/ Meet The SPEAKERS

Originally from Santiago, Chile, Andrea Cid has lived in 11 cities and is thrilled to call Miami her permanent home. After a successful career in real estate and banking for companies based in Latin America, the US, UK, and Asia, Ms. Cid moved to Miami to be closer to family. Together with her brother she started her first business, Cid Botanicals. In 2016 the family purchased Concept II Cosmetics, a bath and body manufacturer in Doral. Seeing a gap in the market for product development and manufacturing, Ms. Cid launched Miami Growth Machine, a manufacturing incubator for CPG start-ups. Ms. Cid is passionate about building an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Miami, where founders of all backgrounds can thrive. 

Joe Deitch is the Chairman of Commonwealth Financial Network, which he founded in 1979. He is also Chairman of Southworth Development, a golf and resort real estate company with award-winning properties in the United States, Scotland, and The Bahamas. In 2011, he helped to form Commonwealth Cares to maximize the impact of Commonwealth Financial Network’s charitable efforts. Since its inception in 2010, Commonwealth Cares has supported more than 360 different organizations that relieve human suffering, promote social and economic growth, and protect our planet’s resources. In 2012, Mr. Deitch founded the Deitch Leadership Institute at the Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the United States. The institute provides leadership training and focuses on the individual growth of students as well as on community improvement.

Al Dotson serves as Bilzin Sumberg's Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner. In his role, he oversees the Firm's operations. By leveraging innovative technology and focusing on a multidisciplinary approach, Mr. Dotson leads the Firm's attorneys and professionals to provide a client experience that represents Bilzin Sumberg's pillars of trust, collaboration, preeminence, engagement, and community-mindedness. In addition to his role as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner, Mr. Dotson is nationally recognized for his work on public-private partnerships (P3). His experience includes rail and transit facilities, airports, marinas, sports stadiums, convention centers, healthcare/life sciences facilities, educational institutions, water and sewer facilities, and parking structures.

Xavier Gonzalez leads Kaseya’s global corporate communications as Chief Communications Officer, elevating communications strategy across public relations, media, social platforms, and internal engagement. Previously, he served as Vice President, Corporate Communications at Cyxtera, a global data center company, where he led the company's internal and external communications, as well as analyst and investor relations. He also led communications initiatives associated with Cyxtera’s initial public offering.

Prior to his role at Cyxtera, Mr. Gonzalez served as Chief Executive Officer at eMerge Americas, a premier global technology conference attracting more than 15,000 global attendees. He was also Vice President of Corporate Communications at Terremark, a Verizon Company. Mr. Gonzalez is a very active participant in Miami’s civic organizations, serving on the boards of directors for the Orange Bowl, Miami-Dade Beacon Council, and United Way of Miami.

Rose Ellen Meyerhoff Greene is a philanthropist, civic leader, and vice-president of a multi-family housing company who is passionate about education opportunities for Miami -Dade County's underserved public school students. She is a trustee and past chairperson of the Perez Art Museum Miami. She chaired the committees responsible for the planning, design, and construction of the Museum's new Ferre Park building. She is a trustee of the New World Symphony and past chairperson, and a member of the Trustees Council of the National Gallery, Washington, D. C. Trained as a clinical social worker, her career focused on treating adolescents and their families. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami, she has led the Academic Affairs Committee and currently chairs the Dean's Advisory Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences and the President's Commission on Mental Health, Alcohol and other Substances. Ms. Greene is currently vice-chair person of KIPP South Florida Board of Directors. 

James R. Haj joined The Children’s Trust as President and CEO in April 2016. With Mr. Haj at the helm, The Trust has enjoyed one of its most successful periods. Trust investment in programs and services for children and families in Miami-Dade County has risen to its highest levels. He also led The Trust through the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, expanding funding for emergency assistance programs, strengthening neighborhood supports and serving as an essential voice for children and families during unprecedented hardships. A lifelong educator, Mr. Haj started his career in Miami as a teacher, became a middle and high school principal, and eventually worked as assistant superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, before joining The Trust. 

Symeria T. Hudson assumed the role of President and CEO of United Way Miami in August 2022. With close to thirty years of diversified experience, Ms. Hudson is a seasoned executive who brings both U.S. and global professional experience to United Way Miami. Prior to joining the organization, Ms. Hudson served as President and CEO for Chapman Partnership, a prominent, local nonprofit that provides comprehensive services to empower the homeless population into self-sufficiency. Before moving to Miami, Ms. Hudson was based in London, England as President of global franchises and head research and development for ConvaTec, a $1.8 billion medical technology company. Ms. Hudson spent 15 years driving new product innovation, product portfolio management and strategy for corporations in the U.S. and Europe, such as Baxter International Inc. and Hospira. Prior to this, she spent 13 years in industries such as financial services, insurance brokerage and consumer goods with a focus on strategy, marketing and finance. Ms. Hudson is a board member of MTF Biologics, UFP Technologies, and an Operating Advisor for Revival Healthcare Partners.

