Mission Statement | Board of Directors | Staff | Demographics

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

José “Pepe” Diaz – Chairman
District 12 - Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners

Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz was inducted as the Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on December 18, 2008. The commissioner serves as the representative of District 12, which includes the municipalities of Doral, Hialeah, and Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Sweetwater, Virginia Gardens and a large portion of unincorporated Miami-Dade County. He was first elected as commissioner in September 2002 and re-elected without opposition in September 2006.

Commissioner Diaz serves in various capacities on different committees of the County Commission. He is vice-chair of the Airport and Seaport Committee, and also is a member of the Government Operations Committee, the Health, Public Safety and Intergovernmental committee and the State Intergovernmental Affairs subcommittee. The commissioner is also the chairman of the Tourist Development Council. Additionally, Commissioner Diaz, who proudly served as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, was re-appointed as Miami-Dade County's Military Liaison. The commissioner was also appointed by Chairman Dennis C. Moss to the Dade League of Cities.

Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz was born in Cuba and has lived in Sweetwater, Florida for more than 30 years. In 1979, Commissioner Diaz enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in December 1984.  In 1986, he began his career in public service as Chairman of the City of Sweetwater Police Retirement Trust Fund Board. For the next seven years, he served on the City of Sweetwater Commission and was ultimately elected Mayor in May 1999. 

Alan K. Fertel, Esq.
Partner, Pathman Lewis, LLP

Mr. Fertel is a partner at the firm, and heads the state court civil litigation division. In addition, he focuses his practice on sports, entertainment and family law, as well as commercial litigation and personal injury.

Mr. Fertel spent 18 years at Ferrell Law, once know as Ferrell Fertel, where he chaired the Entertainment and Sports Law division as well as the Family Law division. He has tried more than 100 jury and non-jury trials, obtaining numerous multi-million dollar verdicts. His long list of clients includes athletes and entertainers, as well as agents, models, leagues, radio stations and other similar entities. Fertel has represented Florida’s number one rated sports station, WQAM and in that capacity has negotiated with the Florida Marlins, the Florida Panthers, the Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Hurricanes.
Mr. Fertel currently serves on the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Entertainment Arts and Sports Law division. He has been featured on the NFL League Security Video which is shown to every NFL player in order to counsel them on avoiding the problems that come with the celebrity status of a National Football League player.

He earned his J.D. at the University of Miami School of Law. He a member of The Florida Bar, The New Jersey Bar and is admitted to practice in U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida and Middle District of Florida. <top of page>

Larry Gautier
Executive Vice President, Kcom Real Estate Advisors
Mr. Gautier is an Executive Vice President with Kcom Real Estate Advisors in Coral Gables. He is responsible for working as a commercial real estate consultant and broker in this operating subsidiary of The Keyes Company. His focus is on providing specialized real estate solutions to Florida based corporations.   

Mr. Gautier has an extensive background in commercial real estate, working as Senior Vice President for Colliers International, focusing on the successful implementation of multi-market real estate assignments on behalf of corporate customers. Prior to his time with Colliers International, Mr. Gautier was the Director of Operations for Limitedbrands, Inc. where he was responsible for acquisition, management, and administration of all leases. 

Mr. Gautier was instrumental in the creation of the Miami-Dade Sports Commission in 2003, and was appointed by his peers to serve as the Co-Chair of the Sports Commission from May, 2005 until January, 2009.   

Mr. Gautier earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Auburn University (Auburn, AL). He is a member of the Orange Bowl Committee, Salvation Army Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for Miami-Dade County. <top of page>

Dr. Jayne D. Greenberg
District Director of Physical Education and Health Literacy,
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Dr. Jayne Greenberg is presently serving as the District Director of Physical Education and Health Literacy for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. In her current position, her primary responsibilities include supervising Physical Education, K-12 Health Education, Safety Education, HIV/AIDS Education, Adapted Physical Education, the Sports Program for Students with Disabilities, the Learn to Swim Program, and Special Projects.

