Legacy South Florida: South Florida’s 50 Most PowerfulBlack Business Leaders of 2013

South Florida’s 50 Most Powerful

Black Business Leaders of 2013

Chief Franklin C. Adderley is a native of Fort Lauderdale and the youngest son of Baha-

mian immigrants, the late George and Frankielee Adderley. Chief Adderley was raised in

the Fort Lauderdale’s Northwest Community. He attended Broward County Public Schools

and is a 1979 graduate of Stranahan High School. Chief Adderley joined the City of Fort

Lauderdale Police Department in October 1980. He was the youngest cadet in the 81st

graduating class of the Broward County Police Academy.

On June 1, 2008, he was appointed as the first African-American Chief of Police in the his-

tory of Fort Lauderdale. Chief Adderley oversees a department which includes an annual

budget of $100 million, 511 sworn police officers and 190 civilian employees.

Ms. Dionne Anderson is the Managing Director and co-founder of The Design Group of

Miami, an event management, production and marketing solutions firm. Anderson began

her entrepreneurial pursuits in 2000 when launching her own incentive travel company. Ms.

Anderson was contracted by the Tom Joyner Foundation to create internal travel systems

while managing event logistics during the first several years of the “Fantastic Voy-

age” cruise. Anderson, has also produced events for Magic Johnson, the 100 Blackman of

America, University of Miami and celebrity wedding celebrations. Six years ago The De-

sign Group was formed and currently is the décor & production provider for Humana Chal-

lenge, the Clinton Foundation, the Orange Bowl, Miami Dade Chamber and the Food Net-

work South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

Born to Chinese and Trinidadian parents, Timon Balloo’s scrapbook of memories leads with

days on the farm, ethnic recipes and a favorite pastime of watching not-so-traditional child-

hood television - PBS’ Yan Can Cook. So, in 1998 when Balloo enrolled in Johnson & Wales

University, it came as no surprise to family and friends that he would pursue a career behind

the stove.

Balloo is the executive chef and partner of SUGARCANE. The eatery opened with much fan-

fare in 2010 and has been celebrated locally with a three star review from The Miami Herald;

a nod for “Best New Restaurant,” and “Best Up-and-Coming Chef” from Miami New Times;

and the titles, “Restaurant of the Year” and “Chef of the Year” (Miami) by Eater. On a na-

tional level, the restaurant earned recognition as a semi-finalist for “Best New Restaurant” by

the James Beard Foundation and Balloo received a nomination for “The People’s Best New

Chef” by Food & Wine in 2011.



Denise Patricia Barrett-Johnson has been an educator with Miami-Dade County Public

Schools for 18 years. Her crowning achievement to date was being selected as the recipient of

the 2012-2013 Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award by the Florida Depart-

ment of Education. She now serves as Principal at Phillis Wheatley Elementary School. In

2012, Denise earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University. In

her spare time she enjoys mentoring women of all ages, modeling, reading, and traveling. She

is the mother of a three year old son, Reginald. She is a member of A Place Called Hope

Church in Cooper City, Florida.

Dr. M. Brian Blake is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate

School at the University of Miami. He has oversight and advocacy of university-wide gradu-

ate programs in addition to research programs for disciplines on the Coral Gables campus. He

also oversees university-wide faculty enhancement and diversity efforts.

As a Professor of Computer Science, Dr. Blake is an accomplished scholar having authored

over 150 refereed publications. A graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology and George

Mason University, prior to serving at UM, he was on the faculty of Georgetown University

and the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Blake resides in Pinecrest, FL with his wife, Bridget,

and two sons Brendan and Bryce.

Rodney Baltimore is a true community activist, for and ‘about’ the people. He has a genuine

desire and calling to help those in need and he continues to have a major impact on this

community with his extraordinary community outreach.

