The following are the criteria for the Chamber’s annual awards held during the first half of the year:

• HYPE Awards: This awards program singles out top performing young professionals for innovation and achievement and will be announced March 14, 2012 at a reception at The Four Seasons.
• Top 100 Minority Business Awards®: This award program applauds South Florida’s minority business community and celebrates our region’s rich diversity and spirit of entrepreneurship. Winners will be announced and the Top 100 finalists will be recognized on March 22, 2012 at Jungle Island.
• Technology Leaders of the Year: The awards highlight individuals and organizations with extraordinary technological hands-on experience whose management of technology resources and/or technological innovations have made outstanding contributions to their organization and the community. Recipients will be recognized on April 27, 2012 at Jungle Island.
• Nonprofit Business NOVO Awards: The award is open to not-for-profit organizations and recognizes programs that have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve, produce outcomes that exemplify innovative excellence and feature best practices of not-for-profit business. Recipients will be recognized on May 2, 2012 during the Trustee Luncheon at Jungle Island.
• South Florida R.E.A.L. Awards (Real Estate Achievers & Leaders): The awards highlight Real Estate Achievers and Leaders who have achieved success in the field while also being leaders in the community. Candidates are any professional in the real estate industry that meets the award category criteria and whose projects or transactions are based inSouth Florida. Recipients will be recognized on May 11, 2012 at Jungle Island.
• Health Care Heroes® Awards: The award recognizes the collective actions of the individuals, institutions and programs that have made an extraordinary impact in the South Florida healthcare community and whose acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence beyond the scope of their profession. Recipients will be recognized on May 22, 2012 at Jungle Island.
• South Florida Good to Great Awards®: The award showcases businesses throughout the tri-county region that have achieved greatness in their mission and established themselves as industry leaders. Presented during the annual Goals Conference, it is open to all for profit businesses that show a pattern of solid performance to great performance over a four year period. Recipients will be recognized on June 1, 2012 at the Hilton Miami Downtown.

Event details and registration are available online at www.MiamiChamber.com.

Additionally, the Chamber will soon be on the road again toward the state’s capitol. Our annual Tallahassee fly-in will include participating members who will bring key business and community issues to the forefront. This session, we will discuss economic development, education and workforce development, green policies, health care, housing, immigration, pension reform, and transportation and infrastructure. If you are interested in joining the Chamber’s advocacy efforts, please contact Alice Ancona at aancona@miamichamber.com.

Have you made a “Chamber Connection” you would like to share? We would love to hear stories about how your organization gained new business through the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. These connections will be highlighted during our monthly trustee luncheons and the news will be spread “socially” via the Chamber’s social media outlets. If you have a business story you would like to share, please contact Kelly Saks at ksaks@miamichamber.com.

Penny S. Shaffer, Ph.D., Chamber Chairman, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Market President, South Florida
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida

American Airlines is an important part of the fabric of the Miami business community.  The Greater Miami Chamber, which was instrumental in convincing American Airlines to expand its operations in Miami 25 years ago, is encouraged that the restructuring process will give American the flexibility for growth.  

The road ahead won’t be easy.  The best decisions never are.  But there’s a real opportunity to reinvigorate a great company – and community partner – as it regains its industry leadership.

Penny Shaffer          Barry E. Johnson
Chairman                   President/CEO
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

The Economic Summit will focus on four key pillars: Healthcare; Banking & Financial Services; Real Estate & Construction; and Travel, Tourism & International Trade. These discussions provide an ideal starting point for Miami-based businesses, their executives, and employees to begin the New Year with a clear snapshot of where the economy stands and how they can implement strategies to finish with a fruitful 2012.

One of the panels I will be attending includes, Banking & Financial Services. For years, Miami banks were heavily involved in the betterment of our community and strong supporters of our civic organizations. However, in the past several years, their focus on their own bottom lines have resulted in diminished support that has impacted the health of the greater economy. I am interested in hearing how, or if, this will change in 2012.

For those who are non-members, the Economic Summit will show first-hand how the Chamber plays in contributing to the local community. I’m a prime example of a business owner who spent decades not realizing the benefits the Chamber could provide to me and my business. Since I took an active role four years ago, participating in Chamber events and volunteering for committees, I’ve reaped tremendous rewards that have helped me learn from my peers, make a difference in Miami’s economic progress and gain new clients for my own small business.