Throughout her 26 year professional educational career, Dr. Greenberg has served as Special Advisor on Youth Fitness to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports; President of the Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, and Driver Education (FAHPERD); chaired the Sport Development Committee for the United States Olympic Committee as a Regional Development Program Coordinator for USA Field Hockey; coordinated the Olympic Torch Relay Miami Leg for the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, served as a national consultant in assisting school systems in setting up FIT-TECH Centers and assisted the United States Department of Health and Human Services in the development of the I Can Do It, You Can Do It Program, a national initiative to address the physical activity levels of youth with disabilities. For these efforts, Dr. Greenberg was named as the 2005 National Physical Education Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and received the 2005 Highest Recognition Award by the United States Secretary of Health, Michael Leavitt.

Dr. Greenberg has also served as an international consultant, coordinating Olympic Education Programs in Canada, developing the Sport Science Curriculum at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, developed math and science sailing curriculum for the National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in London and Sydney Australia, developed a Conservation Safari in South Africa, developed the drug education curriculum in Antigua, and presented at the International Olympic Committee Meeting in Singapore. In addition Dr. Greenberg has recently published a book, “Developing School Site Wellness Centers”, published numerous articles, co-authored a professional text, and has been a speaker at several state, national, and International conventions. In the past six years, Dr. Greenberg has further secured over $11.3 million in federal and foundation grants for educational programs, including the Carol M. White, Physical Education for Progress (PEP) grant.
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Ronald Albert, Jr.
Partner, Broad and Cassel
Mr. Ronald Albert, Jr. is a Partner in the Miami office of Harper Meyer Perez Hagen O’Conner & Albert, where he heads the firm’s corporate law practice. 

Mr. Albert has experience in a broad array of corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; partnerships, joint ventures and LLC’s; closely-held corporations, shareholders’ agreements, employment agreements and restrictive covenants; corporate finance, institutional finance and public finance; and contracts.

He has represented many different types of clients, including professional sports franchises and facilities, as well as technology companies.

Mr. Albert has attained an "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell – a rating achieved by only five percent of attorneys -- indicating that he "has reached the height of professional excellence" and is "recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity."

In 2005, 2006 and 2007, he was recognized in Florida Trend Magazine as a “Florida Legal Elite” and has been designated by his peers as one of the top 1.6% of lawyers in the state of Florida. Mr. Albert was also recognized in 2004 by the South Florida Business Journal as a "Heavy Hitter in Finance," in 2007 by the top legal guide The Best Lawyers in America, published by Woodward and White and as a "2007 Florida Super Lawyer" in Law & Politics.

Active in the community, Mr. Albert is currently involved with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (General Counsel; Executive Committee and Board of Directors; Sports Committee Chairman); Temple Beth Sholom (President), Mount Sinai Medical Center Young Presidents Club (Past Chairman), and Mount Sinai Medical Center Foundation (Board of Directors). Previously, he has served with Lawyers For Children America (Board of Directors and Treasurer), Miami Beach Jewish Community Center (Vice President) and multiple committees of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. <top of page>

William D. Talbert III
President & CEO, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
As President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) for the past five years, and as Chief Operating Officer for the previous eight years, William D. Talbert III has distinguished himself as a highly respected visitor industry and community leader.

Talbert’s 12 years of experience at the GMCVB include major accomplishments such as assisting with the passage of the Food and Beverage tax to fund the GMCVB’s advertising budget, negotiating interlocal government funding agreements and preparing two successful Super Bowl bids.  He played an integral role in the recent re-engineering of the GMCVB, decreasing overhead to put more money into much needed advertising for the destination. He showed strong leadership after 9/11, as the GMCVB was the first Bureau in the country to market a fully funded post- 9/11 message, and the first to adjust its administrative budget while increasing promotional efforts.

Talbert holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida. <top of page>

John Mulrey
General Manager, Miami Marriott Airport Complex
John F. Mulrey, the General Manager of the Marriott Airport Complex, joins the Miami-Dade Sports Commission as a representative of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association.

A member of the Marriott management team for over 27 years, he was the Marriott liaison for the IOC during the 1995 – 1996 Atlanta Olympics preparation period. He has opened doors for the Marriott organization with numerous sports groups, such as Georgia Tech Football, U.S. Track & Field, USA Judo, and the Sunshine State Games, allowing Marriott to act as the host hotel. Mr. Mulrey spearheaded the University of Miami Athletics Partnership and works closely with all leagues regarding individual team requirements during their stay in Miami. He is also an adjunct professor in the FIU School of Hospitality and Council 100.