Daniella Levine Cava was elected Miami-Dade County's first-ever woman Mayor in November 2020. As Miami-Dade County's Mayor, she oversees a metropolitan government with nearly 30,000 employees serving nearly 3 million residents, managing an annual budget of approximately $10 billion. A social worker, lawyer, and community activist, she was first elected in 2014, and re-elected in August 2018, to serve as the Miami-Dade County Commissioner representing District 8. She came to elected office after having served as an advocate for South Florida families for over 30 years. She served special needs children, low-income families and immigrants at Legal Services of Greater Miami, and then represented children in foster care and adoption system as Acting, Associate and Legal Director for the Guardian Ad Litem Program. In 1996, Mayor Levine Cava founded Catalyst Miami to help low- and middle-income families through service, education, and advocacy. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) and served as an SFRPC Council Member from 2015 – 2020. She has served on the Florida Bar Committee on Legal Needs of Children; the boards of League of Women Voters, Orange Bowl Foundation, North Dade Medical Foundation, South Florida Health Information Initiative, and several national boards.

As the CEO of Miami-based development firm Terra, David Martin has cultivated a portfolio of more than five million square feet of residential and commercial real estate valued in excess of $8 billion. The firm is active across all major real estate asset classes, including multifamily apartments, luxury condominium and single-family residences, retail and office space, hotels, and industrial properties. David oversees several facets of Terra’s business, including real estate development, design, construction, financing, marketing, sales and leasing. A Florida native, David has taken a proactive role in ensuring his hometown is built to last. Terra integrates green space, resilient construction methods, transit connectivity and renewable energy into its developments wherever possible. Additionally, David has been and is currently involved in several boards and organizations, including serving as a member of Miami-Dade County’s Biscayne Bay Task Force; an Advisory Board member for the University of Miami’s Masters in Real Estate Development + Urbanism (MRED+U) program; Chair of the Neighborhoods Committee for The Underline, a 10-mile linear park now under construction in Miami; as well as an active member of the Sea Level Rise Committee.

Alex Mena is Executive Editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald. Since joining the Herald in 1993, Mr. Mena has held a variety of roles, including sports writer, designer, copy editor, deputy sports editor, night operations chief, news editor, senior sports editor, deputy managing editor, and managing editor. Other than a two-year stint as a copy editor and designer at the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Mr. Mena has spent his entire career at the Herald.

Alberto Milo Jr. is President of Related Urban Development Group (RUDG), the affordable housing division of the nation’s most prolific development company, Related Group. In this role, he is responsible for the overall design, development, construction, financing and budgeting for each project within RUDG’s portfolio, including public, affordable, workforce or mixed-income housing. Under Mr. Milo’s leadership, RUDG has built and rehabilitated more than 2,500 units throughout Florida, with thousands more in the pipeline. Prior to his tenure at RUDG, Mr. Milo owned and operated real estate development, real estate brokerage and mortgage brokerage companies over the span of 20 years. Mr. Milo has served on the Miami-Dade County Industrial Development Authority since 2005 and is a former member of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Housing Committee.

Madeleine Pumariega is the first female president appointed to lead one of the nation’s largest educational institutions, Miami Dade College (MDC). Prior to becoming MDC’s president, Ms. Pumariega was appointed the first female and Hispanic chancellor of the Florida College System (FCS). In 2019, Ms. Pumariega became the executive vice president and provost of Tallahassee Community College, where her innovative approaches advanced the College’s three core divisions: academic affairs, student affairs and workforce development. She also serves as affiliate professor of leadership at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Serving the community outside of higher education, she was also previously the President and CEO of Take Stock in Children, a statewide nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of poverty by helping students complete their high school education and advance into post-secondary education and careers. As MDC President, Ms. Pumariega has prioritized working with business partners to identify the skills needed by key industries and tailoring higher education programs to match those needs. This forming of strategic alliances and job pathways between companies and MDC students has accelerated graduates’ ability to enter the workforce immediately.

Dana Ritzcovan is Executive Vice President and Chief People & Outreach Officer at Royal Caribbean Group, responsible for the company’s human resources; environmental, social, and corporate governance matters; and corporate affairs functions. Most recently, she was Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at News Corp, where she oversaw its global human capital and ESG strategies, communications, as well as health, safety and security efforts for all its business units. Prior to that, Ms. Ritzcovan served as Group Managing Director and Head of Human Resources for Global Wealth Management at UBS, managing all HR functions across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Before that, she served in several senior roles within Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, as well as at Navigators Group and Credit Suisse.

Kerry-Ann Royes is the president and CEO of YWCA South Florida. Utilizing more than 25 years of social sector experience, Ms. Royes has dedicated her talents, time and heart to the advancement of marginalized communities, particularly in the fight against social issues affecting women and girls. Under her leadership, YWCA South Florida has rebranded to expand its services and regional presence to Dade and Broward counties, developed the board to include men for the first time in 100 years and successfully mobilized the largest community-wide social justice learning movement in South Florida. Before joining YWCA, Ms. Royes was the founder, president and chief strategy officer of The Arrow Group, advising industry leaders on corporate social citizenship, non-profit leadership and collaborative community development issues. She previously served as executive director of YMCA of South Florida, helping to grow its reach and impact while overseeing its largest youth and family services portfolio. Ms. Royes is a trustee of The Miami Foundation while also lending her voice and expertise to Miami Herald’s CEO Roundtable and Florida Influencer Series, South Florida Racial Justice Table, South Florida PBS, South Florida Sun Sentinel and WLRN Public Radio and Television.

Nikisha Williams currently serves as the Managing Director of Collective Impact at The Miami Foundation. In this role she is responsible for leading large-scale change through cross-sector collaboration by bringing together government, philanthropy, nonprofits, and corporations together to solve major community challenges in bold ways that couldn’t be accomplished without collective action. Ms. Williams’ career spans the public sector and communications, where she most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation. Prior to that, Ms. Williams served as the Director of Employee Communications and Change at C&W Communications, a telecommunications company with more than 7,500 employees in 30 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. She is a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami, a Miami Fellow and graduate of Leadership Miami. She sits on the Board of Health in the Hood and the City of Opa-locka’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board.

Natalia Zea is a mother of two who serves as Chief Public Policy and Engagement Officer for The Children’s Trust. She spent several years working in community engagement and communications at Miami-Dade County Public Schools following a 14-year career in journalism, where she worked for a decade at CBS Miami as a news reporter and anchor. Ms. Zea also serves as an adjunct professor of public administration at FIU, where she earned an Executive MPA. She believes in ensuring that children and teens have equitable access to safe environments, health resources, and education and work opportunities that are key to making Miami-Dade better for all.

Armando Codina is Founder and Executive Chairman of Codina Partners, LLC, a real estate investment, development, and property management firm based in Coral Gables, Florida. The firm’s portfolio is comprised of residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. In addition to serving as CEO and Chairman of his core real estate holdings, Mr. Codina is an active investor and owner of MBB Auto Group, a premium luxury retail automotive group with 15 dealerships in the Northeast. He also has served on the board of directors of BellSouth; American Airlines parent company, AMR Corporation; General Motors and The Home Depot. In his civic life, he has served on the Board of Trustees of the Urban Institute and as Chair of the Town Square Neighborhood Development Corporation. He is a Chairman Emeritus of Florida International University, Co-Founder of the Community Partnership for the Homeless, and is a member of the Florida Council of 100. 

Dr. Jose L. Dotres is the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the third-largest school district in the nation with over 40,000 employees and 350,000 students. Having held multiple instructional and administrative leadership roles over the course of his career in M-DCPS and other educational organizations, Mr. Dotres is a proven educator with a wealth of experience. He has served in the capacity of Teacher, Reading Coach, Principal, District Administrator, Regional Administrative Director, Region Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer of Broward County Public Schools, Chief of Staff, Chief Human Capital Officer, and most recently, Deputy Superintendent of Collier County Public Schools. On the national level, Mr. Dotres has made significant contributions to organizations such as the Council of the Great City Schools. Additionally, he is the co-author of several educational publications and has presented to the Florida Senate’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and the Florida House of Representatives’ PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee on Education on topics related to teacher recruitment and retention and early literacy.

Rebecca Fishman Lipsey is the President and CEO of The Miami Foundation, a $400+MM community foundation focused on building a stronger, more equitable Greater Miami. Since her appointment in 2020, she has grown The Foundation by 25%, infused a commitment to equity into every program of The Foundation, and has invested over $100 million into nonprofits that strengthen Miami for all who call the city home. Prior to leading The Miami Foundation, Ms. Fishman Lipsey was the youngest person in history appointed to the Florida Board of Education, overseeing educational policy impacting three million children from kindergarten through college. Ms. Fishman Lipsey also founded Radical Partners, an incubator for social impact ventures. She started her career as a public school teacher. 

Amanda Gorski has worked in community engagement and government affairs in the South Florida community for the past 18 years. In 2019 she joined The Children’s Trust and currently serves as its Associate Director of Public Policy. She served as the Director for Public Policy at the United Way of Miami-Dade, where she spearheaded its legislative platforms at the local, state and federal levels. She has extensive experience in advocacy, public policy, research, issue identification, needs assessment and problem solving.

Oliver Gross currently serves as President of New Urban Development, LLC . As President, Mr. Gross has primary responsibility for the acquisition, development, construction oversight, financing and property management of the myriad of commercial and residential housing developments controlled by New Urban Development and The Urban League of Greater Miami. Mr. Gross has experience as a real estate developer, public administrator, and commercial banker. Mr. Gross has earned certifications as a Real Estate Development Professional and a U.S. HUD Certified Occupancy Specialist.

Sara Barli Herald is a Partner whose in-depth experience spans public-private partnerships (P3), affordable housing and tax credit, real estate, banking, commercial transactions, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate reorganizations. Her background as a C-level executive in seven verticals enables her to assist her clients in crafting creative solutions to complex business transactions, particularly those that involve the public sector. Over the past two decades Ms. Herald has been committed to optimizing companies and advancing communities with vision and leadership – working across the for-profit, non-profit, and public sectors. Ms. Herald has significant experience in leading non-profit organizations as a CEO, Board Member, and consulting strategic partner. Ms. Herald has been the recipient of many awards, among them, the American Red Cross Sara Hopkins Spectrum Award for Community Service and the Athena Award for Outstanding Business Woman.

Linda Lecht is President of The Education Fund, a nonprofit organization that designs and implements initiatives that improve public education for students in Miami-Dade, the third largest district in the nation. Focusing on innovation, Ms. Lecht has grown The Education Fund from an organization with an $80K annual budget to one that has provided more than $80 MM in goods and services to ensure public school students have every opportunity to succeed. Two examples of programming she created and currently oversees, include Food Forests for Schools, a first-in-the-nation effort to install and use Food Forests on school grounds as outdoor eco-lab classrooms, and the Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials, a first-in-the-state “free classroom supplies” warehouse that solicits companies’ excess inventory and makes these available to classrooms, with more than $23.9 million in goods donated to date.

Daniel Lewis is a philanthropist who incentivizes and funds leaders in Creative Youth Development arts organizations that energize and enable thriving, change-making youth in under-resourced communities and work collaboratively toward meaningful and real change. Mr. Lewis also founded and led The Cleveland Orchestra’s residency in Miami, was the board chair of Spring for Music at Carnegie Hall (now Kennedy Center’s Shift Festival), and was on the board executive committees of The Cleveland Orchestra and the League of American Orchestras. Mr. Lewis taught at Cleveland's Glenville High School and worked as a real estate developer in Phoenix. He retired from Progressive Corporation, where he held senior management and board membership responsibilities. He is a Third Way board member.

Adriene McCoy is the Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer (CPO) for Baptist Health South Florida. She is responsible for overseeing all of Baptist Health’s talent functions, including Workforce Development, Total Rewards, HR Operations, Talent Management, and Talent Acquisition. She is also responsible for the Pastoral Care, Occupational Health, Well-being, and Wellness areas of the organization. Ms. McCoy has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare human resources management. Her background includes leadership roles in both for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare environments, including large hospital systems and acute and long-term care facilities. Prior to joining Baptist Health, she was Regional Director of Employee Relations at Tenet Healthcare, where she provided support to senior executives on employee relations, labor relations, and workforce compliance matters. She currently sits on the Board of Advisors for Florida International University (FIU) Center for Leadership (Vice-Chair), Lotus House/Sundari Foundation Board (Vice-Chair), and she serves as the Chair for the YWCA South Florida Board.

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Rodrick Miller has emerged as one of the nation’s foremost economic development leaders respected globally for his ability to maneuver in complex political and business environments, and craft strategies and structure deals to provide long-term value to communities and investors. As President and Chief Executive Officer of Miami-Dade County’s official economic development organization, Mr. Miller is focused on attracting and retaining companies that create high-value jobs and actively invest in the community. Previously, Mr. Miller served as the Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Vice President of International Economic Development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) and held several other positions in the public and private sectors. Mr. Miller is also Founder and CEO of Ascendant Global, a boutique economic development firm focused on providing bold growth solutions to help economies sustain themselves, gaining jobs and private investment. Mr. Miller is currently a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government, and he is a board member of the New Growth Innovation Network, the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board, New Corp (CDFI), and St. Augustine’s University.

