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2023-2024 | Chair of the Board of Directors
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 1988
Manuel (Manny) A. Mencia is immediate past Sr. Vice President of the International Trade and Development unit of Enterprise Florida, Inc. Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is a not-for-profit government business partnership established to guide the development of Florida’s economy.
The International Trade and Development unit is headquartered in Miami and maintains offices in six Florida cities as well as fourteen countries around the world.
In 2000, Export Magazine and the Council for Urban Economic Development (CUED) conferred their Gold Award to EFI’s Division of International Trade, as the best statewide export development organization in the country. In 2001, EFI received the prestigious Presidential E-Award for Export Development in its first year of eligibility. In 2009, EFI’s ITD unit received the President’s E Star Award for Export Promotion Excellence, our nation’s highest trade development honor.
Mr. Mencia joined Enterprise Florida in 1996. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of World Marketing at The Miami Dade Beacon Council, between 1992 and 1996.
He has acquired extensive international trade expertise, having served in various executive positions at the Florida Department of Commerce between 1977 and 1991.
Mr. Mencia is a member of the Board of Directors of SIDO (State International Development Organizations), the national organization of State Trade Development Agencies and served as its President during 2010-2012 and 2016-2017. He is also Vice Chairman of the International Committee of the Council of State Governments and serves on the board of the Florida Export Finance Corporation, World Trade Center-Miami, University of Miami’s CIBER Center and the Florida District Export Council.
In 1990, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce selected Mr. Mencia as Government Hispanic Business Advocate of the Year. In 2003, the International Business Council of South Florida named him International Businessman of the Year and in 2010, he was awarded the International Achievement Award, Florida’s most prestigious award for lifetime achievement for international business.
In 2017, King Phillip VI of Spain awarded Mr. Mencia the Order of Isabella the Catholic, for his contributions in promoting ties between Spain and the United States.
Mr. Mencia obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida International University in Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Thomas University in Political Science.
Immediate Past Chair
As Regional Director, Government Relations at AA, Virginia Sanchez is responsible for advocating and lobbying for legislative and regulatory measures in the areas of international trade and commerce, aviation, transportation, and other issues affecting the aviation industry. Prior to this position she was the Government Affairs Advisor for FedEx Express Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) region. Her experience in the private sector includes serving as Vice President of Public Policy and Corporate Relations for Diageo plc, where she led the Public Policy team based in Washington, D.C., managed the multicultural Corporate Relations agenda in North America and oversaw Corporate Relations activities for the Latin American & Caribbean.
Prior to joining Diageo, she was Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Miami-Dade County. An active participant in the South Florida community, she is the current chair of the World Trade Center Miami Board of Directors, a member of the President’s Council for Florida International University, and a member of the International Women’s Forum. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Beacon Council, Dress for Success, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University. Sanchez holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida. She is a graduate of the Senior Managers in Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Vice Chair
Gary M. Goldfarb-is Chief Strategy Officer of Interport Group of Companies, a leading Supply Chain Management providing Foreign Trade Zones & Customs bonded warehousing, inventory control, Transportation, Distribution services and fulfillment and Duty Drawback expertise. With Interport, Gary has developed several key business units including “Compra Fora” Brasil Customs Clearance Center in Miami, GPS Tracking and Location Technology, Foreign Trade Zone and Trade Facilitation Consulting (Over 100 FTZ activations in the past 6 years) as well as Supply Chain Engineering. Recently created the only Luxury Marine Industry Foreign Trade Zone in the US in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Goldfarb helped bring The Miami Free Zone back to its glory days, with over 96% occupancy, reaching almost $ 1 billion in trade in 2006. Prior to the Miami Free Zone, Goldfarb developed and obtained patents for software solutions for International Logistics. (From2.com). He built and took public Golden Eagle Group (NASDAQ:GEGP) , which became one of the largest Third Party Logistics (3PL) Companies is the United States, specializing in Inventory Control and Just in Time (JIT) programs. He has more than 44 years in International Trade and Supply Chain Management.
Goldfarb is also Executive Chairman of KatalX, a full end to end track and trace system for Pharma Supply Chain.