Originally from Weymouth, Massachusetts, Mr. Mulrey graduated with Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management 1979 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mr. Mulrey has been married for 23 years to wife Sandy with three children Derek, Tara, and Alex. <top of page>

Eric Poms
Chief Executive Officer, Orange Bowl Committee
Eric L. Poms, was officially announced as the fifth Chief Executive Officer of the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC) on May 4, 2006, succeeding long-time CEO Keith R. Tribble.

As the organization’s COO, Poms’ role had him firmly entrenched in the negotiations of the BCS, as well as its precursors, the Bowl Coalition and Bowl Alliance. Most recently, he was instrumental in the administration of the OBC’s renewal of its membership in the BCS through 2010, guaranteeing the Committee another National Championship game in January 2009. While Poms has been at the Orange Bowl, the Committee has hosted five National Championship games in 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001 and most recently, in 2005.

In the summer of 2006 under Poms’ leadership, the OBC entered a mutually beneficial relationship with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), whereby the ACC champion is guaranteed a spot in the FedEx Orange Bowl on an annual basis, provided it does not qualify for the BCS National Championship game.

Poms also serves as CEO of the Orange Bowl Foundation, the charity arm of the Committee, whose mission is to organize, sponsor, produce, promote and participate in athletic contests, educational opportunities, clinics, expositions and other similar programs and projects for the youth of South Florida.

Poms is active with the Boys & Girls Club of Miami, Inc., where he has served on the Executive Committee since 1996.

Poms graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida. He then went on to earn his Master of Exercise and Sports Sciences from UF in 1990. He and his wife, Krista, have daughter, Julia Brooke and a newborn son Justin Tyler reside in Weston, Fla. <top of page>

Jack Kardys
Director, Miami-Dade County Park and Recreation
Jack Kardys was appointed Director of the Miami Dade Park and Recreation Department on December 12, 2007. Mr. Kardys was first appointed Assistant Director for Operations for Parks and Recreation in January 2000, wherein for the next seven years he developed extensive experience regarding the management of both the Recreation and Operations divisions while overseeing Arts & Culture, Golf Enterprise, Leisure Access, Marina Enterprise, Natural Areas Management (NAM), Naturalist Services, Park Security, Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Special Tax Districts.
 
Committed to public service and the enhancement of the community’s quality of life through recreational services, Kardys has dedicated his entire career to the Department of Park and Recreation, having served in it for more than 25 years.
 
He began his career in Parks in 1981, when after serving as an intern he was appointed Assistant Administrator for the Operations Management Office (1981). He was then promoted up the ranks through the following positions: Public Facilities Manager III (1982-1983), managing Crandon Marina; Park and Recreation Manager IV (1983-1993), overseeing Haulover Beach Park and Pelican Harbor Marina; Executive Assistant to the Director (1994-1996), serving as the Director’s liaison to the Assistant County Manager, County Commission, County Attorney, and Director’s staff, including Deputy Director and six Assistant Directors; and Region Manager (1996-2000), which included oversight of the Crandon Park, Tennis Center (including its Lipton Players Championships), Golf Course (with its Royal Caribbean Senior PGA Classic), and Marina properties on Key Biscayne, as well as Beach Maintenance Operations, Beach Safety, Matheson Hammock Park, Haulover Park, and a variety of community parks in the Westchester and Kendall areas.
 
Jack Kardys holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Administration and a Master’s of Science in Management, respectively from St. Thomas University. He has served as an adjunct professor at Florida International University teaching Organizational Behavior, Marketing and Recreation Programming. Through this commitment to life-long learning, he has encouraged dozens of Parks staff to seek both undergraduate and graduate degrees and recruited numerous interns who have become integral members of the Parks and Recreation team. <top of page>

Pete Garcia
FIU Director of Athletics
Pete Garcia was introduced as FIU’s Director of Athletics on October 10, 2006, and joined the Golden Panthers after a year as the senior associate athletic director at the University of Miami.