Rodney is the executive producer and co-host of the Tom Joyner Morning Show. He is an

industry veteran having worked at, among other stations, WRBD, WOKB and 99 JAMZ. The

level of his community service is unparalleled. His interviews play a key role in informing

South Floridians about upcoming events, opportunities to serve and to help others. Rodney is

a tireless advocate for the underprivileged in our community. He is an active member in more

than a dozen organizations. Rodney has an encyclopedic knowledge of a wide variety of

people, places, cultures, personalities and of course artists and music.



Donise E. Brown is a Director-Corporate Counsel for Starbucks Coffee Company. As Di-

rector Corporate Counsel for the Company’s Legal & Corporate Affairs Department

(L&CA), Ms. Brown is responsible for providing legal support for all of Starbucks’s real

estate matters in the Mid-Atlantic, Florida, and Southeast Regions.

In addition to providing legal services for Starbucks, she serves as Co-Chair of the L&CA

Diversity Committee which is responsible for, among other things, overseeing the surveying

and review of its outside counsel annually to ensure that the firms retained by Starbucks re-

flect a commitment to

diversity. Ms. Brown is a graduate of Howard University School of Law. She received her

undergraduate education with honors from Tuskegee University.

Howard Brown, CPA, is the Chief Financial Officer at North Shore Medical Center in Mi-

ami. With over 10 years of financial healthcare experience in areas of general and opera-

tional accounting, he is responsible for overseeing the financial operations for the 357-bed

acute care hospital and its departments. Brown has been a certified public accountant since

February 2004 and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Atlantic Univer-

sity.

Jimmy Brown served as a United Methodist Pastor for 37 years, retiring in 2011. During

this time Dr. Brown led the congregations of Saint Paul UMC, Mount Sinai UMC, Kerr Me-

morial UMC, Ebenezer UMC, and Harris Chapel UMC. Dr. Brown and his wife Michelle

have 5 sons and 10 grandchildren.

Dr. Brown is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force (1962 – 1969). He received the Bronze Star

and the Air Force Commendation Medal for service during the Vietnam War. He is a retired

Division Chief of Miami-Dade Police Department (30) years). Upon his retirement in 1999,

he was Chief of the Special Investigation Division. He has hosted the ever-popular talk

show “HOT TALK’ on WHQT-FM for over 22 years. He is an adjunct professor at Barry

and Everest Universities. He is the President/CEO of JLB Consulting, Inc.



State Senator Dwight M. Bullard has been a teacher at Coral Reef Senior High School

in Miami Florida since 2000 and on November 9h, 2012 he was sworn into office as state

Senator of Florida District 39. Currently he serves as Vice Chair of Agriculture, and serves on committees ranging from the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and

General Government to Environmental Preservation committees. Bullard has been a re-cipient of the Florida Education Association’s Freshman Friend of Public Education and Friend

of Public Education Award, and the Florida Association of School Administrators’ Next Genera-

tion Leader Award. He is also a member of the South Dade Democrats, The Prince Hall

Masons Johnny L. King Lodge #767 and the Richmond-Perrine Alumni Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.

As the President/CEO of one of the fastest growing financial services firms in South Florida,

Indra Campbell exemplifies the invaluable characteristics of a transformational leader of the

21st century.

With a corporate mantra of “Global Focus, Local Reach”, ARCA Capital Investments, Inc. is

poised to become an independent powerhouse with a strong institutional fixed income desk

and an active retail brokerage unit providing financial services expertise to high net worth in-

dividuals and institutional customers. Under her stewardship, ARCA Capital Investments,

Inc. is expected to grow exponentially within the next five years and become a competitive

force in both the Caribbean and Latin American markets.

Mrs. Valtena G. Brown, a life-long educator was recently appointed Chief Operating Officer

for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. She is responsible for the operational function of all

Pre-K – 12 and Adult/ Vocational schools, in the fourth largest school system in the United

States. Her role also includes the supervision of Transportation, Food and Nutrition Opera-

tions, Athletic/Activities, Federal and State Compliance Offices, Charter Schools Operations

and Alternative Education.