NBA champion and Hall-of-Famer Alonzo Mourning may be known globally for his towering presence and dominance as one of the Miami Heat’s most beloved centers, but his charitable and philanthropic work makes him a champion and legendary to people in South Florida. While driving to work every day in the Magic City, Mr. Mourning saw the plight of those less fortunate than him and could not ignore it. Already an avid philanthropist, he wanted to do more; he believes the best way to change things is by actively participating in making a difference. Enter his namesake foundation and Overtown Youth Center (OYC Miami), a non-profit he founded in 2003 to help change the outcome of the lives of children and families in the historic Overtown community through education, health, and financial sustainability. Through these entities Mr. Mourning has spearheaded efforts that range from providing educational and socioeconomic support to giving families a hand-up in their times of need. From weekly food distributions to clothing, furniture and other necessities, Mr. Mourning has made it his life’s mission to empower others. Additionally, he has also raised millions of dollars to support various life-changing programs and initiatives.

Francesca de Quesada Covey is the Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer for Miami-Dade County. Reporting to Mayor Levine Cava, Ms. de Quesada (as she is known) leads efforts to accelerate innovation and economic opportunity. She is a seasoned executive and tech investor with over 15 years of experience developing public-private partnerships and advising technology firms, elected officials, and government agencies. Prior to joining the County, Ms. de Quesada was the Chief Investment Officer at The VentureCity, a global early-stage investment firm. She co-founded the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority in 2023, a not-for-profit investment vehicle supporting early-stage companies scale products solving pressing local challenges through strategic procurement partnerships. From 2013-2021, she worked at Facebook (now Meta) where she led business development teams. Before joining Meta, she served as Deputy Counselor of Strategic Engagement in the Office of Public Engagement under President Obama.

Craig Robins is an entrepreneur, real estate developer and art collector based in Miami, Florida. As the CEO and President of Dacra, the real estate development company he founded in 1987, Mr. Robins focuses on developing creative communities that integrate art, design and architecture to accelerate asset value creation and enrich urban life. Dacra has spearheaded some of the most successful and transformative commercial, residential and mixed-use projects in Miami’s history, including South Beach, the Lincoln Road area, Allison Island and currently, the Miami Design District. An avid collector and supporter of the arts and architecture, Mr. Robins is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Perez Art Museum Miami, an active supporter of ICA Miami, and a member of the University of Miami School of Architecture Master of Real Estate Development and Urbanism Advisory Board.

Leslie Miller Saiontz is an education activist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, impact investor, and true Miami lover. She is President and Founder of Achieve Miami, an education nonprofit focused on increasing educational, mentorship, and meaningful service opportunities for students across Miami-Dade. Ms. Miller Saiontz also uses Achieve Miami as a think-tank and program incubator to opportunistically address community issues. In 2020, she partnered with the Miami Foundation to launch Miami Connected, which brought free Wi-Fi to low-income residents across Miami Dade. In 2022, she partnered with the University of Miami and Teach For America to launch the Teacher Accelerator Program to address the critical teacher shortage.

Ms. Miller Saiontz is the longest serving Board Chair of Teach for America/Miami, Board Trustee of the Frost Museum of Science, and Co-Chair of the United Way Women’s Leadership breakfast. She has served on the Harvard Advisory Board of Public Health and devotes time to Fairchild Tropical Gardens and The Children’s Bereavement Center.

Jane Wooldridge is an award-winning business, arts and travel multimedia journalist and veteran of the Miami Herald. Currently she serves as Senior Director for Journalism Sustainability and Partnerships. In this community-focused role, she works with foundations, individuals and companies to expand local journalism through the nonprofit Miami Herald Impact Journalism Fund at the Miami Foundation. Prior to her current role, she served as the Miami Herald’s Business Editor, responsible for business and arts coverage in print, online, multimedia and live events. Her teams have won multiple journalism awards, including Best in Business in the SABEW awards and the Esserman-Knight Award for service. Previously she was the Miami Herald’s Travel Editor, winning top honors as both an editor and individual Journalist of the Year in the prestigious Lowell Thomas Awards. She is a Past President of the Society of American Travel Writers and serves on the boards of the SATW Foundation, the Local Media Foundation and Friends of the Underline.