Since arriving at FIU, Garcia, 47, has worked tirelessly at promoting the FIU athletic program while instilling a commitment of excellence with his coaches, department staff and student-athletes.

Under Garcia, the athletic department has added more advisors, tutors and computers to the academic support program for student-athletes and hired more compliance officers to ensure compliance with NCAA rules and regulations.

That investment paid immediate dividends. FIU graduated 59 student-athletes during the 2007-08 academic year, the highest number of athletic graduates in the history of the program. Not only did FIU’s student-athletes post a higher cumulative grade point average (2.90) than the general student body last spring, but 41-percent also earned academic honors and 59 of the 352 enrolled student-athletes garnered Dean’s List recognition.

“Our No. 1 priority is to ensure that all of our student-athletes have the resources and support necessary to graduate, get their degrees and get ready for the outside world. That’s the reason we are in business,” Garcia said.

Upon his hiring, Garcia immediately began evaluating programs and shuffling his coaching staff in an effort to turn FIU’s athletic fortunes. He brought in proven winners like Arizona State assistant Henry “Turtle” Thomas to take over the baseball team, the University of Houston’s Beth McClendon, who took over the softball team and was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year in her first season at the helm.

Garcia also hired Mario Cristobal, a former assistant at UM and Rutgers, who embodies the qualities Garcia seeks in all his new hires, to head the FIU football program. Cristobal was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year this past fall by different football outlets for taking a football team from 0-12 in 2006 to within one win of bowl eligibility in 2008 at 5-7.

“They all know their games, they are relentless workers and exceptional recruiters,” Garcia said. “Basically, that’s the blueprint of everybody we’ve hired.”

“Winning for us is a philosophy,” said FIU President Dr. Modesto A. Maidique, “and part of winning is not only recruiting great talent but also making smart use of the talent you have. I’m confident this team, led by Pete Garcia, will continue to build FIU and be synonymous with winning.”

On September 20, 2008, FIU opened a brand new 18,000-seat football stadium on campus at University Park. Garcia was in charge of overseeing its construction and operation. The facility, which is the only on-campus Division-I football stadium south of Orlando in Florida, has future plans to expand to 45,000 seats.
                                                 
Before coming to FIU, while serving his second stint at UM as the senior associate athletic director for external operations in 2005, Garcia oversaw the school’s media relations, ticket sales, marketing and corporate sponsors like Nike, Gatorade and Coca-Cola.

Garcia first worked at Miami from 1990 through 2000, and in 1992 he became the football program’s recruiting coordinator. In that position, Garcia was instrumental in recruiting football players like current NFL veterans Vernon Carey, Andre Johnson, Ray Lewis, Bryant McKinnie, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Ed Reed, Jeremy Shockey, Jonathan Vilma and Vince Wilfolk.

In 2001, Garcia joined former Miami coach Butch Davis with the Cleveland Browns as its director of football development. Two years later, he was promoted to vice president.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Garcia’s family came to Miami in 1967. He graduated from Hialeah High School and the University of Miami before landing a job with the Miami Dolphins in 1989.

Garcia says that directing the Golden Panthers has given him an opportunity to further his career without leaving the community he loves.

“South Florida has been very good to me and what better way to pay it back than establishing another elite sports program the community can rally behind,” Garcia said. “Our goal is to get our alumni and students excited about this program and ensure that our student athletes have all the tools to compete at the highest levels.”<top of page>

Adam Barrett
Executive Vice President, IMG
Sony Ericsson Open Tournament Director
Adam Barrett’s is the tournament director of the world’s fifth largest tennis event, the Sony Ericsson Open. Under his reign the Sony Ericsson Open was named Tournament of the Year by the ATP seven of the last eight years and by both the ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in 2004 and 2006.

Barrett’s role has expanded with IMG, the parent company of the Sony Ericsson Open. He is a consultant for the IMG-run China Open and the Tournament Director for the Bank of the West Classic, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event held in Palo Alto, CA.

Barrett was named to the tournament director post in 2002. He originally joined the event in 1990 as accounting manager/human resource manager and quickly rose in the ranks to Vice President of Finance before taking on the Executive Vice President duties in 1997 and now his current position of Tournament Director.