Alberto Dosal, Chair, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Economic Summit
Chairman of the Board
Compuquip Technologies

NOTE: For more information or to register for the 2012 Economic Summit click here or contact Cornelia Pereira, 305-577-5432 or cpereira@miamichamber.com.

Alberto Dosal was interviewed by The Miami Herald about the Chamber’s 2012 Economic Summit — read the interview here.

The Chamber vetted the subject of destination resort gaming through its public policy process. The process engaged specific Chamber committees, the views and opinions of Chamber members at large through straw polls and specific events designed to explore and examine issues surrounding the expansion of gaming in our community.

The Chamber’s process, focused on open dialogue and member involvement, and supported by the Chamber’s Legislative Policy Committee, Executive Committee and Board of Directors, developed a position supported by the majority of the Chamber leadership.

• That the concept of parity at the taxing and gaming levels be allowed for existing pari-mutuels; and

• That local governments receive a portion of state tax revenues generated to be used to mitigate for any impacts to the surrounding communities and to provide for improvements to public infrastructure, transportation, public utilities, services, reduce property taxes, etc.; and

• That the holders of license enter into a public private partnership that contributes to the mitigation of the added social and infrastructure impacts on the community; and

• That the applicants for destination resort licenses be required to have a workforce that is at least 75% local; and

• That approval by a local referendum be required in the affected county.

The Chamber will monitor adoption and adherence to the specified conditions in order to assure its continued support.

Fast forward to the recent Great Recession, the longest and deepest since the 1930s, which brought us what can be called the “Great Re-Regulation.”  The formal name is the “Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.”  The informal name is “Dodd Frank,” named after the Senate and House Banking Committees Chairmen.  This is the most comprehensive financial reform since the Great Depression.

A December 13 panel titled “Financial Reform: What It Means for You, the Lender” was presented by the Chamber’s Banking & Finance Committee to discuss the new law’s impact on Florida’s banking and economic environment.  The panel included the head of the Florida Bankers Association as well as a leading banking lawyer, auditor, and independent bank consultant.

The general consensus was that Dodd Frank will make banking more costly in terms of safety and soundness as well as compliance requirements, and that this could have an adverse impact on lending which is so important to our economic recovery.

For these and other reasons, the Greater Miami Chamber’s Second Annual South Florida Economic Summit on January 13 at Jungle Island will have a special Breakout Session on Banking, Financial Services and Retail.  Panelists from these sectors will not only discuss the continuing impact of Dodd Frank, but also what can be done to improve South Florida’s challenged banking and environment.

For event details about the South Florida Economic Summit contact Cornelia Pereira, 305-577-5432 or cpereira@miamichamber.com.

Kenneth H. Thomas, Ph.D.

Kenneth H. Thomas, Ph.D. is a Miami-based banking expert and economist who has been a consultant to numerous banks and financial institutions as well as to several community and government entities since 1969. He teaches banking and monetary economics at Wharton and received an “Excellence in Teaching” award in 2001 and 2004.  He appears frequently on ABC radio, Bloomberg radio and TV, CBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Nightly Business News, and NPR.

As South Florida’s largest business organization, the Greater Miami Chamber has begun our public policy process to examine the issue. We haven’t taken a position on it, but it’s the elephant in the room and we cannot avoid it. As always, there are threats and opportunities that must be weighed.

The Chamber has a rather elaborate public-policy process used to consider any substantive issue facing our community. We’ve begun preliminary work by polling members at several events and have held a forum to allow our members and others to better understand the issues. We will have another such opportunity when the Chamber hosts a Town Hall meeting where those attending sign in and then have a chance to air their views. Interestingly, the results of each of the previous straw polls, showed more than 70 percent felt favorably about destination gaming.

A formal position requires the Chamber’s standing committees with an interest in the issue to advance it for consideration. The committees’ recommendations are vetted by the Legislative Policy Committee and then presented to our Executive Committee, which will make a determination on a position and present it to the board of directors for final action. We are in step one of a five-step process.

Where the Chamber ends up on this issue is far from certain. What we do know is that our community isn’t Las Vegas or Atlantic City; we’re already a global business center and part of the eighth largest marketplace in America. We already have casinos among us, and gaming has been growing since the Florida Lottery debuted in 1988. The Greater Miami Chamber will put the issue through its process focusing on the best interest in our community and in support of the free enterprise system that guides our country.

