2025 Annual Conference | Delegate Book

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Intersection of Business & Government FORWARD. TOGETHER.

PRESENTED BY: FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2025

ANNUAL CONFERENCE:

What’s Happening Today

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2025

THE BILTMORE HOTEL

7:30 AM

Good Morning Coral Gables

Kickoff Breakfast

Sponsor: Amerant Bank

Featuring:

Raymond Rodriguez-Torres

Chair of the Board, Live Like Bella

9:30 AM

Breakout Session I

Preserving the Florida Environment

Featuring:

• Charles Henrick, Amazon

• Ron Magill, Zoo Miami

• Angelica Santibanez, Amazon, Florida & LATAM

• Bradley Watson, The Everglades Foundation

Moderated By:

• Kellie Ralston, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

10:20 AM

Breakout Session II

State of Florida Legislative Round-Up

Featuring:

• Representative Omar Blanco

• Representative Demi Busatta

• Senator Shervin Jones

• Representative Mike Redondo

• Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez

Moderated By:

• Adrian Nuñez, University of Miami

11 AM

Breakout Session III

The Future of Transportation

Featuring:

• Javier Betancourt, Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust

• Eulois Cleckley, Underline

• Lizzie Pittinger, Uber

Moderated By:

• Jose Fuentes, Becker & Poliakoff

Noon

Annual Conference Luncheon

Sponsor: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

2:35 PM

Breakout Session V

Fireside Chat

Featuring:

Featuring: Jay Collins

Lieutenant Governor | State of Florida

1:50 PM

Breakout Session IV

Doing Business With the County & City

Featuring:

• Mayor Vince Lago, City of Coral Gables

• Commissioner Natalie Orbis, Miami-Dade County, District 6

• Brian Van Hook, Small Business Development Center at Florida International University

Moderated By:

• Alyn Fernandez, U.S. Small Business Administration

• President Jeanette Nunez, Florida International University

In Conversation With:

• Maria D. Garcia, Chair-Elect, CGCC Partner, Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton

3:20 PM

Closing Session

GOOOAAALLL! 2026 World Cup

Featuring:

• Alina Hudak, FIFA World Cup 2026

• Raymond Martinez, FIFA World Cup 2026

Moderated By:

• Andrés Cantor, Telemundo

The Intersection of Business & Government

A MESSAGE FROM OUR

Chair of the Board

Dear Chamber Members and Guests,

Welcome to this year’s Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference – “Forward Together: The Intersection of Business and Government”!

I am excited to have you here today and hope you will enjoy our program. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the City of Coral Gables, and it is an honor to serve as your Chairperson for 2025-2026. A special thank you to our Chamber staff and my conference committee for all their help in making today a success.

Over the course of the day, we will have the opportunity to hear and interact with a group of dynamic speakers who will share their perspective on how business and government can come together to better our community, and in turn, help our businesses thrive in South Florida. We will also have time to reconnect with friends and meet new faces throughout the day.

Thank you for being with us today and your continued dedication to our City Beautiful and the Coral Gables Chamber of the Commerce!

MARIA D. GARCIA

PARTNER | KOZYAK TROPIN & THROCKMORTON CHAIR OF THE BOARD | CORAL GABLES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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17 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 11th annual Merrick-in-the-Making Awards.

Our 2025 George E. Merrick Award of Excellence Honors Gableites:

DONALD SLESNICK II & posthumously his wife, JEANNETT SLESNICK FORMER MAYOR & FORMER COMMISSIONER | CITY OF CORAL GABLES PRESENTED BY

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Set amidst the pristinely landscaped streets and refined energy of Coral Gables, directly across from The Plaza, this exclusive boutique building offers 58 luxurious 2 to 5- bedroom residences. Each home is thoughtfully designed and curated by the renowned Meyer Davis, blending contemporary luxury with old world charm.

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.

Coral Gables is proud to be home to a vibrant and diverse business community. To better understand the needs, challenges, and priorities of our local businesses, the Economic Development department conducted a National Business Survey in early 2025. The feedback we received offers valuable insight into what’s working—and where we can improve—to support continued economic success. These results will help shape future programs and policies that strengthen our business environment. View the full survey results at www.coralgables.com/survey.

www coralgables com/economic | business@coralgables com |

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INTRODUCING MORTGAGE ABCO

2025 - 2026 executive committee

Maria D. Garcia

CHAIR OF THE BOARD

KOZYAK TROPIN & THROCKMORTON

Adrian Nuñez

FIRST VICE CHAIR

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

Arianna Urquia

TREASURER

NICKLAUS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Jorge Martinez

CHAIR-ELECT

FLORIDA BLUE

Addys Kuryla

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT

HOLLAND & KNIGHT

Nguyen Cabanilla GLOBAL BUSINESS AFFAIRS

CONTACT LINK, LLC

Yvonne Boucugnani TRUSTEE COUNCIL CHAIR AMERANT BANK

Cristina Miller

CHAIRMAN’S APPOINTEE

INTERMEDIA TOUCH, INC.

Rosanna Weber COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

PITA WEBER DEL PRADO

Elizabeth Perez MEMBER AFFAIRS THE KEYES COMPANY

Giselle Breto SPECIAL EVENTS BEST PRACTICES TITLE

Erin Dowd GOVERNMENT & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

BAPTIST HEALTH

Zachariah Evangelista BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SER & ASSOCIATES, PLLC

2025

- 2026

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ashley Airaghi

Audrey Otero

ALGO LAW

Ryan Davenport

MIAMI MARLINS

Stuart Debowsky

DEBOWSKY DESIGN GROUP

Carmen Gonzalez

CITY NATIONAL BANK OF FLORIDA

Tony Guerra

JOHNMARTIN’S

Jose Hernandez VALLEY BANK

Sara M. Hernandez

FIRST CITIZENS BANK

Matthias Kammerer

THE BILTMORE HOTEL

Drew Kern

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES

EWM REALTY

Stephanie Kopfstedt

HOTEL COLONNADE

Vonnell Martinez

VIM WEALTH MANAGEMENT

PNC BANK

Jose Romano

ZOO MIAMI FOUNDATION

Al Rose UNIVERSITY CREDIT UNION

Monique Selman

ALBANY HOMES CONSTRUCTION

Maura Shiffman

UHEALTH

Anabella Smith ZYSCOVICH

- EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS -

Mayor Vince Lago

City of Coral Gables

Eric Gros-Dubois

EPGD BUSINESS LAW

Coral Gables Community Foundation

Cristina Miller

INTERMEDIA TOUCH, INC.

Coral Gables Chamber Foundation

Belkys Perez City of Coral Gables

Laura Morgan Horton

MORGAN HORTON LAW

Cesar Murillo

EMERGENT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS

Rene Negron

EQUITABLE ADVISORS

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

Yannie Lafortune 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 | YLafortune@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

Chloe Robison

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Membership Coordinator Maintains internal membership control and administration. Membership activities include processing of new member accounts and updates, website listings and record management. Responsible for the RE-Connect Luncheon, Café con Chamber, Chamber Engagement 101 for new members, and The City Beautiful Awards Program. Also serves as the staff liaison to Chairman’s Ambassador Committee, and the Membership Committee.

E | CRobison@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 2025 Annual Conference!

CO-PRESENTED BY:

PREMIER SPONSORS:

CORPORATE SPONSORS:

PARTICIPATING SPONSORS:

SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS: VIM WEALTH MANAGEMENT | AVANTE INSURANCE GROUP

ZYSCOVICH ARCHITECTS | ALBANY HOMES CONSTRUCTION EMERGENT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS | BERMELLO AJAMIL & PARTNERS, INC.