He developed the accounting, in-house ticketing, and other business operating systems currently used by the tournament. In 1997, he helped create the tournament website SonyEricssonOpen.com

He developed “The Championship Way”, the tournament’s guest service program that is the vehicle for fulfilling the events mission of meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of tournament guests.

Born and raised in Miami, Barrett graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Florida. He resides in Weston, Florida, with his wife Rachel and their three children, Matthew, Zoey, and Chase. <top of page>

Mike Tomas
President, The ASTRI Group
Considered by many in the industry as one of the most experienced marketers for Ibero-American audiences, Mike Tomas spent nearly 20 years driving the evolution of telecommunications in the U.S. and Mexico in leadership roles ranging from sales, marketing, customer service, engineering, operations and global ventures. Tomas was Chief Marketing Officer at Avantel, WorldCom’s US$1 billion dollar joint venture with Grupo Financiero Banamex-Accival (now Citibank). During his 17-year tenure at MCI, Tomas was credited with developing effective marketing strategies, building highly productive working teams, and managing complex budgets in multi-faceted organizations. Upon retiring from WorldCom, Tomas joined other ex-MCI executives and helped raise $40M in venture capital to form Ineto, an integrated customer communications software solution that was named on Red Herring magazine’s “Top Ten to Watch” list.

Upon the successful sale of Ineto International in 2001, Tomas helped launch The ASTRI Group, an early-stage private equity investment company providing capital, business development and strategic marketing support to emerging private companies.

Tomas also actively sits on numerous boards including Avisena (an applications service provider and revenue management solution for healthcare organizations) BioHeart (cell-based therapy treatment of cardiovascular diseases), Perimeter Internetworking (a managed security services provider for financial and healthcare institutions) and Chispa Restaurants. His passion for business is only paralleled by his devotion to his community and children’s causes. He is deeply committed to many not-for-profit organizations and actively participates as an executive board member for Amigos for Kids and the Kids and Families Foundation.

Tomas holds an MBA from the University of Miami and Bachelors degrees from Florida International University. He currently resides in Miami, Florida. <top of page>

Mark Auerbacher
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Counsel
Mark Auerbaucher is Counsel in the Litigation Section at the Miami office of law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. He has extensive experience in a broad range of complex commercial matters, including business tort actions involving unfair competition, corporate dissolution and fraudulent transfers of assets. His practice also focuses on real estate, contract and financial dispute litigation.

Mark is an active coach in baseball and basketball in the Howards Palmetto Baseball Softball Association, Beth Am Basketball League, YMCA league and Danny Berry travel baseball league. He is also a member of the Coral Reef Yacht Club and active sailor in local regattas.

Mark obtained his undergraduate degree in business from Florida State University and his law degree from Rutgers University. Mark is married to Laurel (Clancy) Auerbacher and has three children, Brendan, Nicholas, and Macy. <top of page>

Matt Becherer
President, Homestead-Miami Speedway
Ten years after his first job in racing was rescinded before he made it to Day 1 in the office, Matthew Becherer took the reins of one of motorsports’ most prestigious tracks when he was named President of Homestead-Miami Speedway, in December 2009.

Becherer joined Homestead-Miami Speedway from Richmond International Raceway (RIR), where as Vice President of Marketing he oversaw all aspects of advertising, promotions, public relations and ticketing related to NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC Sprint and Silver Crown races. He also managed facility rentals, shows, festivals and events that kept RIR active upward of 50 weekends each year.

Becherer earned a Bachelor of Science in Packaging from Michigan State University in 1994 and attained a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina in 1999. While working toward his MBA, he attended his first NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway with his father.

Although Bristol was his first NASCAR race, Becherer was consumed by motorsports at an early age while following sanctioned racing that included the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART, before it was absorbed by the IndyCar Series). <top of page>

Todd Boyan
Sr. Vice President of Operations, Sun Life Stadium
Todd Boyan is Senior Vice President of Sun Life Stadium and has been in the NFL for the past 16 years.  Sun Life Stadium is the proud home of the Miami Dolphins (NFL), Florida Marlins (MLB), Orange Bowl (BCS), and University of Miami Hurricanes (NCAA) and other world-class events.  Boyan is responsible for all aspects of stadium operations and oversees engineering, grounds, guest services, housekeeping, operations, parking, and security, as well as coordinates event logistics with various local, state and federal government agencies.