Mrs. Brown is married to Isaac and is the mother of Isha and Isaac, Jr. and the grandmother of

Braylen. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

Mrs. Brown’s mission is to enrich the lives of children, families and communities, each child,

each family and each community.



Leah A. Carpenter, FACHE, is the Administrator and CEO of Memorial Hospital

Miramar. Carpenter’s healthcare career spans 26 years with exceptional leadership in profit

and non-profit institutions and acute care settings. The last 11 years, she has held executive

positions at Memorial Hospital Pembroke and Memorial Hospital Miramar. As chief nurs-

ing officer, she was instrumental in the design, construction and opening of Memorial Hos-

pital Miramar in 2005 – the same hospital she now leads as Administrator and Chief Execu-

tive Officer. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Bachelor’s Degree in

Nursing from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and is nationally recognized for

her work in patient safety, quality and service.

Chantal Leconte, FACHE, has more than 35 years of healthcare experience and has

worked in many roles ranging from nurse manager to hospital CEO. She is the CEO for Joe

DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Administrator for Pediatric Services at Memorial

Healthcare System. Prior to joining Memorial, she also spent more than 15 years with

Cleveland Clinic. She holds a master’s degree in business with honors from Nova South-

eastern University in Fort Lauderdale. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare

Administration from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. and a nursing degree

from Queensborough Community College in Bayside, NY.

A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Nina Compton began her profes-

sional journey at Daniel in New York City. After moving to Miami, she had the privilege of

working with some of South Florida’s top chefs including Norman Van Aken at Norman’s

and Philippe Ruiz. Eventually, Chef Compton was recruited to Casa Casuarina, a private

club and intimate boutique hotel where she was the Executive Chef. In 2008, the excitement

behind the renovation of the famed Fontainebleau Miami Beach, combined with the chance

to work with Scott Conant, lured Chef Compton to Scarpetta.



Since 1963, T. Willard Fair has served as the President & CEO of the Urban League of

Greater Miami, Inc. He received a B.A. degree in Sociology, from Johnson C. Smith Univer-

sity in 1961 and an M.S.W. degree from Atlanta School of Social Work in 1963. Fair has

served as an adjunct professor at the Atlanta University School of Social Work, Bethune

Cookman College, FIU, and the National Urban League’s Whitney M. Young, Jr. Center for

Urban Leadership. Fair continues to serve on various boards where he has received more than

200 service & recognition awards promoting education and civil rights.

Chief Dwayne S. Flournoy is a native of Broward County, Florida and a 1984 graduate Boyd

Anderson High School. Flournoy has been a member of the Hallandale Beach Police Depart-

ment since 1987. Prior to joining the Hallandale Beach Police Department, he proudly served

in the United States Army Military Police Corp. During his tenure as a Military Policeman,

he served as a Traffic Accident Investigator at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland and

Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland.

After graduating from the Broward County Police Academy Class 129, Chief Flournoy began

his career as a patrol officer and was a member of the department's SWAT Team and later

became the team leader. He has also worked as School Resource Officer, Narcotics Officer

and Supervisor. Flournoy was promoted to his present position as Chief of Police on April 2,

2011. He earned bachelors and masters degrees in Public Administration from Barry Univer-

sity.

Bill Diggs serves as chief executive officer for The Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce.

Miami Dade Chamber of Commerce is Florida’s oldest Chamber of Commerce that has as its

primary mission the growth and retention of minority businesses. The chamber has over 500

members whom Bill advocates for on a daily basis. He is a Board Member of The Greater

Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Visitor’s Industry Council, South Florida Work-

force and The Children’s Trust. Bill is the Immediate Past Chairman of Alonzo Mourning

Charities. Bill is also past president and a founding member of the 100 Black Men of South

Florida, Inc. Bill also founded The Young Professionals Network of Miami. Its main goal is

the mentoring, recruitment and retention of young black professionals in the South Florida

area.



