City Commissioner of Miami Beach
Mark Samuelian’s roots in South Florida and Miami Beach run deep. His grandfather lived in Coral Gables and Mark’s love for the area started in early childhood. A homeowner in Miami Beach since 2003, he enjoys the richness and diversity of its residents and neighborhoods. Mark met Laura Dominguez, his life partner, in 2012 and they live on the Venetian Islands.
This passion for his community allowed him to be elected to the Miami Beach City Commission in November 2017 with overwhelming resident support. He received 68% of the votes cast and won the majority of votes in all 24 precincts. In 2021, he was re-elected to office without opposition.
Additionally, he serves as a member of the Finance Committee, which adopts financial policies and oversees a $744MM budget creation and execution. He is also the Chairman of the Land Use and Sustainability Committee responsible for the implementing of land use regulations and sustainability policies including resiliency and sea level rise. Along with his commission aide, they have addressed over 1000 resident inquiries and concerns and passed multiple initiatives to enhance the City’s resiliency, public safety, and resident quality of life. Mark currently is on the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the Board of Governors for the Miami
Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Advisory Board Member of the World Affairs Council of Miami. He is the past President of Miami Beach United.
Mark was born in Boston, MA, where his grandparents settled after immigrating to the United States. He attended public schools and was the first in his family to earn a college degree. Mark learned much from his mother and father – a hardworking small business owner who worked tirelessly for 50 years.
Mark holds an engineering degree graduating cum laude from Georgia Tech, as well as an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Mark is a graduate of the Miami Beach Leadership Academy. As a former national chess master, he also actively sponsors scholastic chess across Miami Beach schools.
City Commissioner of Miami Beach
Representative for Florida House of Representatives for District 112
Nicholas Duran was elected in November 2016 to the Florida House of Representatives for District 112. In the Legislature, Representative Duran serves on several health care committees. He is the ranking Democratic Member of the Health and Human Services Committee, and is on the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. As well as being appointed to the Appropriations Committee, Finance and Facilities Subcommittee, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Over the years he has served in a variety of leadership roles for health care policy and community engagement. Currently he is the executive director of the Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.
Nick serves on the board of directors for the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Epilepsy Florida, Miami-Dade Public Health Trust, and is a member of Leadership Florida. He previously served as a board member for The Children’s Trust, was the immediate past chair for the University of South Florida Covering Kids and Families State Coalition. He is a graduate of The University of Florida and New York Law School. Representative Duran is a native South Floridian and lives in Coconut Grove with his wife Danielle and two kids.
Representative for Florida House of Representatives for District 112
CEO of rbb Communications
Christine Barney is CEO of rbb Communications, named to the 2020 Forbes Top PR firm list and five times as national Agency of the Year (including 2020). rbb offers media relations, digital/social marketing, corporate communications, reputation management and creative services/advertising.
Barney has developed marketing communications programs for brands including DHL Express, M&Ms and Thomson Reuters.
She is the author of “The Breakout Brand ™ Strategy: An Evolutionary Approach to Creating Customer Passion” and her firm, headquartered in Miami, with a presence in Los Angeles and New York is known as the Champion of Breakout Brands ™.
Barney’s “employee-driven workplace” philosophy makes the firm a repeated winner in “best place to work” rankings. She is past chair of the South Florida Business Council and Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Orange Bowl Committee and more. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and received the 2016 Bill Adams PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award.
CEO of rbb Communications
Florida Region Head for Chase’s Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries business.
Diego Gordillo is the Florida Region Head for Chase’s Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries business. Based in Miami, he leads a team of more than 30 bankers across the state who serve Florida businesses with more than $20 million in annual revenue.
Diego joined the Middle Market Banking group in June 2018 from the firm’s Corporate and Investment Bank in New York where he led the North America Foreign Exchange (FX) sales teams for Middle Market and Business Banking clients. A 22-year banking veteran, Diego has held senior roles across the firm’s businesses and started his career in Dallas with JPMorgan Chase’s predecessor Bank One.
Diego is an advocate for diversity and served as the Global Co-Chair of JPMorgan Chase’s Adelante group, which helps promote and develop Latino and Hispanic employees across the firm. He graduated from Midwestern State University and received his Executive MBA from Southern Methodist University. He lives with his wife and three children in Miami.
Florida Region Head for Chase’s Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries business.
Senior Manager at The Boeing Company
Emmanuel Tormes serves as Senior Manager of State and Local Government Operations for The Boeing Company. In this role, he engages public and private sector networks to advance legislative and administrative priorities at the state and local levels of government in Florida.
Joining Boeing in 2015, Emmanuel advocates for defense, space, and commercial programs in Florida, where the company maintains an important presence including the Training & Professional Services Campus in Virginia Gardens and the Boeing Distribution Services global headquarters in Hialeah. Through sustaining relationships with policymakers and stakeholders and effectively leveraging company presence, he helps achieve Boeing’s business goals and objectives in Miami-Dade County and statewide.
With over 18 years of experience in Florida government and politics, Emmanuel has served in the Executive Office of the Governor as Director of External Affairs and Special Assistant to the Governor. He also served as Special Assistant to the Orange County Mayor where he led a wide range of initiatives in legislative affairs, communications, constituent services, and county commission redistricting efforts.
Emmanuel has collaborated on several political campaigns in roles such as Regional Outreach Director, and formerly served in Seminole County Government, where he supported the management and distribution of $1 million in community service grants.
In 2020, Emmanuel was appointed by the governor to the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors. He actively serves on the boards of directors of the Florida Defense Contractors Association, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, and Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce. Emmanuel is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.
Senior Manager at The Boeing Company
President of Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States, CAMACOL
Joe Chi is an entrepreneur and economic developer, specializing in the international business sector, with extensive experience in Europe, Asia and the Latin American region.
During his career he has represented various governmental entities on an honorary basis, in many diplomatic, cultural and commercial areas. Born in Cuba, of Chinese heritage and U.S. educated, Joe has traveled the world non-stop since 1970. His 30 year track record in the food, industrial products, industrial materials, energy and mining sectors has positioned him to act as a multilateral bridge between the commercial, diplomatic and cultural communities in the United States, Asia, Europe and the Latin American region. Locally, Joe has tackled complex socially responsible issues such as economic development for the disadvantaged, welfare, unemployment and nutrition. Entering the Senior Health Care field as Vice President of FADSA, the Florida Adult Day Care Association, he organized a comprehensive effort between major governmental, academic and senior healthcare entities, to develop solutions for senior healthcare, through high tech innovations.
Under-graduate and post-graduate education
A.S. Degree, Engineering, Miami Dade College, 1977
B.S. Degree, Accounting, Barry University, 1987
Coursework towards Master’s Degree, Harvard University
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 1988-1990
Joe lives in Miami, Florida with his wife Mercy and his two children.
His hobbies include reading about commerce, history, economics, politics and organizing commercial, social and cultural events in our community and throughout the Americas.
Expertise
Problem Solving and Crisis Management ability combined with a diplomatic operating style. Trilingual capacity in English, Spanish and Chinese. Business experience in international business development.
1976-2007/Maxim’s Import Corporation grew food business to a substantial multinational enterprise setting up and conducting multi-million dollar transactions in the USA, Latin America and Asia. Sold the company in 2007.
April 2003/President, Miami Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
Jan 2007/Founder China Latin American Trade Center to focus on Asian Business Development
Additional Joe has served on numerous boards and worked with many organizations.
1996-2002
Board Member, Wages Coalition Region 23, in charge of placing over 65,000 welfare recipients into productive jobs in the Dade and Monroe. Coalition was co-chaired by Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas.
1997-2002
Highlights
2000 March/Elected Chairman of the WAGES Coalition in charge of a budget of US $120 million dollars to transition over 65,000 welfare recipients in the Miami area.
Elected Vice Chairman of the Jobs and Education Partnership Board. [Precursor to South Florida Workforce]
President of Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States, CAMACOL
President & Cheif Executive Office of Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Matthew A. Love serves as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nicklaus Children’s Health System, the region’s only healthcare system exclusively for children and the parent organization of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, a nationally recognized nonprofit pediatric specialty hospital based in Miami, Florida.
In this role, Mr. Love oversees the 309 bed Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and its network of pediatric outpatient centers situated in Miami Dade, Broward, Martin and Palm Beach counties, along with other health system entities including Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists (a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary), an ambulatory surgery center, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation (the organization’s 501c3 fundraising arm).
Mr. Love has more than 20 years of experience in financial and operational leadership in both adult and pediatric healthcare systems. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Regions for Mercy Health System in Ohio where he led a team of seven regional CFOs . Prior to Mercy Health, Mr. Love served in operational and planning roles for several years at a children’s hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).
He is a graduate of Ohio State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, and has a master’s degree in Business Administration from Cleveland State University.
