published the Miami, Broward and Palm Beach Daily Business Review newspapers and was a Senior Vice President at Strategy Research Corporation—specializing in Latin American and US Hispanic marketing research. Channels Magazine voted Mr. Roffman into “The Top 25 Most Accomplished Men in South Florida.”
Shari Bower
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA
Shari Bower is the Regional Executive at the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. She is responsible for the Atlanta Fed’s Regional Economic Information Network (REIN) for south Florida and is a member of the core group of Atlanta Fed leaders advising on monetary policy.
Shari is a policy expert with a previous focus on payments and market infrastructure policy. She began her career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a summer intern in 2004 and joined the Atlanta Fed in January 2020.
Jose Mas MASTEC
Jose R. Mas, is Chief Executive Officer of MasTec, Inc., one of the largest and most diversified infrastructure services providers in North America. During Mr. Mas’ tenure as CEO, MasTec’s revenue has grown from $930 million in 2007 to an expected $13 billion in 2023. In 2018 for the first time in the Company’s history, MasTec was named as a Fortune 500 company. Today, MasTec has more than 35,000 team members serving multiple industries in more than 375 locations throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Since assuming the Chief Executive position at MasTec, Mr. Mas transformed MasTec from a predominantly telecommunications contractor to one of the most diversified specialty infrastructure contractors in North America.
Craig Stepien NEXTERA
Craig is a visionary leader with a track record of driving technology and process disruptions across Corporate America for more than two decades (Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, & NextEra Energy). He has a rare ability to predict and influence the future through data analytics, embracing cutting-edge technology, and understanding how humans react to change at a deep psychological level. This capability paired with Craig’s tenacious work ethic enables him to achieve “Controlled Self-Disruptions” that avert “Catastrophic Competitor Disruptions”.
Craig has been at NextEra Energy for 16 years, the World’s largest producer of electricity from the Sun and the Wind. He is currently the Executive Director of Strategic Transformation helping identify and execute the most strategic initiatives across NextEra.
Dr. Paul S. George HISTORYMIAMI
Paul S. George is the Resident Historian at the HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate in downtown Miami.
A native Miamian, Dr. George is a graduate of Miami Dade Community College and the University of Miami. He holds a Masters and a Doctoral Degree in history from Florida State University.
A former college professor, Dr. George has taught at several universities and colleges, including Florida State University, Florida A & M University, Florida Atlantic University, and the University of Miami. From 1991 to 2016 he was a history professor at Miami-Dade College.
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THE CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
@GABLESCHAMBER
CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CORALGABLESCHAMBER.ORG
2024 - 2025 executive committee
Addys Kuryla CHAIR OF THE BOARD
FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT
Jorge Martinez FIRST VICE CHAIR
FLORIDA BLUE
Arianna Urquia
TREASURER
NICKLAUS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Maria D. Garcia CHAIR ELECT
KOZYAK TROPIN & THROCKMORTON
Sara M. Hernandez
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR FIRST CITIZENS BANK
Rick Alberty
PARLIAMENTARIAN
PRIVATE WEALTH MANAGEMENT OF CORAL GABLES
2024 -
2025
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Yvonne Boucugnani
Jose Romano
AMERANT BANK
Stuart Debowsky
DEBOWSKY DESIGN GROUP
Erin Dowd
BAPTIST HEALTH
Tere Garcia
BERMELLO-AJAMIL & PARTNERS
Milenis Gonzalez UHEALTH
Tony Guerra
JOHNMARTIN’S
Matthias Kammerer
THE BILTMORE HOTEL
Drew Kern
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES
EWM REALTY
Vonnell Martinez
VIM WEALTH MANAGEMENT
ZOO MIAMI FOUNDATION
Al Rose
UNIVERSITY CREDIT UNION
Monique Selman
ALBANY HOMES CONSTRUCTION
Anabella Smith
ZYSCOVICH
Cinthya Urena
CITY NATIONAL BANK OF FLORIDA
- EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSCommissioner
Melissa Castro
M.E.D. EXPEDITORS
City of Coral Gables
Eric Gros-Dubois
EPGD BUSINESS LAW
Coral Gables Community Foundation
James C. Kohnstamm
Miami-Dade County
MORGAN HORTON LAW
Laura Morgan Horton
Rene Negron
EQUITABLE ADVISORS
Audrey Otero
PNC BANK
Elizabeth Perez
THE KEYES COMPANY
Cristina Miller
INTERMEDIA TOUCH, INC.
Coral Gables Chamber Foundation
Belkys Perez
City of Coral Gables
Mark A. Trowbridge PRESIDENT & CEO
Responsible to the Board of Directors for a full range of activities including coordination of the program of work, organizational structure and procedures, interpretation of policy, strategic planning, communications and branding.
E | MTrowbridge@CoralGablesChamber.org
Angeline Antoine DIRECTOR OF EVENTS
Plans and oversees all Chamber programming. Works directly with the President & CEO on business-related community activities including Burgerliscious, Tour of the Gables 5K/10K, Small Business Summit, Annual Conference, Businesswomen of the Year Awards, George E. Merrick Awards of Excellence, Diamond Awards, and more. Serves as the staff liaison to our Special Events Division, Global Business Affairs Committee, and the Women’s Business Network Committee.
E | AAntoine@CoralGablesChamber.org
Jennifer Rosado DIRECTOR OF SALES & MEMBERSHIP
Sells the programs and services of the Chamber to existing members and non-member firms, including the sale of new memberships, upgrades of existing member firms and renewals of past due member accounts.
E | JRosado@CoralGablesChamber.org
Morgan MongeliaCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Develops and implements all marketing, public relations activities and social media content across all platforms. Creates all collateral for the Chamber including event e-vites, press releases, weekly and monthly newsletters, advertisements, calendars, brochures, invitations, and more. Also responsible for the Chamber’s annual publication, The City Beautiful Magazine
E | MMongelia@CoralGablesChamber.org
Amanda Puga EVENTS COORDINATOR
Events Coordinator supports the Director of Events in planning and overseeing Chamber programming. Works with the President & CEO on community activities. Supports Restaurant Committee meetings, 20/30 Group, and Real Estate Committee.
E | HRichardson@coralgableschamber.org
Devin Wade CHIEF OF STAFF
Serves as support personnel, scheduler and Office Manager for the President & CEO. Manages all incoming and outgoing correspondence. Provides a full range of administrative support to the President & CEO.
E | DWade@coralgableschamber.org
Genesis Del Toro RECEPTIONIST
Greets all Chamber guests, both in-person and over the phone. Provides clerical and general office support, including meeting preparation, office organization and Welcome Center fulfillment.
E | GDelToro@coralgableschamber.org
Christine Siervo SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
Curates the Chamber’s social media content. Works with the Communications Manager to promote upcoming events, supports the Chamber’s initiatives, shares member news, and more!
E | CSiervo@coralgableschamber.org
Ivette Acosta
Manages all financial operations for the Chamber – from our monthly financials to budget planning, as well as our annual audit and all things payroll.
E | IAcosta@coralgableschamber.org
Marco Ibarra
Serves as our “go-to” guy on all things Chamber IT, cyber security and making sure we stay connected to Coral Gables…and beyond. He “servers” us well!
E | MIbarra@eliptek.com
meet your chamber team
Thank You TO OUR SPONSORS
The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors for their generous support of our 2024 Annual Conference!
PRESENTED BY
PREMIER SPONSORS:
CORPORATE SPONSORS:
PARTICIPATING SPONSORS:
SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
CONTRIBUTING SPONSOR:
