Aventura News, March 18, 2009 Edition - Miami, Florida

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Aventura Mall

The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club

Everglades on the Bay

Serving Aventura, Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor, Golden Beach, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Sunny Isles Beach, Surfside

City of Aventura

www.communitynewspapers.com

March 18 - 24, 2009

The Continental Group, Klein and Hoffman, Inc. host Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent Miami-Dade County Public Schools BY BARI AUERBACH The Continental Group, renowned for expert property management, along with Klein and Hoffman Structural and Restoration Engineers recently hosted a firstclass Aventura Marketing Council meeting featuring Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Hundreds of AMC business and community leaders gathered at the Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort were welcomed by AMC Chair Cliff Schulman of Greenberg Traurig, who challenged guests to an international "geography bowl" highlighting one of Carvalho's most emphatic points: "In a global economy our kids need more access to the world outside their boundaries than ever before." Next, Continental Group regional president Andrew Lester and Klein and Hoffman vice president Henry Castro shared their respective corporate success stories. "The Continental Group started in the Aventura area and just kept growing one community at a time," Lester said. "Today, we provide property management and maintenance services to over 1,300 condo and homeowner associations with 300,000 units under management and 6,000 employees

across Florida. "Our vision is to continuously evolve and provide 'added value' enhancing residents' lifestyles with innovative technologies as well as highly responsive, personalized service exceeding expectations." Castro explained Klein and Hoffman specializes in all facets of structural and restoration engineering. Complementary K&H skills include new structural design, structural rehabilitation, environmental, transportation, building envelope, curtainwall, waterfront structures and capital maintenance planning. K&H engineers also have extensive experience in assessing the condition of facades, window systems, structural framework, roofs, balconies and plaza decks. "Our experience in both new design and repair increases both the quality and value of our engineering services. K&H develops projects from concept to completion on schedule and within budget - engineering 'peace of mind" into every project." Turning to foundations for quality education, Carvalho was introduced by his friend and colleague, Region Center II Assistant Superintendent Enid Weisman. "I inherited a school system with 22,000 teachers and 350,000 children expecting a quality education regardless of financial woes," Carvalho said. "Bold actions were

The Continental Group team: Front Row (L-R): Martin Stebbings, district manager; Randi Rose, district manager; Tom Roses, president; Alberto Carvalho; Andrew Lester, regional president - Broward; Gary Bodner, district manager; Gary Pyott, regional president - Palm Beach; Back Row (L-R): Billy Coleman, business unit leader; Milton Leidig, district manager; John Sloan, district manager; Turner Billups, business unit leader; Anthony Gragnano, district manager

immediately taken to stabilize the fiscal viability of our school system. "We reduced the budget by about $123 million mid-fiscal year. In the process, we also reduced salaries of the highest-paid administrators - reinvesting those dollars into educational programs. "Despite facing a loss potential of $350 million because of budget shortfalls in Tallahassee, I guarantee no teacher will lose their job and no educational programs will be compromised. The arts, music and bilingual education will never be the victims of budget cuts no matter what we have to do. "We cannot forget our core function teaching kids there is nobility in every profession if you do it with your heart and your mind; and if you perfect your skill and do it honestly. Our educational institution has a greater function than just teaching reading and math - we have to 'create community.' It's up to us to help kids get to see horizons that stretch out far beyond what they see from where they sit today. "We're going to Tallahassee to fight against losses to educational funding. This is an opportunity to speak in unison and say not one more dollar should be taken from public education. I believe through targeted reductions we can still ensure that no educational programs will be cut and we'll be able to

Klein and Hoffman, Inc. team: Matt Keane, director of business development; Henry Castro, R.A., vice president; Alberto Carvalho; Eydar Castro; Luis Ortega, P.E., sr. engineer

Aventura Marketing Council Chairman Cliff Schulman, Greenberg Traurig with Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho

maintain our workforce. The most efficient move we can make today to decrease tomorrow's cost of healthcare and law enforcement is to invest in education." For more information, visit thecontinentalgroupinc.com - 877-278-6468; kleinandhoffman.com - 954-920-8501. To contact the office of Superintendent Carvalho, email superintendent'soffice@dadeschools.net or phone 305-995-1430.

Special presentation of certificates of appreciation from Anchors Away Foundation: Gerald Blumstein, Ofc. of MDCPS Board Member Dr. Martin Karp; John Doyle, Admin. Dir., MDCPS; Dr. Jayne Greenberg, MDCPS; Dr. Wilbert “Tee� Holloway, MDCPS Board Member; Steve Dale, Oleta River State Park; Aventura Vice Mayor Billy Joel; Frank Hacia and Frank Herbert, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; Cliff Schulman; Elaine Adler, president, Aventura Marketing Council Photography by Andrew Goldstein


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