J. Ricky Arriola Presented with the Arts & Business Council of Miami's 2011 Arts Hero Award

June 3, 2011 - PRLog -- The Arts & Business Council of Miami has awarded the 2011 Arts Hero award to J. Ricky Arriola in recognition of his dedication and leadership in promoting Miami as an international arts & cultural destination. The award was presented to Mr. Arriola at the 2011 Serving the Arts Luncheon on May 10, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Miami.

A Miami native, Mr. Arriola is immediate past chair of Miami’s Performing Arts Center Trust, an independent body of business and civic leaders that oversees the nonprofit Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. He is also President and CEO of Inktel Direct, a national business process outsourcing company based in Miami. During his tenure as chair, Mr. Arriola has been a driving force in the Adrienne Arsht Center’s emergence as one of the nation’s leading performing arts organizations. Today, the Center serves as a model public-private partnership, having balanced its budget for the third-consecutive year, paid off its last remaining bank debt seven years early, and elevated its role as a catalyst for economic development in Miami’s burgeoning urban core.

More than 500 arts patrons, business leaders, executives, elected officials, and donors attended the luncheon. Guests enjoyed cultural interludes by local artists and groups, as well as tropical music.  Jane Wooldridge, Business Editor for the Miami Herald, was the featured keynote speaker, addressing guests about the intersection between arts and business.