Miami, FL
– With the holidays fast
approaching and the
end of 2008 just around the corner, the best of
South
Florida’s corporate and black businesses came out
for a
night of reflection and celebration. Corporate
leaders and
well-wishers joined the Miami-Dade Chamber of
Commerce in celebrating another year of astonishing
achievement in the
Black business community at its 3rd
Annual Holiday Gala.
The gala, which honors the
accomplishments of
professionals, businesses, and
philanthropic leaders in the South Florida
community, recognized this year’s top honorees:
civil
rights attorney
H.T Smith, the first African-American
assistant public defender and the first
African-American
assistant county attorney in Miami received the
first H.T.
Smith Lifetime Achievement Award;
Dr. Eduardo J.
Padrón, president of Miami-Dade College,
the largest
institution of higher education in the United States
was
recognized
with the
Distinguished Service Award; and
the Citizen of the Year Award went to
Tracy
Wilson-Mourning, founder of the Honey
Shine Mentoring Foundation – a program committed to
the development
and nurturing of at-risk young women.
The crowd of over 500,
which included national celebrities,
corporate supporters of the chamber, and elected
officials,
attended the swanky, “oceanic” themed affair hosted
at the Hyatt
Regency in
Downtown Miami. Miami Heat center,
Alonzo Mourning, the “Queen of Comedy,”
Sommore,
nationally syndicated radio talk show host,
Michael
Baisden of The
Michael Baisden Show,
Donna
Richardson-Joyner, nationally acclaimed
fitness guru
and wife of Tom
Joyner, Opa-Locka City Commissioner
Rose Tydus, State Representative
Oscar Braynon II,
Miami-Dade County School Board member and former
State Representative,
Wilbert “Tee”
Holloway,
Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser and former
Florida Senator,
Gwen Margolis and
Huggy Lowdown
of HOT 105 and the Tom Joyner Morning Show
were all present.
The Miami-Dade Chamber
of Commerce Holiday Gala
has earned a well deserved reputation as one of the
most anticipated corporate and social events of the
holiday
season, featuring stellar entertainment, fine food
and
a diverse mix of
South Florida’s corporate leaders.
This year’s top
corporate sponsors included the
Miccosukee Resort and Gaming, Carnival Cruise Lines,
Dolphin Stadium, American Airlines, Citibank, Florida
Power & Light, Macy’s Florida, PSAV and HOT 105.
For more information
about the Miami-Dade Chamber of
Commerce, please call Beverly James at 305-751-8648.
Media inquiries should be directed to Circle of One
Marketing at 305-576-3790.
About Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce:
The Miami-Dade Chamber of
Commerce was founded in
1974 and leads the way towards long-term business
prosperity, by providing advocacy, networking,
resources,
and training to men and women in
South Florida.
The Chamber’s mission is to provide a world of
business opportunities and bring the business
community together
to exchange goods and services and to promote
interaction and communication mutually beneficial to
all businesses
involved. To learn more about the Miami-Dade
Chamber of Commerce and membership opportunities
call 305.751.8648 or visit our web site at
www.m-dcc.org.