March Of Dimes 9th Annual 'Building Our Community' Awards

Nov. 15, 2010 - PRLog -- Eight of Miami’s most impactful civic leaders will be honored for their community involvement and commitment to enhancing the quality of life in South Florida at the 9th annual March of Dimes ‘Building Our Community’ Awards luncheon. This year’s event will take place on Friday, December 3rd beginning at 11:00 am in the Treetop Ballroom at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, between downtown Miami and Miami Beach. CBS4 news anchor Shannon Hori, herself a former honoree, will serve as emcee of the event. The 2010 Humanitarians of the Year exemplify excellence in their respective fields and areas of interest. This year’s honorees include:

Alberto Carvalho is the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the nation’s fourth largest school system, serving a student body comprised of a minority majority population of over 345,000. Under Mr. Carvalho’s leadership, M-DCPS’ business operations were restructured, resulting in an increase in its financial reserves of over 2000 percent in just 22 months, despite the national economic downturn. A strong believer in innovation, Mr. Carvalho is spearheading the transformation of education, pushing for the migration from textbooks to digital content and the development of cutting edge educational environments to meet the demands of today’s learners.

Luis E. Diaz, C.P.A. is a partner at Sharff, Wittmer, Kurtz, & Jackson, P.A. with over 14 years experience in the areas of accounting, auditing, and individual taxation. While practicing with the firm, he currently concentrates in individual taxation, auditing, as well as assisting in the administration of the firms operations. Mr. Diaz is a member of the AICPA and FICPA. He also serves on the board of several charitable organizations. In addition, he also serves as a trustee member of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the University of Miami Citizens Board.

Lauren Harrison Genovese is an active community leader and volunteer. She has served on the boards of the Coral Gables Community Foundation, the Children's Home Society, the Arts & Business Council, and the Junior League of Miami, for which she served as President 2007-2008. Mrs. Harrison Genovese is a founding member of the American Red Cross Tiffany Circle Society of Women Leaders, 2006-2007. Driven and results-oriented, she sees her second career in community service as a logical application of the skill set that she developed in her 21 years of accounting and financial services career.

M. Narendra Kini, M.D., M.H.A. is President and CEO of Miami Children’s Hospital. He is committed to expanding the hospital’s network to bring Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH)-quality pediatric care to children and families throughout the region.   Dr. Kini, who is a board-certified pediatrician, is also committed to improving the health status of children.  Before joining Miami Children’s, Dr. Kini served as Executive Vice President for Clinical and Physician Services at Trinity Health, the fourth largest Catholic health system in the United States.  He was responsible for physician issues, clinical informatics, patient safety, comprehensive tertiary care and pharmacy operations for the $5.7 billion health system.

David Lawrence, Jr. retired in 1999 as publisher of The Miami Herald to work in the area of early childhood development and readiness. He is president of The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation and “University Scholar for Early Childhood Development and Readiness” at the University of Florida. His national honors include the Ida B. Wells Award "for exemplary leadership in providing minorities employment opportunities” and the National Association of Minority Media Executives award for "lifetime achievement in diversity."  

Benjamin León III is president and COO of Leon Medical Centers, a managed healthcare system offering superior comprehensive services to the residents of Miami-Dade County. Mr. León has served at the helm of the organization since 1996, guiding the delivery of primary care, outpatient services and various specialty services to Medicare members. He began his career as a customer service representative for Clínica Cubana, which his family opened in the 1960s to satisfy the healthcare needs of South Florida’s growing Hispanic population. Mr. León serves on the board of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce (CAMACOL) and is involved in numerous charitable causes, such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society.

Bern Levine, D.V.M. is the President and Managing Member of Jungle Island and provides full-time management of the park, an internationally respected theme park and entertainment venue. Because of his success in business, Dr. Levine was named “One of the Most Influential People in the Pet Industry” by Pet Business Magazine in 1999.  In 1993, he became the first non-manufacturer to be inducted into the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association’s Hall of Fame.

Jorge A. Plasencia is chairman and chief executive officer of República, one of the fastest growing branding, advertising, interactive and communications companies in the United States. Plasencia has a venerated reputation in business and is also highly regarded for his lifelong commitment to giving back. In 1991, he co-founded Amigos For Kids, one of the most respected nonprofit organizations focused on assisting underprivileged children and families. In addition to his role as chairman of Amigos For Kids, he also serves on various national and local boards, such as the National Council of La Raza, the Cuban-American National Council, and Miami Dade College Foundation.

Tomás P. Regalado was elected as the 33rd mayor of the City of Miami in November 2009. His tenure as Mayor follows a long career in public service, having originally been elected to the Miami City Commission in 1996. Keeping to his promise to lead by example, Regalado has introduced several changes aimed at reducing public expenses and enhancing the City’s quality of life. During his first year, he renounced the Mayor’s monthly $800 car allowance, lowered his salary by $53,000, and has reduced his pension by 25%. He has also supported a number of programs aimed at improving the lives of Miami’s residents, including economic growth, public safety, and environmental initiatives.

Juan Santamaría is the Chief Operating Officer of ACS Infrastructure Development Inc. , and ACS Infrastructure Canada, Inc. and holds a position on the Board of Directors for each of their related companies.  Under his management, ACS has placed US 5 billion of committed investment in Infrastructure Projects since its incorporation in North America.  Prior to coming to the US, Juan was Director of Projects of the parent company of ACS (Iridium) for Spain, Ireland, Greece, Latin America and South Africa where he also volunteered in local area organizations to provide much needed aid to the children.  

Trips, gift baskets and tickets to sporting events and concerts are among the items that will be up for bid during the event’s silent auction. Tickets for the luncheon are $125 per person and $1,500 per table. The silent auction and reception begins at 11:00 a.m. with the awards luncheon immediately following at 12:00 noon.

Sponsorships are still available. This year’s sponsors are Towncare Dental and Turner Construction. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 305-477-1192, visit marchofdimes.com/florida, or e-mail afernandez@marchofdimes.com.

Media Contact: Angelica P. Fernandez, (305) 477-1192 or afernandez@marchofdimes.com and Morgan Budman at Mbudman@marchofdimes.com