President & Cheif Executive Office of Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Vice President for Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America, American Airlines
2023-2024 Board Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
Juan Carlos Liscano is American Airlines’ Vice President for Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America. He oversees all airport operations in Miami, American’s largest international hub and gateway to the Americas, as well as in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Juan Carlos joined the airline in 1994 and has held numerous leadership roles throughout his career. He has previously served as Managing Director of Latin America. Managing Director of the Los Angeles hub, Managing Director of Flight Service Strategy and as Managing Director of Customer Care in Miami.
He currently serves on the board of directors for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Miami-Dade Beacon Council and the United Way of Miami-Dade. Additionally, he is a sponsor of the Latin Diversity Network employee business resource group at American.
Juan Carlos was born in Cali, Columbia and grew up in Queens, NY. He holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree from Florida International University and a Bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Cycling and diving are his non-airline passions, but his true passion is family time. He resides in Miami, FL with his wife, Joanne, and four children.
Vice President for Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America, American Airlines
2023-2024 Board Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
President of Nova Southeastern University
George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D. is the sixth president of Nova Southeastern University the largest, not-for-profit, private university in Florida. He assumed the role of President and CEO in July 2011.
One of his first accomplishments as president was to refocus the university’s mission and vision, and lay out eight core values to guide the university into 2020 and beyond: Academic Excellence, Student Centered, Integrity, Innovation, Opportunity, Scholarship/Research, Diversity and Community. Under Dr. Hanbury’s leadership, NSU became one of only 37 universities in the nation to hold the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s dual designation of both “Community Engaged” and “High Research Activity.”
Prior to his appointment as President, Dr. Hanbury served NSU for twelve years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Before entering higher education administration, Dr. Hanbury led a successful 30-year career as City Manager of the Cities of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Portsmouth, Virginia; Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Hanbury holds a B.S. from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in Public Administration from Old Dominion University and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University.
Dr. Hanbury has been honored by many organizations, including being once again named as one of the 2020 South Florida Business Journal Ultimate CEO’s. Additional accolades include the 2019 Guy Harvey Conservation Award, 2017 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureate and City of Ft. Lauderdale Walk of Fame inductee, 2015 Sun Sentinel Excalibur Award, 2014 South Florida Business Journal Ultimate CEO award, Fort Lauderdale’s 2013 Downtowner of the Year, and many other community related awards throughout his career. He also commits much of his time to civic activities by serving on numerous boards, including the Broward Workshop Executive Committee, and the Sunshine State Conference.
Dr. Hanbury has been certified through the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia and has been recognized for his leadership by service organizations, city councils and commissions, and chambers of commerce across the nation. He has lectured throughout the country to various executive groups on topics such as leadership, public policy, the council/manager form of government, economic development, executive motivation and public speaking.
President of Nova Southeastern University
Founder and Senior Advisor
Tony Villamil is a nationally recognized economist, with over thirty-five years of successful career as a business economist, university educator and high-level policymaker for both federal and state governments. Tony was selected in 2008 as the founding Dean of the School of Business of St. Thomas University, serving successfully until December 31, 2013 at which time he resigned to return as senior advisor to the growing economic consulting practice that he founded, The Washington Economics Group, Inc. (WEG), a Florida-based firm established in 1993 upon returning to the State from his public service in Washington, D.C.
Tony is the immediate past Chairman of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors of Florida, and during 1999-2000, he was selected by Governor Bush as his first Director for Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. Previously, he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush as U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, receiving unanimous U.S. Senate confirmation. Presently he is active on Corporate Board of Directors, including Amerant Bank, N.A. and Amerant Bank Holding Corp., Pan American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) and Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS).
Among civic and professional leadership positions, he is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the official economic development organization of the county. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He serves as Senior Fellow of the James Madison Institute (JMI) of Tallahassee, Florida.
He earned Bachelor and Master Degrees in Economics from Louisiana State University (LSU), where he also completed coursework for the Ph.D. Degree. In 1991, Florida International University (FIU) awarded him a Doctoral Degree in Economics (hc), for “distinguished contributions to the Nation in the field of economics.” He frequently speaks to business, government and university audiences on the Florida economy, U.S. trade policy and economic development issues.
Tony is a resident of Coral Gables, Florida, where he lives with his family, traveling frequently throughout Florida, the U.S. and globally to conduct research and presentations for clients of The Washington Economics Group, Inc. (WEG)