Goldfarb is actively involved in South Florida community and professional associations, serving in many Board of Directors and Executive Boards and Chairs International Trade & Logistics Committees. Is Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s official Economic Development Organization, Served as Chair of One Community One Goal-Trade and Logistics Committee. Member of the Board of Directors of The World Trade Center-Miami, Former Member of the Board of Directors of the International Trade Consortium of Miami Dade County, Board of Advisors of FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation), Former Chairman of the Board of Advisors of FIU (Florida International University) Engineering and Computing Master’s Program, Chairman of US Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program at Miami Dade College, Former Member of the Board of Advisors of First Horizon Bank and Board of Advisors to one of the largest Hedge Funds. Goldfarb is an inductee into the FCBF Hall of Fame (Florida Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association).
Prior to joining Diageo, she was Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Miami-Dade County. An active participant in the South Florida community, she is the current chair of the World Trade Center Miami Board of Directors, a member of the President’s Council for Florida International University, and a member of the International Women’s Forum. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Beacon Council, Dress for Success, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University. Sanchez holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida. She is a graduate of the Senior Managers in Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Treasurer
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Fred Karlinsky is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group. Fred has nearly 30 years of experience representing the interests of insurers, reinsurers and a wide variety of other insurance-related entities. He is a recognized authority on national insurance regulatory and compliance issues and has taken a leadership position in many insurance trade organizations. In addition to his role with Greenberg Traurig, Fred has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law since 2008, where he teaches a course on Insurance Law and Risk Management. Fred currently chairs the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission, which he has served on since 2014.
Goldfarb helped bring The Miami Free Zone back to its glory days, with over 96% occupancy, reaching almost $ 1 billion in trade in 2006. Prior to the Miami Free Zone, Goldfarb developed and obtained patents for software solutions for International Logistics. (From2.com). He built and took public Golden Eagle Group (NASDAQ:GEGP) , which became one of the largest Third Party Logistics (3PL) Companies is the United States, specializing in Inventory Control and Just in Time (JIT) programs. He has more than 44 years in International Trade and Supply Chain Management.
Goldfarb is also Executive Chairman of KatalX, a full end to end track and trace system for Pharma Supply Chain.
Goldfarb is actively involved in South Florida community and professional associations, serving in many Board of Directors and Executive Boards and Chairs International Trade & Logistics Committees. Is Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County’s official Economic Development Organization, Served as Chair of One Community One Goal-Trade and Logistics Committee. Member of the Board of Directors of The World Trade Center-Miami, Former Member of the Board of Directors of the International Trade Consortium of Miami Dade County, Board of Advisors of FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation), Former Chairman of the Board of Advisors of FIU (Florida International University) Engineering and Computing Master’s Program, Chairman of US Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program at Miami Dade College, Former Member of the Board of Advisors of First Horizon Bank and Board of Advisors to one of the largest Hedge Funds. Goldfarb is an inductee into the FCBF Hall of Fame (Florida Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association).
Prior to joining Diageo, she was Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Miami-Dade County. An active participant in the South Florida community, she is the current chair of the World Trade Center Miami Board of Directors, a member of the President’s Council for Florida International University, and a member of the International Women’s Forum. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Beacon Council, Dress for Success, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University. Sanchez holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida. She is a graduate of the Senior Managers in Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Executive Committee Member At-large
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Deborah Stern is a Member in the Import and Export Practice Group of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., resident in the Miami office. A former senior attorney with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ms. Stern advises domestic and multinational clients on both U.S. and foreign customs compliance and other trade matters. She concentrates her practice in traditional customs areas such as tariff classification, seizures and penalties, country of origin marking, valuation, trademark infringement, government procurement, trade preference programs, and free trade agreements, as well as the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System. With special emphasis in the high-tech sector, she has substantial experience in almost every product area of the tariff schedule.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2022
Governmental Affairs Committee – Chair
Mr. Aldous is an experienced C-Suite General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of a NASDAQ listed $1.7 billion-dollar food distribution and manufacturing company reporting to the company’s CEO. Mr. Aldous has extensive corporate, board advisory, and academic thought leadership experience. In addition, Mr. Aldous serves as Chief Government Relations Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of the company. Through these roles, Mr. Aldous has cross-departmental leadership responsibilities across Legal, Compliance, Operations, Finance and Human Resources. Also, since joining the company, Mr. Aldous has participated in all phases of more than 30 acquisitions and numerous capital markets transactions, debt and equity.