Previously to joining Dolphin Stadium, Boyan was the Vice President/Operations for the Washington Redskins for nine years, managing the largest stadium in the NFL with 92,000 seats. He joined FedEx Field in Washington since it opened in 1997. Boyan was responsible for stadium operations for Washington Redskins games, college football games, concerts and special events, overseeing production (video boards, A/V), security, the Redskins’ team travel arrangements, and training camp. Boyan also assisted NFL Transportation with the development and implementation of traffic plans with Super Bowl XXIX through Super Bowl XXXVII.

Boyan is familiar with South Florida and Dolphin Stadium. He worked for the Florida Marlins Baseball Club from 1992 through 1995 in Ticketing. Boyan also managed the Ticket Operations of the Marlins’ Spring Training site, Space Coast Stadium in Melbourne, when it first opened. Before joining the Marlins, Boyan oversaw parking operations for Pro Player Stadium.

Boyan graduated from Georgetown University in 1992, where he also played varsity baseball. Boyan and his wife, Christine, live in Plantation with their two children, Rachel and Jack. <top of page>

Sean Flynn
Vice President of Marketing, Florida Marlins
Sean Flynn enters his 14th year in Florida sports and his fifth season as the Marlins’ Vice President of Marketing. Flynn joined the Marlins on November 22, 2002, following a successful four-plus year stay with the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ice Palace, from 1998-2002.

In 1998, Flynn was named Director of Marketing and Sales for SMG, the management company for the Ice Palace, the home of the Lightning and the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm. Later as Vice President of Marketing for the Lightning, he helped the Club to increase attendance more than 20 percent in each of his three years.

Flynn spent two full seasons (1996-1998) as the Director of Marketing and Sales for the United Soccer League, a 100-plus team minor league system for soccer in North America, based in Tampa. He also served as the Assistant Director of Marketing and Sales for the South Florida Olympic Committee from 1995-1996 and was a Marketing and Event Coordinator for Anheuser-Busch in Miami, from 1994-1995.

Flynn graduated from St. Thomas University in 1995 with a Master’s in sports administration and completed his undergraduate work in accounting at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. He was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo. He, his wife, Kristie, and two sons, Liam (6) and Jack (5), currently reside in Coconut Grove, Fla. <top of page>

Desmond Howard
College Football Analyst, ESPN
Desmond Howard joined ESPN in 2005 as a college football analyst and a member of the College GameDay crew. His broadcast experience began as a contributor to Fox Sports’ Best Damn Sports Show Period in 2003 and continued as a correspondent on ESPN 2’s Cold Pizza in 2004 during the show’s Super Bowl coverage. Howard also was a weekly contributor to Fox Sports Radio during the 2005-2006 NFL season.

Winner of the 1991 Heisman Trophy, Howard’s acrobatic catches made him one of the most electrifying players ever to play the college game.  He became the first receiver in Big Ten history to lead the conference in scoring as he set or tied five NCAA records and 12 single-season Michigan records. The All-American won the Heisman by the second largest margin of victory in the trophy’s history. He was also awarded the Walter Camp Trophy and the Maxwell Award that year.

Desmond Howard, selected by the Washington Redskins, was the fourth overall pick of the 1992 NFL draft. He went on to have an 11-year pro football career highlighted by such memorable moments as scoring the first game winning touchdown in Jacksonville Jaguars history and becoming the first special teams player to be named Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl as a member of the Green Bay Packers. His 870 punt return yards in a single season and 99-yard kickoff return in a Super Bowl remain NFL records. Howard was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2000 while playing with the Detroit Lions.