The Honorable Darrin Gayles serves as judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Upon

his appointment by then-Governor Charlie Crist, the former state chief noted: “Judge Gayles

is widely known for his professionalism, fairness and effective administration of justice. His

respect for the law, as well as for all who appear in his courtroom, will contribute to the

Eleventh Circuit in a meaningful way.”

Throughout his legal career, Gayles served on the Miami-Dade County Court, an assistant

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and as assistant district counsel

for the United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service. He

received his bachelor’s degree from Howard University and his law degree from George

Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.

History was made at Florida Memorial University when Charles George was elected

chairman of the institution's Foundation Board and later as Chairman of the Board of

Trustees. This was the first time a graduate of the University was elected to either position.

He received a bachelor's degree from Florida Memorial University and his master's degree

from Florida International University. His professional career includes 25 years as a public

administrator and police officer in city and county governments. Prior to retirement,

Mr. George owned a construction company. Numerous awards and recognitions have been

presented to Mr. George for his professional and community involvement. Additionally,

Mr. George still finds time to serve on the board of the family construction business, George

Family and Associates, and provides consultant services.



Kelly-Ann Gibbs Cartwright is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office practicing

in the area of general civil and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on employment

discrimination, civil rights, business torts and labor law. Ms. Cartwright also has experi-

ence in the litigation of cases involving trade secrets, defamation, fraud, civil theft, breach

of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and unfair competition. She currently serves on the

firm's Directors Committee and is the Executive Partner of the firm's Miami office. She is

recognized at a top attorney in Labor and Employment Law by The Best Lawyers in

America, Super Lawyers, Florida Trend's Legal Elite, South Florida Legal Guide and has

been named both an Ultimate CEO and Most Influential Business Woman by the South

Florida Business Journal.

For more than 28 years, Colonel Brodes H. Hartley, Jr. has been the President and CEO of

Community Health of South Florida Inc.(CHI), a network of Federally Qualified Health Care

Centers. Under his leadership, CHI has grown to include seven health care centers and 42

school based centers. His vision continues as the non-profit is planning on opening three new

health care centers and a Children’s Crisis Center soon. He is a founding member of Health

Choice Network and serves as Chairman of the Boards of Health Choice Network, Inc., and

Health Choice Network of Florida. Hartley also volunteers his time with several organiza-

tions including: FAMU Foundation, Deering Estate Foundation, Alpha Rho Boule Founda-

tion, South Florida Boys and Girls Choir, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Frater-

nity.

Having earned Bachelor Degrees in both Business Administration and Accounting, a Certifi-

cate in Financial Planning and an MBA, Michele Henney worked for various corporations

including Chase, Omnicom and Dun and Bradstreet. Her areas of expertise include financial

reporting and analysis, auditing, taxes and business valuation. For the past 6 years, she has

worked as a Financial Controller and supervises a staff of 15. She is also a licensed Real

Estate Agent.

Regarded as a fashionista, Michele started Trunque in 2010 (a fashion, lifestyle and event

company), which produced the Red Velvet Valentine’s Affair and Sundays Pon Di River

events in 2013.

Kevin Granville is a Captain with the Broward Sheriff’s Office. The 21 year veteran is currently serving as the

District Chief for the city of Dania Beach. During his career he has served in several capacities; starting out as

the agency’s first college intern, road patrol, street crimes, motors, and the school resource unit.

Kevin is a graduate of Miami Northwestern Senior High and earned a Bachelors of Science degree from Bethune

- Cookman College He is also a graduate of the distinguished University of Louisville’s Southern Police Insti-

tute Administrative Officers Course.

Captain Granville sits on the advisory board for the Turner Tech High School’s Public Safety Academy and is

the Executive Vice President for the N.O.B.L.E. South Florida Chapter.