Mr. Aldous joined The Chefs’ Warehouse to help lead its NASDAQ IPO in 2011. Initially, Mr. Aldous was promoted to serve as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in 2011, building and managing a team of approximately 10 team members. In 2017, Mr. Aldous was then promoted to also lead the company’s government relations. Thereafter, in 2018, Mr. Aldous was promoted to co-manage credit, collections, with the CFO and a team of 25. Following, in 2019, Mr. Aldous was asked to manage the food safety and quality assurance operations and a team of 15. Finally, in 2021, Mr. Aldous was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer to oversee the Human Resources department and a team of 30. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Aldous serves as strategic advisor to the Board of Directors and, as Corporate Secretary, organizes and attends all Board of Director meetings.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2024
Ariel Diaz is the Managing Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs for the FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, headquartered in Miami, Florida. Mr. Diaz is an attorney with over 19 years of experience in the transportation and logistics industry and has worked most of his career on legal and regulatory matters involving the LAC region. In addition to his role in regulatory and government affairs, Mr. Diaz also heads the Legal Compliance function for the FedEx Express LAC region.
His work at FedEx Express largely focuses on regulatory, legislative and public policy advocacy involving customs and trade, air and ground transportation logistics and infrastructure, as well as sustainability, governance, safety and security issues in the 50+ markets FedEx operates in LAC. More recently, Mr. Diaz has formed part of the FedEx LAC COVID-19 task force, supporting medical equipment and vaccine transportation and logistics projects across the region. Prior to his current role, Mr.
Diaz lived and worked in Mexico City, leading the FedEx Express Mexico Legal Department, and serving as a member of the country’s management team involved in long-term planning, strategic business initiatives and compliance matters.
Mr. Diaz is a two-time recipient of the prestigious FedEx Five-Star Award, the highest recognition bestowed on employees who demonstrate leadership, creativity, superior performance and distinguished efforts in support of FedEx operations.
Mr. Diaz is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Express Companies (CLADEC), and represents FedEx in several industry groups, including the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean (AACCLA), and the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue Trade Facilitation Working Group. More recently, Mr. Diaz became a member of the Board of Directors of Outreach Aid for the Americas, a non-profit organization dedicated to economic aid and development, disaster relief and preparedness, and sustainability in the region. Mr. Diaz also serves on the Florida International University International Business Program Advisory Council supporting curriculum and student development.
Mr. Diaz holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Florida International University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami, School of Law, where he graduated cum laude.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2022
The Jackson Memorial Hospital network provides medical to 1,000s of people annually in the Western Hemisphere. The new Jackson West Medical Center was completed in April 2019 and is located in the heart of Miami’s international trade and business community. Jackson Memorial Hospital has an extensive outreach in the Caribbean and Latin America.
SVP & Chief Executive Officer April 2019 – Present
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2022
Andrew Carricarte is the CEO of Tritan Software Corporation. Under Andrew’s leadership the company has grown to become the most widely adopted software in the industry with over 95% of the world’s cruise ships and a rapidly growing presence in the commercial and oil/gas sectors. Andrew and his team have launched industry-changing solutions that have positively impacted maritime organizations and the health and safety of millions of seafarers and passengers across the world. He is listed as an inventor on several patents within the US and EU regarding data replication and synchronization technology along with other medical technology related processes.