Howard resides in Miami, Florida with his wife Rebkah, daughter Sydney and twin boys Desmond Jr. and Dhamir. <top of page>

Arthur Noriega
Executive Director, Miami Parking Authority
An administrator with a strong background in construction, operations and urban development projects with over seven years of parking industry experience, Arthur Noriega has headed the Miami Parking Authority since 1999. As Chief Executive Officer, he oversees of all of the parking and enforcement operations in a major metropolitan city. Mr. Noriega also must act as a strong advocate in the promotion of public and private sector joint ventures, while maintaining an excellent working relationship with local elected and government officials and development authorities.  He oversees a staff of 190 employees and a $30 million budget. Mr. Noriega has been responsible for unprecedented revenue growth at the Authority, as well as the development of the City’s two newly constructed public garages. Miami Parking Authority is currently engaged in the pre-development of two public/private joint venture developments within Miami’s Central Business District.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Noriega was vice president of development at The Carlisle Group, where he worked with local municipalities and Community Development Corporations (CDC’s) across the state to create urban development projects. Before that, he worked as Director of Planning and Development with the Authority.

An Economics graduate of the University of South Florida, Mr. Noriega is a dedicated community leader and volunteer. Mr. Noriega serves on the Board of Directors of Switchboard of Miami and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Noriega serves as Board Chair of the Greater Miami Progress Foundation. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the New World Center and is a member of the Federal Reserve’s Education Advisory Group. Mr. Noriega serves on the Board of Advisors of the World Parking Symposium. He is also a member of the Leadership Florida’s 26th Class. <top of page>

Frankie J. Ruiz
Vice President and Founder,
US Road Sports & Entertainment of Florida, LLC.
Frankie J. Ruiz, Vice president and founder of US Road Sports & Entertainment of Florida, LLC., a full service health, fitness and participant-sports event production company. Founded in 2002, the company owns and produces the ING Miami Marathon, Escape to Miami Triathlon and 14 additional annual participant sporting events, including the 2007 USA Pan American Racewalk Cup Trials. Prior to PR Racing, he was producer of the Miami Beach Fitness Festival, adjunct professor at Florida International University, and a political campaign consultant.

Ruiz was a track and field collegiate athlete at Florida International University during his undergraduate studies at the university. He is currently the Head Cross Country Coach at Belen Jesuit High School.

Ruiz, a native of Miami, has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications with a minor in Marketing and Master’s in Public Administration with a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources and Policy Management from Florida International University, and attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory High School in Miami. He has been married for four years to Marlene Ruiz.
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Emilio J. Vazquez
President/CEO, The Capitolium Group, Inc.
Emilio J. Vazquez is President/CEO of The Capitolium Group, Inc., public affairs, business development and governmental relations firm based in Coral Gables, Florida. Since founding The Capitolium Group, Inc. in 2006, Mr. Vazquez has been putting his expertise and knowledge to work on behalf of his clients in the fields of higher education, insurance, automotive, logistics and healthcare to name a few. Capitolium Group works with government agencies, small businesses, non-profit organizations, universities, and various other entities to achieve its clients’ goals and objectives.

In 2005, Mr. Vazquez joined the Terra Group, in Miami, Florida, as their Director of Corporate Affairs. While at Terra Group, Mr. Vazquez oversaw the company’s public affairs and corporate giving program as well as being tasked with the Freedom Tower project.  The Miami Freedom Tower has been designated a National Historical Landmark. It is seen as the Ellis Island of Miami with regards to the Cuban Diaspora. The U.S. government used the Freedom Tower as a refugee processing and resettlement center in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Mr. Vazquez was instrumental in the negotiations between community leaders, elected officials, college administrators and Terra Group in its efforts to donate this historic landmark to Miami Dade College.

Mr. Vazquez has been involved as an advisory Board Member to the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Regional User Group, Hospice of Hillsborough County Hispanic Outreach Group, The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana, and The Kiwanis of Little Havana Scholarship Fund.  He was President of the Alumni Chapters of the University of South Florida in Washington, D.C. and Miami and has been an active member of the Latin Builders Association, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  In 2009 Vazquez founded Karting 4 Kids, a Florida non-profit organization dedicated to promoting motor sports to at-risk youth in the community. 

Mr. Vazquez received a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from the University of South Florida in 1993. He also completed graduate work in Political Science at the University of South Florida from 1995-1997.

Mr. Vazquez was born and resides in Miami, Florida with his wife Karyna and their daughter Aliette. <top of page>