Marlon A. Hill is a founding partner with the law firm of delancyhill, P.A. practicing in

the areas of general corporate, intellectual property/entertainment, and immigration transac-

tions representing entrepreneurs, corporations, and non-profit organizations. Born in King-

ston, Jamaica, Mr. Hill is a graduate of the Florida State University Colleges of Business &

Law. Mr. Hill is an Inaugural Fellow of the Miami Foundation’s Miami Fellows Initiative

and has served as a past president of the Caribbean Bar Association. He currently serves as

a member of the board of directors for the Miami Parking Authority, Miami Light Project,

Miami Foundation, and an active member of the Orange Bowl Committee. Mr. Hill is cur-

rently the advisor to the Florida Caribbean Students Association and immediate past Jamai-

can Diaspora Advisory Board Member for the Southern United States (2006-2011). Mr.

Hill is a weekly civic commentator, D’ Peoples Politics, on Caribbean Riddims, WZAB

880AM, every Saturday at 4pm covering issues of civic interest, legal concern, and social or

cultural impact.

Michael Hill is in his sixth full season as the Marlins’ General Manager in 2013, his 11th

season with the Marlins overall. He has 18 seasons experience in various front office

capacities following his retirement as a player.

Hill, a 1993 graduate of Harvard University, was named to the “Hot List” by Black Enter-

prise magazine in 2003, a list that represents the best and brightest African American

executives under the age of 40. In 2010, Hill was named one of The Grio’s 100 Black

History Makers in the Making.

Hill, wife Vivian and three sons, reside in Plantation Acres, Fla.

Fedrick C. Ingram, a Miami native, attended Miami-Dade County Public Schools, gradu-

ated from Miami Jackson Senior High, and obtained his BA degree in music education from

Bethune Cookman University.

Ingram was named the 2006 Francisco R. Walker, Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year

and was one of five finalists for the Macy’s Florida Teacher of the Year.

In 2007, Mr. Ingram was elected as Secretary/Treasurer of United Teachers of Dade, repre-

senting 34,000 school employees. He has served two consecutive terms and, in February

2013, he was elected President of UTD for a three-year term beginning May 16, 2013.

Awards and recognitions include the NAACP Phoenix Award, the Education Fund’s Public

School Alumni Achievement Award, and JM Family Enterprises’, African American

Achiever Award 2013 for Education.



Gloria Kelly, educator, scientist and mother who strongly believes in giving back to the com-

munity and future generations. Born in Raleigh, NC; she graduated from FAMU College of

Pharmacy and is the certified Clinical Consultant, MTM and Coagulation Specialist for Bap-

tist Health South Florida eICU. Gloria is the former Director of Pharmacy for BHM,

authored and published several clinical studies and serves as President of SFSHP. Gloria

believes strongly in mentoring. She's a gardener hobbyist and occasional golfer when sched-

ule allows. She believes in the clarion call of community service that "...we must all give

more than we take...and leave more than we get..."

Lorna Kernizan, FACHE, CASC, recently promoted to chief operating officer at Aventura

Hospital and Medical Center, has been working in the South Florida hospital and healthcare

community since 1994. Her career has come full circle, since her start was as a part time

Administrative Intern at Aventura Hospital in March, 1994, earning credit towards her

Masters in Business Administration, at University of Miami. Upon completion she received a

position in the Medical Staff Office.

Lorna is a member of the Board of the South Florida Healthcare Executive Forum and enjoys

living in Pembroke Pines with her husband and two boys.

Patricia Jennings Braynon has been the Director of the Housing Finance Authority of Mi-

ami-Dade County since 1990. As the Director, she is responsible for the administration of the

County's more than $2 billion bond financed housing programs. Mrs. Braynon also serves as

the President of the Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Foundation, which furthers the goals

and mission of the Authority. She is a member of the Board of Directors and served as Presi-

dent of the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA), a Washing-

ton, D.C. based non-profit association which advocates before Congress and federal agencies

on legislative and regulatory issues affecting affordable housing.



http://www.miamidade.gov/hfa/

Melvin Kirk is Vice President of Maintenance, Engineering and Quality Operations for

Ryder Systems, Inc., a FORTUNE® 500 global transportation and supply chain manage-

ment solutions company. Mr. Kirk is a respected leader and mentor at Ryder, as he oversees

company-wide efforts to drive operational excellence throughout Ryder’s 800 service

locations in North America supporting a network of over 35,000 customers and 160,000

vehicles. He joined Ryder in 2012 with over 25 years of Operations and Lean-Six Sigma

experience across several major industries. Mr. Kirk also actively supports local communi-

ties through mentoring and fundraising for charities.

