Movers in South Florida

Jose Gutierrez, Manny Diaz named to board of directors at Intercredit Bank

Jose R. Gutierrez has been named chairman of the board of directors at Intercredit Bank in Miami. In addition, Manny Diaz, a senior partner with the law firm of Lydecker Diaz, and the former mayor of the City of Miami, has been named to the board of directors of Intercredit Bank.

Gutierrez, who has more than 30 years of banking experience, has served on the bank’s board as a director since 2009. His past positions include: president and COO of Gulf Bank; president and CEO of BAC Bank of Florida; president and CEO of Unibank; and executive vice president and board secretary of Mercantil Commercebank, N.A.

Diaz is chair of Lydecker Diaz’s business and corporate department. and represents numerous corporate, real estate and financial institutions. He was elected mayor of Miami in 2001 and served two terms. 

Four attorneys promoted to partner at Bilzin Sumberg law firm

Andres G. Mendoza, Melissa C. Pallett-Vasquez, William W. Riley and David T. Schubauer, attorneys at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP, have been promoted to partners of the law firm.

Pallett-Vasquez will serve in the firm's litigation group and will focus her practice on commercial contract disputes and real estate-related litigation. She joined the firm in 2005.

 

 

Riley will serve in the land use and government relations group and will focus his practice on representing developers and construction lenders seeking development and approvals during the comprehensive planning, zoning, subdivision and permitting process. He joined the firm in 2002.

 

 

Mendoza will serve in the firm's corporate and securities group and will focus his practice in mergers and acquisitions, private investment funds, joint ventures, securities and corporate governance. He joined the firm in 2007.

 

 

Schubauer also will serve in the firm's corporate and securities group and will concentrate his practice in securities law, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate law. He joined the firm in 2006.

 

Thomas W. Olliff named senior vice president for administration at Broward College

Thomas W. Olliff has been named senior vice president for administration at Broward College. He will oversee the overall planning, operation and evaluation of the college's non-academic programs and services and also for providing senior leadership for all administrative areas, including finance and budget, operations, facilities, procurement, human resources, information technology and economic development. He also will represent the college in various civic, community and professional organizations at the local, state, and national level. Before joining the college, he was deputy executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, acting as the agency's chief operating officer. Before that, he worked with Collier County Government for 19 years, concluding with his service as the county administrator.

Javier Torres promoted to principal, shareholder and owner at M.C. Harry and Associates

Javier O. Torres has been promoted to principal, shareholder and owner of M.C. Harry and Associates. He has worked with the firm for 12 years and was a project manager before the promotion. He has more than 14 years professional experience in the planning, programming, design, and construction administration of numerous facilities for municipalities, government agencies and public institutions. He joins James W. Piersol and Thomas M. Carlson as shareholder and owner.

Ana Acle-Menendez promoted to vice president of marketing and communications at The Beacon Council

Ana Acle-Menendez has been promoted to vice president of marketing and communications at The Beacon Council, the official economic development partnership of Miami-Dade County. She joined the nonprofit organization in 2010 as the director of communications. Before joining the Beacon Council, then, she was a reporter and editor of The Miami Herald, working on two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams at the newspaper. In 2009, she opened West Kendall Today, an independent company that partners with The Miami Herald for online neighborhood news.

New members named to the Miami-Dade Black Advisory Board

The Black Affairs Advisory Board of Miami-Dade County have named new members to its board. Priscilla Dames-Blake has been named chairman, Stephen Hunter Johnson has been named vice-chairman and Gerri Lazarre has been named secretary. The Black Affairs Advisory Board advocates for the social, economic, political and educational needs of the black community in the county.

Dames-Blake is president of Wingspan Seminars, a multinational firm specializing in conflict resolution services. She is a certified mediator, member of the national and Florida State Crisis Team, a nationally-certified crisis trainer, and community activist.

 

 

 

 

Hunter Johnson is a partner with Lydecker Diaz, a law firm specializing in representing municipalities and corporations in federal and state trial and appellate courts.

 

 

 

 

Lazarre is shareholder and owner of TriMerge Consulting Group, a certified public accounting and consulting firm operating in Florida, Georgia and a branch in Nigeria, Africa. 

 

Francisco Borges, Susan Kronick named to the board of trustees of John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Francisco L. Borges and Susan D. Kronick have been named to the board of trustees of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Borges is chairman and managing partner at Landmark Partners, an alternative investment firm specializing in private equity and real estate. He was treasurer for the state of Connecticut and deputy mayor of the city of Hartford. He also is a former member of the board and treasurer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

 

 

Kronick was a vice chairman of Macy’s, Inc. During her tenure, she was responsible for overseeing 850 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s department stores, led one of the largest mergers in retail history and was instrumental in creating Macy’s as a national brand. She retired in 2010, and continues her community service work.

Patricia Thompson to serve three-year term on the Beacon Council's board of directors

Patricia H. Thompson will serve a three-year term as a private sector member of the board of directors of the Beacon Council, a Miami-Dade economic development organization. She also is a member of the Beacon Council’s Executive Committee and a past treasurer and secretary of the organization. She is a shareholder with the Miami law office of Carlton Fields, serving as member of the firm’s labor and employment, construction, and insurance litigation practice groups. She concentrates her practice in employment, construction, surety, fidelity and other commercial insurance coverage, and commercial litigation.

Jesse Walters named executive director of Greater Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce

Jesse Walters has been named the new executive director of the Greater Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce. He also is a city councilman in Miami Shores. Before moving to South Florida, he was chief executive officer of the Chester County Convention and Visitors Bureau in suburban Philadelphia. 

Marcelo Llorente, former Florida House Representative, named equity partner at LSN Partners

Marcelo Llorente has joined LSN Partners, a national government affairs and strategic business development firm, as an equity partner. He will focus on providing his expertise in strategic planning and communications to LSN’s clients, concentrating on private sector business development. Before joining LSN, he practiced public finance, employment defense, and governmental law at Bryant Miller Olive for 10 years. In 2002, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives to represent the 116th District and was subsequently reelected in 2004, 2006, and 2008. During his near-decade of service in the Florida House, he held positions including chairman of the full appropriations council on general government and health care. He also served as vice-chairman of the joint legislative budget commission, chairman of the policy council, and chairman of the committee on constitution and civil law.