JULY 12 - 25, 2011
Goals Conference opens new doors to business BY ADRIANA SERNA
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he Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Goals Conference successfully concluded on Friday, June 24, having celebrated Coral Gables’ leaders and opened new doors to bigger business and greater involvement in the community. The Goals Conference began Thursday, June 23, with the sold-out George E. Merrick Award of Excellence dinner. The prestigious Merrick Award was bestowed upon a very humbled Wayne “Chip” Withers Jr., who graciously received the award while crediting his fellow nominees, family and friends for helping him reach this great honor. The chamber once again partnered with the Allen Morris Company to present the award. The evenings emcee was CBS 4’s Shannon Hori. Friday’s Good Morning Coral Gables breakfast featured University of Miami basketball coach Jim Larranaga. The new coach’s motivating speech was about teamwork and leadership, and he encouraged participants to get involved in the community and help provide a vision for a more prosperous and successful year. Throughout the day, participants engaged in nine different goal-setting sessions, which sought to solidify measurable and attainable goals for the coming chamber year. The sold-out luncheon featured opening remarks from Coral Gables’ new Mayor Jim Cason and a keynote speech from Carlos Migoya, CEO of Jackson Health System, about his vision for a new Jackson for Miami-Dade County. Participants also engaged in an interactive session with Leadership Florida on the results of their annual Sunshine State Survey, a program that seeks to bet-
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CONFERENCE, page 4
Learn to swim and prevent drowning at Venetian Pool
GABLES GREAT Adam Carlin earns reputation for his service and leadership BY GLORIA BURNS
Youngsters learn to swim at Venetian Pool. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– BY MARIA ROSA HIGGINS FALLON
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rowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 in Miami-Dade County. The most common site for a childhood drowning death is a residential swimming pool. Never leave a child unsupervised in or around water and always take the time to teach them how to swim to safety. The Venetian Aquatic Club, established in 1959, is offering swimming lessons and teaching water safety skills to children as well as adults.
Four-session classes for children are being offered this summer at the Venetian Pool, 2701 DeSoto Blvd., at 8:30, 9:10 and 9:50 a.m., Monday through Friday, until Aug. 5. Children must be at least 5 years of age. Three-session classes for adults are offered from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays, until Aug. 4. The members of the Venetian Aquatic Club are all American Red Cross volunteers. The fee per session for children and adult classes is $48. For more information, contact the Venetian Pool at 305-460-5306.
Adam Carlin has earned a reputation for his service and leadership on the boards of directors of numerous charities and has invested countless hours to community service. Accolades abound for this man who recently received such prestigious awards as the Champion of Community Spirit by Cancer Support Community Greater Miami, as well as being recognized as one of Ronald McDonald House’s “12 Good Men” this year. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Carlin’s family moved to Boca Raton when he was 4 years old. After graduating from ADAM CARLIN Spanish River High School he went on to earn a degree at Florida Atlantic University and then received his MBA from the University of Miami. As an alumnus of UM, Carlin
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CARLIN, page 4