Ms. Dionne Anderson is the Managing Director and co-founder of The Design Group of

Miami, an event management, production and marketing solutions firm. Anderson began

her entrepreneurial pursuits in 2000 when launching her own incentive travel company. Ms.

Anderson was contracted by the Tom Joyner Foundation to create internal travel systems

while managing event logistics during the first several years of the “Fantastic Voy-

age” cruise. Anderson, has also produced events for Magic Johnson, the 100 Blackman of

America, University of Miami and celebrity wedding celebrations. Six years ago The De-

sign Group was formed and currently is the décor & production provider for Humana Chal-

lenge, the Clinton Foundation, the Orange Bowl, Miami Dade Chamber and the Food Net-

work South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

Marc Love is the Vice President of Managed Care Operations for the AIDS Healthcare Foun-

dation's health insurance plans in Florida, Positive Healthcare Partners and Positive Health-

care Florida. AHF is the largest provider of AIDS care in the world. Mr. Love provides

executive leadership and strategic direction to these health plans which provide coverage to

Medicare and/or Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV/AIDS. Since earning his MBA from

Howard University, Mr. Love has held a variety of leadership positions. He also sits on

healthcare related boards and volunteers in community outreach programs with his fraternity,

Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc.



Suzan McDowell is the owner and chief executive officer of Circle of One Marketing, a full-

service marketing agency servicing general market clients and can also claim a handle on the

inside track to the African American, Caribbean, Latin and Central American communities.

Educated at the University of Texas at Austin, Suzan left clutching a BA in Advertising and

started her career working for a Dallas based newspaper selling ads and basically calling

people to see if their refrigerator was running. She then worked for the Los Angeles Herald

Examiner then moved East to New Miami Magazine where she generated new business

accounts and honed her skills in copywriting and creative services. From magazine and news-

paper she moved into the glory and limelight of South Florida radio where she made her mark

as a top seller for twelve (12) consecutive years at HOT 105 Radio. She led the team in

billing, sales, event sponsor acquisition and new business development.

The Honorable Wayne M. Messam is a local business man. Through his leadership, Mes-

sam Construction has successfully completed projects for clients including Palm Beach

School District, University of Miami and Miami Dade College, etc. Mr. Messam holds several

certifications and credentials in Construction Project Management.

In addition to his professional leadership to his firm, Messam is involved in the community.

In 2011, he was elected a Miramar City Commissioner. The commissioner also serves on

several boards. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a Life Member of the

Florida State University Alumni.

Peter Bedeau London, originally from Trinidad & Tobago, was artistic director for the

Barataria Dance Group and principal with Astor Johnson Dance Theater. 1987, received the

first Martha Hill Prize for “Outstanding Achievement and Leadership in Dance” upon gradua-

tion from the Juilliard School. A scholarship student at the AILEY school, he toured interna-

tionally with the Jose Limon and Martha Graham Dance Companies. Professor at Miami

Dade College/New World School of the Arts since 1987. Founded Peter London Global

Dance Company in 2010 and winner of a 2011 Knight Foundation Grant. A 2012 ICABA

award recipient and is an American Jewish Committee Honoree.



Dr. Stacey Oddman earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Florida International University

and her Doctorate in Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her

Family Practice Residency at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey and is Board

Certified in Family Medicine.

