Chamber CONNECTion | March - April 2020

MARCH - APRIL 2020 MEET US AT THE STARTING LINE

More info & registration:

It's time to lace up your running shoes and sprint, jog or walk to the starting line of the 25th Annual Doctors Hospital Tour of the Gables 5K/10K! That's right... we're celebrating 25 years!

Runners will take their marks on Saturday, April 25 at George Merrick Park located in front of Coral Gables City Hall. The course will wind you on a scenic route through the historic City Beautiful, showcasing it like never before.

RUNSIGNUP.COM Keyword:

TOUR OF THE GABLES

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This community-wide event kicks-off with a Runner’s Expo beginning at 6:30AM; pre-race warm-up at 7:00 AM and a shotgun start at 7:30 AM, sharp!

Don't delay! The first 500 pre-registered runners are guaranteed to receive a commemorative tech running shirt, specially designed to showcase our 25th anniversary! Additionally, all runners will get a custom finisher medal, designed by Zyscovich Architects. Lastly, the largest corporate team registered will take home the coveted Chairman’s Cup, presented annually by Miami’s Community Newspapers.

For more than 25 years, the Tour of the Gables 5K/10K race has been presented by Doctors Hospital, part of Baptist Health. This continued partnership and their more than 70-year history as leaders in healthcare and community engagement, is a testament to Doctors Hospital’s commitment to the well-being of everyone.

Special thanks to this year’s supporting sponsors (to date): City of Coral Gables, Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables, The Allen Morris Company, Smiles & Sonrisas, Amerant Bank, GymGuyz, Vicky Bakery Coral Gables & Waste Management.

2019 Tour of the Gables

Photo by Smashpixel Studio

IN THIS ISSUE: Thoughts from our Chair

Page 2

President’s Perspective

Page 3

Trustee Talk

Page 5

The City Beautiful Magazine Page 6 Save These Dates!

Page 7

Membership Highlights

Page 8

Chamber Calendar

Page 9

Sponsor Recognition

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

Page 10

THOUGHTS FROM OUR CHAIR March is ‘Coming in like a Lion’ The end of Q1 2020 is already in sight. Has the first two months of the year met your expectations for business? I can tell you that the beginning of this decade has been great for the Real Estate business in South Florida and the industry expects the market to remain strong throughout this year.

One way my company, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty, is focusing our efforts for a greater return this year is through ‘The 4 Disciplines of Execution’. This method of organizing and reimagining your workload is described in a book by the same name. It is all about achieving your ‘Wildly Important Goals’; written by Chris McChesney, Jim Huling and Sean Covey.

PATRICK O'CONNELL

CHAIR OF THE BOARD SVP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES EWM REALTY INTERNATIONAL OCONNELL.P@EWM.COM

Chamber is here to support you!

If you want to shake-up your business and the way you and/or your team works, I suggest you buy a copy at Books & Books. The methods prescribed in this great book are easy to apply and it works for every type of business -even personal goals.

I hope you start the month of March 2020 like a lion and focus your energy on creating new business for yourself and your company. Your

e GamON! Please be advised that the annual process of electing Officers and Directors for our Chamber is now underway. The general membership of our Chamber has the opportunity to provide names of candidates to the Nominating Committee, as well as nominate members directly via a petition for Board membership.

In order to be nominated directly, a member must submit his or her request to be added to the ballot by returning twenty-five (25) signatures of Chamber members in good standing to the Chamber office by Friday, April 3rd at Noon.

Any submission from the membership will be added to the slate of nominees determined by the Chamber’s Nominating Committee and Board of Directors, led by Brian Barakat of Barakat Law, P.A., our Chamber's Chairman-Elect.

Chamber Board elections and member voting will be held in late-May, 2020 and you will receive your ballot electronically via e-mail.

Please contact the Chamber at (305) 446-1657 if you have any questions regarding this process.

Thank You! coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE | THE ROAR OF MARCH The month of March roars to life this week with an energy and enthusiasm like no other time on the calendar. Fresh off Leap Day and ready to end the first quarter of 2020 on the highest of notes, the month ahead promises both headwinds and tailwinds. Yet, like most Chambers of Commerce, we focus on those issues and moments that bring us the greatest opportunities for success and growth.