Penny S. Shaffer, Ph.D.
Market President, South Florida
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida

Barry E. Johnson
President/CEO
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

This week, the Greater Miami Chamber’s Technology Committee hosted a discussion focused on the implications that a data security breach could easily have on you and your business.

Don’t think your business has anything worth stealing?  Think again.

• Do you process credit card transactions?
• Do you manage patient medical records?
• Do you own intellectual property?
• Do you file your employees’ social security numbers?

If so, your data is worth stealing.

It may sound cliché, but you are as secure as your weakest link.  And take heed, your weakest link will be exploited.  There is nothing like ensuring you are 100% secure, and not having an IT security assessment performed or having the right technology in place is like driving a car without breakes.  Sooner or later, it’s likely that you’re going to crash.  So why take the risk?

In today’s technologically advanced environment, the risks to your clients, your reputation, and your wallet increase every day.  I urge you to get educated and informed. The best thing you can do is find out where your business and data are most vulnerable. Then, take the necessary steps to ensure you’re protected.

Jorge Rey, Greater Miami Chamber Technology Committee Task Force Co-Chair
Director of Information Security
Kaufman, Rossin & Co.

Jorge Rey can be reached at jrey@kaufmanrossin.com

Last week, the Chamber hosted an informational session to help Florida small business owners and self-employed entrepreneurs understand this new healthcare law. Among several items, attendees learned that small business owners can get a tax credit to cover up to 35 percent of their health insurance costs.

In case you missed it, event panelists also outlined the provisions of the Federal healthcare reform legislation that passed in 2010 and will roll out over the next several years:

• Jeff Ritter from Barry University provided a year-by-year timeline of the Act and advised businesses to work closely with HR and benefits experts and other advisors.  He suggested that businesses should consider elements of the Act in their strategic planning and involve employees in the process.
• Jessica Stone of Small Business Majority, a Washington-based organization, covered the impact of healthcare costs on Florida businesses and outlined the State Healthcare Exchanges, which are planned to start in 2014.
• Cherene Deems of the IRS discussed the nuts and bolts of the tax credit and detailed the qualifications, such as numbers of employees and average salaries.  Businesses with 25 or fewer employees with an average wage of less than $50,000 would qualify.
• Althea Harris of the Small Business Administration outlined the resources available through her agency to help small businesses determine whether they qualify for the tax credit and the best options for their employees.
• Laura Goodhue of Florida Chain wrapped up the presentations with information of how the insurance exchanges would work in Florida as well as other features of the Act.

Presentation materials may be found online at the Chamber’s Healthcare Committee webpage under “Information You Can Use.”

Christopher Dudley, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Committee Chair
Principal
Advancement Associates
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NOTE: Stay tuned for the Healthcare Committee’s next event, “Staying out of Trouble: Compliance Strategies for Healthcare Providers,” on Thursday, December 8. Click here for details.

Isabelle Pike and I connected through the Greater Miami Chamber.  She’s with South Florida Urban Ministries (SFLUM) and she joined the Nonprofit Business Committee a year ago, which I chair.  She seemed like a great addition to the Committee and soon announced her organization’s upcoming drive to feed six thousand families on Thanksgiving Day.

“Six thousand families?” I thought. “They should be a good source for finding the most needy of families.”  You see my family runs a small foundation that provides help to families in need during the holidays.  We formed it in honor of our grandparents, who were extremely generous with the poor.  We want to pass along their legacy of giving to our children.

When I asked Isabelle for help, her team snapped into action.  They introduced us to several families and enrolled us in a program they run that matches the gifts we made to their families dollar for dollar.  They quickly connected us with families in need and doubled our giving power.

Through the Chamber of all places, I connected with a faith-based organization with a passion for helping families become financially self-sustaining.  We had a match.

I’m now a strong SFLUM supporter and new board member committed to using my connections and resources, many made possible to me by the Chamber, to further this fabulous cause.

Jorge Lázaro Díaz, Greater Miami Chamber Nonprofit Committee Chair
Director of Operations, Advanced Data Solutions
Terremark Worldwide, Inc.

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NOTE: The Chamber’s Nonprofit Committee is hosting a networking event tomorrow evening, Wednesday, November 16 to help nonprofits connect with individuals and for profits in order to work better for our community. If it worked for me, it can work for you, too.