Dr. Oddman is the Chief of the Family Medicine Department at Holy Cross Hospital. She serves on

multiple committees at Holy Cross and also dedicates time to the community. She volunteers at

Light of the World Clinic providing care to the uninsured, publishes healthcare related articles and

conducts lectures to various professional and social groups.

J.D. Patterson has been a law enforcement officer for 30 years, and has served the Miami-

Dade Police Department (MDPD), continuously since 1985. During his career at MDPD, he

served in various capacities. In 2004, Patterson was appointed Assistant Director of Support

Services, where his responsibilities included developing the budget for the eighth largest law

enforcement agency in the southeastern United States. Throughout his career, he served com-

munities throughout Miami-Dade County, including Northside, Kendall, Miami-Lakes, Doral,

and Carol City. He is a lifelong Miamian, born at Jackson Memorial Hospital, raised in

Brownsville and graduating from Miami Jackson Senior High. The former Air Force Staff

Sargent earned an associate's degree from Miami-Dade Community College; a bachelor's de-

gree from Barry University; and a master's degree from the University of Miami.



Alexander T. Proctor is a Certified Diamontologist and Guild Gemologist who understands

that the true value of jewelry is in the real life celebrations it represents not just appraised

cost. As the General Manager of the newest Jared the Galleria of Jewelry (Aventura, FL),

with over 20 years of fine jewelry experience, Alexander has shown an overwhelming com-

mitment to customers first satisfaction combined with the highest ethical standards. His motto

is “Under Promise and Over Deliver”.

Teresa Randolph is a Florida-licensed Certified Public Accountant with over 31 years of

experience in the accounting profession. Randolph is the Controller and senior director of

Finance at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, she

reports to the Vice-President, Strategic Services and Chief Financial Officer and is responsi-

ble for overseeing all aspects of the Accounting department for the Trust and three other enti-

ties, including show and event settlements, payroll, financial reporting, budgeting, maintain-

ing the general ledger and financial systems, regulatory compliance and external audits.

Ms. Randolph earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Miami. The

Miami-natibve lives in El Portal with her son and daughter.

Natalie Piner’s drive, intuitiveness and open-mindedness make her ideally suited for the

Human Resources profession. This Miami native started her career as a Knight Ridder in-

tern while attending college, where she served as Miss Tuskegee University. In 2000, she left

the Miami Herald to pursue her Master's Degree in Divinity. Through her ministry, Natalie

has touched many with her dynamic words and exposed youth to local influential speakers,

surfing lessons and more. In 2005, Natalie returned to the Miami Herald. In 2011, she was

promoted to HR manager. She is the HR point person for advertising and the business-side

talent acquisition lead. She has been married to Eric Piner since 1999. They have 3 sons:

Khari, Jaden, and Jordan.



Sandy A. Sears has served Jackson Health System for 38 years in several capacities.

Currently, she is chief administrative officer at Jackson North Medical Center, acquired by

JHS in 2006. Under her leadership, Jackson North has been recognized for excellence in

oncology services, maternity services, surgical services, cardiovascular, stroke, bariatrics,

and other growth initiatives. Sears joined Jackson in 1975 as an assistant administrator.

Sears rose steadily through the Jackson ranks to senior vice president of ambulatory and

community health services, providing leadership for a network of primary care centers,

school based health centers, hospital based specialty and subspecialty clinics, and other

community health programs.

Trabian Shorters has a long history of creating and running innovative networks for the

public good. As Vice President of Communities for Knight Foundation he is responsible for

making informed and engaged communities in 26 large and small cities across the US. He is

responsible for the Knight Community Information Challenge (KCIC), a field-leading ini-

tiative to get hundreds of foundations to support local news and information. He is the prin-

cipal behind Knight’s ground-breaking Black Male Engagement (BMe) work which focuses

on thousands of black men as catalysts for positive local action. The Communities Program

portfolio includes over $300M in active grants and endowments.



Damita Salters is a Vice President and Consumer Market Manager for Bank of America. In

this role, she leads 14 banking center teams in providing innovative products and services to

meet the financial needs of over 113,000 households in the Broward County community.