Right out of the gate, we recognize that our lion-like economy boasts a 1.8% unemployment rate in Miami-Dade (and at 3% for the State of Florida), confirming that we have been riding high on the business climate front for some time. Yet, the uncertainty of the coronavirus (now affecting 53 countries and claiming its sixth US victim over the last weekend) make the crystal-clear optimism of the end of the first quarter a tad more murky. We saw the markets plunge three straight days last week as the virus took center stage and our own leadership did its best to quell any panic. Interest rates have been shifting and the fear of a recession grows. But, we remain bullish as a Chamber and all indicators continue to show strong growth into the second quarter and for the remainder of the year.

MARK A. TROWBRIDGE

PRESIDENT & CEO CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MTROWBRIDGE@CORALGABLESCHAMBER.ORG

Political campaigns ahead of the 2020 election season remain in full swing and are not only a national focus, but of interest locally, as well. There is much intrigue right here at home with our County Mayoral election on August 18. Currently there are eight candidates running – 4 of whom sit on the County Commission dais now.

Our Chamber is planning to co-host a Candidate Forum with the University of Miami and Dade League of Cities later this summer, so stay tuned. While we do not endorse candidates, we do vet them for their stances on issues that affect our businesses and members. Most have gotten stronger on the importance of a robust business climate – including at the hyper-local level here in the Gables.

In January, we launched a new Podcast for the Chamber…TrowBiz. These 30-minute programs take a fun dive into the most substantive issues happening locally, regionally, state-wide and nationally. We have just taped our second episode with a focus on trends in retail. More to come in the next few months as we leverage the Podcast to showcase our members, partners programs and stakeholders. Of course, we would love your feedback, so please tune-in and tell us what you think! Many thanks to Martin Morcillo of Smash Pixel Studio for his savvy engineering and production work.

I am sure many of you are enjoying the phenomenon that is “Hamilton”. Running for nearly a month at our member The Adrienne Arsht Center, “Hamilton” continues to wow audiences with its retelling of one of our countries founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Orphan, soldier, patriot, lawyer and co-author of “The Federalist Papers,” Hamilton created the centralized banking system, launched the US Coast Guard, helped broker the deal to bring the US Capital to Washington DC and was the first Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington. When he died at the age of 47 in a duel with Aaron Burr, many of his contributions were forgotten. Now, thanks to the amazing Lin-Manuel Miranda, we understand better how the work of A. Ham should be admired and acknowledged today. Having seen it four times now, I am a Ham fan!

Speaking of our nation’s capital, in just a few short weeks, we will be headed to Washington, DC for our annual fly-in. Front and center will be discussions that most directly affect our businesses here in Coral Gables. Each year, we meet with partner organizations, including the US Chamber, as well as other key stakeholders, such as the Department of Commerce regarding CENSUS 2020. In addition, we will have sit-downs with each of our members of Congress (Senators Rubio and Scott; Representatives Shalala, Murcasil-Powell, Diaz-Balart and Wilson). If you are interested in this incredible advocacy experience, please reach out today.

With regard to the CENSUS, please be reminded that the on-line version launches next week (March 12th) and the official count begins on April 1st. Our Chamber has been hyper-focused on the importance of a complete count. Not only do our numbers relate to resources and representation, it is imperative that we work collectively with our employees and their families to fill out the forms. Our WDW in April (at Miller’s Ale House) will have a focus on the CENSUS. So, please make plans to join us – and of course, stand up and be counted!

Finally, I am pleased to share that after 15 years on Catalonia Avenue, our Chamber sold our building at the end of last month and closed on the loan on February 20. At the same time, we signed a long-term lease at 201 Alhambra Circle, Suite 100, heading back to our roots in the heart of downtown in a ground-floor, retail space that will include an amazing new state-of-the-art Chamber home and Welcome Center. Our expectation is that we will move into the new space in mid-June. I want to thank some very talented Board leaders for their guidance during this entire process: Patrick O’Connell, our Chairman and Chair of the Ad Hoc Building Committee; our attorney, Lillian Ser; our broker extraordinaire Thad Adams; our architect and amazing designer, Anabella Smith; our IT and AV whiz, Cristina Miller; Chairman-Elect Brian Barakat; Chamber banker Cinthya Urena and First Vice Chair, Ana Chaoui.

