JUNE 15, 2010
GABLES GREAT
JOBC presents scholarships to pair of student athletes
my name is
Lettie Bien has served her country, community
BY MARK TROWBRIDGE
President & CEO of Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce
BY GLORIA BURNS
C
ol. Lettie Bien, (U.S. Army, Ret.) has a resume that is not only impressive for one twice her age but also reflects a life of one who has sacrificed like few others serving her country and her community. A decorated Iraq War veteran, Bien also is a sharp businesswoman, a practicing attorney, a community advocate and philanthropist. Raised in South Florida, she received a BA from Florida State University, an MA in Public Administration and Management from Webster University, and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami Law School. Bien easily could write a book on her many adventures with a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years in M i l i t a r y Intelligence and S p e c i a l LETTIE BIEN A Operations. frequent speaker on the topic of community economic development, privatization of foreign state controlled enterprises and U.S. military and veteran’s issues, Bien’s most recent assignment was in Iraq as a Department of the Army
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BIEN on page 4
Hello...
Pictured (l-r) are Brittany Dubins; Dallas Brown, JOBC president-elect; Reinaldo Rodriguez, and Mark Pidal, JOBC administrative director. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– BY NATALYA SPICKER
T
he Junior Orange Bowl Committee (JOBC) recently awarded $1,000 scholarships to two students during the annual Miami-Dade County Public Schools Scholar-Athlete Luncheon at the Miami Airport Hilton. On behalf of JOBC, president Brian Seits, and Dallas Brown, president-elect, presented awards to the athletes who have participated in various sports offered by the Junior Orange Bowl International Youth Festival. Many students apply every year for the Scholar Athlete Award, hoping to be recognized for their great efforts on and off the field. The students have to maintain a high GPA and write an essay, which is evaluated by a panel of educators. Both of the award recipients must have participated in a sport that the JOBC hosts an event
for in order to be eligible for the JOBC scholarship. The event also is an opportunity for other organizations to present cash awards to the high achieving student athletes. The female recipient of the Junior Orange Bowl Scholarship was Brittany Dubins, a graduating senior from Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School. Dubins is a gifted tennis player, a participant in soccer and volleyball, and a Silver Knight Award nominee. She has won many tennis state championships and in 2006 she participated in the Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Championship as a 14-year-old. Dubins most recently was selected a first team All-American by the National High School Tennis Federation. When writing about tennis in her essay, she stated, “It isn’t a game of winning or los-
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JOBC, on page 4
Over 100 times a year, the members of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce come together to network, develop business and build our community. These activities occur at large monthly events like Good Morning Coral Gables, smaller working groups such as committee meetings, and once-a-year special events like our Goals Conference. The goals of each of these events are usually similar in nature – to network and grow the businesses in our community. It is the fundamental mission of any strong Chamber of Commerce – and ours aims very high on this. And while we offer many additional value added opportunities for our members, our core mission
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