Through In addition to her current role, Ms. Salters serves as chair of the South Florida Chap-

ter of the Black Professional Group. BPG is one of the leading Employee Network Groups

within Bank of America whose focus is to maximize the contributions and enhance the

professional development of its members across lines of businesses and the franchise.

Salters earned a Bachelor Degree, Magna Cum Laude, in Finance from Hampton University

in Hampton, Virginia and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern Uni-

versity, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina and resides

in Weston, Florida.

Representative Cynthia Stafford represents Florida’s 109th Legislative District. First elected

to the Florida House in 2010 and subsequently re-elected to a second term in 2012, Rep. Staf-

ford currently serves on the Appropriations and Education committees; the Civil Justice

(Democratic Ranking Member), Business and Professional Regulation subcommittees; and

the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee and Select Committee on Gaming. As a freshman

Legislator, Rep. Stafford was selected by the Speaker of the House in 2011 to serve as a

member of the 2012 Presidential Primary Preference Selection Committee.

Rep. Stafford is an attorney and adjunct professor. The Miami-native earned a BA in Commu-

nication Arts from St. Thomas University and a Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University

School of Law. She is a member of the Florida Bar and licensed to practice in the State of

Florida.

Susan Summons, Miami Dade College’s head women’s basketball coach for 27 years and a

professor, has been recognized as one of the best coaches in the nation. She will be inducted

in the 2013 NJCAA Hall of Fame. Among her honors, Summons was named TOP 100 Most

Influential Sports Educators in America and an MDC Endowed Teaching Chair. A motiva-

tional speaker, she was chosen by Dr. Rev Jesse Jackson to speak at the 2011 National Rain-

bow PUSH Convention. Summons founded a local youth sports and life skills program. Her

Lady Sharks boast one of the nation’s highest graduation rates (93-percent).

Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League

of Broward County. Dr. Smith-Baugh is responsible for leading the organization's efforts to

assist Broward's African American community achieve social and economic equality. Dr.

Smith-Baugh has more than fifteen years of not-for-profit experience, including government

relations, advocacy and youth development—on the local, regional and national levels.

A native of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, Dr. Smith-Baugh currently holds sev-

eral degrees including a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Communication and a Master's De-

gree in Social Work Administration from Florida State University. In 2005, she received her

doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Organizational Leadership with a concentra-

tion in Non-Profit Leadership and Management. Dr. Smith-Baugh is married to Paul Allan

Baugh, an administrator for the School Board of Broward County. They are the proud parents

of Allan and Victoria .



The Honorable Perry Thurston is a third generation Floridian and a graduate of Pompano

Beach Senior High School. After graduation, he immediately matriculated at Morehouse

College, graduating with a B.A in Finance in 1982. He later attended the University of Mi-

ami’s School of Law, earning a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1987. Upon graduation he joined

the Broward County Public Defender’s Office as Assistant Public Defender in 1988. He

moved into private practice in 1992, where he specialized in criminal defense and public

finance. Thurston was elected as State Representative for House District 93 in 2006.

In March 2011, he was elected Speaker-Elect for the Democratic Party for the 2012-2014

Session.



The Honorable Otis T. Wallace has served as mayor of Florida City for three decades. The

South Dade-native is a graduate of Michigan State University and the University Of Miami

School Of Law. After graduating from Law School, Mayor Wallace worked as attorney in the

Dade County Public Defender’s Office.

Under Wallace’s leadership, Florida City has grown to include major retailers, attract diverse

lodging interests, increase firms and built a state-of-the-art City Hall facility. The mayor has

or currently serves as a leader in various organizations including: the Vision Council, the

Mayor’s Roundtable, the Florida City Redevelopment Agency, and Florida City Pop Warner

Football, among others.

Legacy South Florida: South Florida’s 50 Most PowerfulBlack Business Leaders of 2013

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