Lastly, small businesses continue to be the backbone of our local economy creating two out of every three jobs. Each month, we produce an IMPACT Seminar focused on topics that are most relevant to our small businesses. In honor of National Small Business Week, we will be hosting a half-day summit on May 6 featuring high-level speakers most focused on our small business members. And since Coral Gables was recently named the best place in Florida to open a small business, the timing seems just right!

Let’s keep roaring together this month!

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

TRUSTEE TALK A big 2020 welcome and greetings from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Trustee Diplomats. Since our CONNECTion in early January, my firm has had the pleasure of co-hosting the Trustee & GEM Investors Reception on our beautiful terrace with our Chair-Elect Brian Barakat of Barakat Law. We also had another reception at Allegro Senior Living in Dadeland in January. Both events showed-off the great participation of our Trustee and GEM level members. We had a blast being your host!

ERIC GROS-DUBOIS

CHAIR, TRUSTEE DIPLOMATS CEO, FOUNDER | EPGD BUSINESS LAW ERIC@EPGDLAW.COM

Our Trustee & GEM Investors Luncheon was held at the end of January and was sponsored and hosted by the Palace Coral Gables and Florida Blue. By the time this goes to press, we will have hosted another Trustee & GEM Investors Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency, sponsored by Doctors Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, with speaker Amy Exum, psychotherapist presenting on parenting in the age of social media.

In the coming months we are excited about our next Trustee & GEM Investors Reception in March, hosted and sponsored by the Miami HEAT Sports Medicine Center, and our Luncheon for GEM and Trustee Investors at The Biltmore Hotel at the end of the month. I hope to see you all there.

As we are already off and running a few months into the new decade, it is a good time to take stock of your New Years resolutions, commitments, goals and high hopes. Are you still on track to meet your goals?

I again encourage all of you to get engaged in our beautiful community. I am here to help you any way I can. I invite you to contact me directly to discuss how this exclusive membership level can help you have a great next couple months!

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

SAVE THESE DATES

2019 - 2020 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board | Patrick O’Connell Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty Chairman-Elect | Brian Barakat Barakat Law, P.A. First Vice Chair | Ana Chaoui Grove Bank & Trust Vice Chair | Rene Negron AXA Advisors, LLC Vice Chair | Efrain Sora Sora Global Insurance & Consulting Vice Chair | Nicolas Eterovic Edward Jones Vice Chair | Mike Ybarra Northwestern Mutual - Coral Gables Vice Chair | Sara Hernandez First Citizens Bank Trustee Council Chair | Eric Gros-Dubois EPGD Business Law Treasurer | Pilar Baena Smiles & Sonrisas Parliamentarian | Cristina Miller Intermedia Touch, Inc. Chairman's Appointee | Addys Kuryla Florida Power & Light Immediate Past Chair | Martha de la Peña Rojas Florida Blue BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thad Adams, The Allen Morris Company Ricardo Alberty, Well-Groomed Gentleman Chris Colston, Second Chance Credit, LLC Amy Donner, Coral Gables Magazine Frank Fernandez, CenterState Bank Elsa Figueredo, Doctors Hospital, part of Baptist Health Alex Fonseca, Apollo Bank Maria Garcia, Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton Matthias Kammerer, The Biltmore Hotel Jorge Martinez, The Conroy Martinez Group Alina Menendez, American Airlines Deirdre D. Nero, NERO Immigration Law, P.L. Audrey Otero, BankOZK Melanie Sanchez, Fifth-Third Bank Monique Selman, Albany Homes International Lillian Ser, Ser & Associates Anabella Smith, Zyscovich Architects Cinthya Urena, City National Bank Myrna Vaca, UHealth Jessica Wilcox, J. Wilcox Consulting EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Honorable Patricia Keon City of Coral Gables Mary Snow Coral Gables Community Foundation Truman Skinner Business Improvement District of Coral Gables Julian Perez City of Coral Gables

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS January - February 2020

Accounting to Scale Amerikooler, LLC Appelrouth Farah & Co., P.A. Armando Fernandez Be Local Magazine Belmont Village Senior Living Catering by Les Comic Kids Evolution Payment Systems FocalPoint Business Coaching GEMRT & Co., LLP Global Legal LLC Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, PLLC Guilford Property Group, Inc. HCP Media J Alvarado IT Services LLC Jaxson Maximus Jaxson Maximus John Galt Insurance Jose Milton Foundation Katz Barron Law Services, P.A. Maulini Group at Morgan Stanley Merrick Manor NetVoiX, Inc. Palmare Private Brokerage Pierson Media Primerica Quest Workspaces The Accountant, LLC Toselli Tours Corp.

University of Miami Athletics Videoworks LLC We Insure Inc.

*BOLD denotes new Trustee Member | *BOLD denotes new GEM Member

President & CEO Mark A. Trowbridge

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

CHAMBER CALENDAR

‘20

March | April Monday

Tuesday 2

8:00 AM Global Business Affairs Committee Meeting

9

5:30 PM Trustee Reception

Wednesday 3

Friday

8:00 AM Small Business Committee Meeting

8:00 AM

Chairman’s Ambassadors Committee Meeting

Noon RE-Connect Luncheon

9:00 AM Women’s Business Network Committee Meeting

5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday

11:00 AM Businesswomen of the Year Awards

10

8:00 AM Business & Gov’t Affairs Committee Meeting

4

Thursday 5

11

12

18

19

6

13

8:00 AM Membership Committee Meeting

6:00 PM Chamber Night @ AAA

16

17

4:00 PM IMPACT Seminar

9:15 AM 20/30 Group Meeting

11:30 AM Women's Business Network Luncheon

23

24

30

31

11:45 AM Trustee Luncheon

6

8:00 AM Global Business Affairs Committee Meeting

25

8:00 AM Business & Education Committee Meeting

26

1

8

9

10

15

16

17

23

24

Noon RE-Connect Luncheon

9:00 AM Women's Business Network Committee Meeting

8:00 AM Business & Gov’t Affairs Committee Meeting

27

3

8:00 AM Chairman’s Ambassadors Committee Meeting

7

2

8:00 AM Small Business Committee Meeting

5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday

20

7:30 AM Good Morning Coral Gables Annual Education Breakfast

8:30 AM Trow Knows...CEOs

6:00 PM The Garden After Dark 8:00 AM Membership Committee Meeting

8:00 AM State of Florida Legislative Round-Up

13

5:30 PM Trustee Reception

14

4:00 PM IMPACT Seminar

7:30 AM Good Morning Coral Gables

9:00 AM Chamber 101

9:15 AM 20/30 Group Meeting

20

11:30 AM Women's Business Network Luncheon

21

22

8:00 AM Business & Education Committee Meeting

25

6:30 AM Doctors Hospital Tour of the Gables 5K/10K

WASHINGTON, D.C. FLY-IN • WASHINGTON, D.C. FLY-IN

27

5:30 PM Business Expo

28

11:45 AM Trustee Luncheon

29

30

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020

8:30 AM Trow Knows...CEOs

1

SPONSOR RECOGNITION WIND DOWN WEDNESDAY JANUARY

SPONSORSHIP / INVESTOR HALL OF FAME Through February 2020

FEBRUARY

$5,000 & Above

GOOD MORNING CORAL GABLES JANUARY

FEBRUARY

WOMEN'S BUSINESS NETWORK LUNCHEON FEBRUARY

TRUSTEE & GEM INVESTORS RECEPTION JANUARY

FEBRUARY

TRUSTEE & GEM INVESTORS LUNCHEON JANUARY

FEBRUARY

• The Allen Morris Company • Amerant Bank • AXA Advisors, LLC • Bacardi USA • Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty • Business Improvement District of Coral Gables • Capital One • CenterState Bank • City of Coral Gables • City National Bank of Florida • Clear Channel Outdoor • Doctors Hospital • Florida Blue • Home Financing Center, Inc. • Photo Offset, Inc. • Samuel Adams Boston Lager • South Motors • UHealth

$2,500 - $4,999

• Baptist Health South Florida • Florida Power & Light • Gulliver Schools • Intermedia Touch, Inc. • Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables • NERO Immigration Law, P.L. • Smiles & Sonrisas

TROW KNOWS CEOS

Someone’s Son

IMPACT SEMINAR

e m a G ON!

RE-CONNECT LUNCHEON

TOTAL HEALTH RESTORATION Dr. Michael Forman DOM, P.A.

TM

coralgableschamber.org | CHAMBER CONNECTION | March - April 2020