Before Tritan Software, Andrew launched a successful US-based health software company that was acquired by Thoma Bravo, LP and R1 RCM (NASDAQ:RCM) in 2014. Prior to that he was the Director of one of AMEDEX’s international medical services division which was acquired by BUPA in 2005. Andrew also previously led a distinguished military career with combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was awarded 2 Bronze Stars during his deployments along with achieving numerous ARMY qualifications such as; Ranger, Pathfinder, Jumpmaster and both Expert and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He has received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Most Important Power Leaders in Healthcare and Top 40 Under 40 Professionals by South Florida Business Journal, Top 20 Under 40 Miami Herald and the Top 20 Under 40 by Seatrade.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2018
Chris Concepcion is an accomplished marketing and communications professional. For nearly 10 years, he has worked exclusively in the ocean transportation industry for a trade leader in Western Hemisphere, Seaboard Marine. While at Seaboard Marine, he has worked to modernize their advertising, marketing, and communications presence through launching a new website and mobile application, enhancing the digital customer experience, and growing their social media audience from zero to over 50,000 followers.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Prior to forming Vestec, Mr. Diaz-Balart served in executive capacities with IBJ Schroder International Bank, Barnett Bank and the National Bank of Washington, D.C. In partnership with the principals of a Brazilian financial group Mr. Diaz-Balart founded InterTrust Bank Limited (Bahamas). He also advised in the creation of The Florida Special Opportunity Fund, an offshore investment vehicle for U.S. based commercial real estate transactions administered by The Allen Morris Company. Vestec has advised Latin American and European companies in their international operations, including companies in the maritime, financial, and educational sectors.
Mr. Diaz-Balart holds a Bachelor of Arts (Government) degree from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration from American University.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Fru-veg Marketing is one of the nations’ leading importers and distributors of fine produce such as apples, asparagus, cherries ,berries, clementines, haricot vert/mini vegetables and organic fruits and vegetables. Espinosa founded Fru-Veg Marketing in 1988. Working with a reduced staff and headquartered at the Port of Miami, Fru-Veg began to grow exponentially, cultivating lasting relationships with leading growers from Central and South America, extending to imports from Spain. Several times throughout the year, she visits growers, building new partnerships, reinforcing old ones and exploring new products. Espinosa maintains a growing client base in North America to include the major supermarket chains in the US and Canada. Today Fru-Veg owns state of the art cooling facilities in Doral, alongside Miami International Airport, and maintains a satellite office in Philadelphia and Chile. In 1994 Fru-Veg Marketing was named one of the top 250 Hispanic-owned companies in the US by Hispanic Business magazine. In 2001 Espinosa was a finalist for the publication’s Entrepreneur of the Year award. Today, Fru-Veg Marketing is ranked at 150 in the Hispanic Business 500. Espinosa earned her B.S. in History at Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois, returning to South Florida for her M.S.W. in Social Work and Public Administration at Barry University.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2022
Lisa serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for I Squared Capital, an independent multi-billion-dollar global infrastructure investment company with over 125 professionals based in Hong Kong, Houston, London, Miami, New Delhi, New York and Singapore. The company specializes in infrastructure investments with over $13 billion of assets under management in the energy, utilities, transport and telecom sectors in the U.S., Europe and select high-growth economies including China, India and Latin America.
Lisa brings decades of experience handling compliance, regulatory and litigation matters all over the globe, both as a regulator and as a lawyer representing both publicly-traded and privately held businesses. She is a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York in the Criminal Division, where she was Deputy Chief of General Crimes and was awarded the Director’s Award for Superior Performance, one of the Justice Department’s most prestigious awards, for the prosecution of the Cali Cartel’s top money-launderers. She was also Senior Litigation Counsel and Compliance Counsel at HBO, before becoming Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Deputy Chief Compliance Officer at News Corporation. Most recently, she served as Chief Compliance Officer of William Morris Endeavor/IMG. She has also practiced at the law firms of White & Case and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
Ms. Fleischman earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California Berkeley, and her J.D. from Columbia Law School. She is a published novelist and speaks Mandarin Chinese.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2023
Teresa Foxx is a highly accomplished and decisive leader with proven success for managing a regulated banking entity. She is a Senior Management professional with sustained bottom line performance and continuous improvement in profitability, operations and compliance. She is known for driving optimal business results, creating synergistic partnerships, and building strong client relationships.
As Chief Operating Officer for Banco de Credito e Inversiones Miami Branch (BciM) and Bci Securities (BciS), Teresa executes transformational goals aligned with the institution’s overall objectives. Under her leadership, the Loan Operations, Wires, Documentation and Administration Teams within the International Bank Branch, as well as the Client Services and Finance Teams within the Broker Dealer facilitate the ability to process transactions for high net worth individuals and institutional clients. In addition, Teresa serves as Chairperson for BciS Product and Pricing Committee and the BciS Risk Management Committee, as well as functions as the Board Secretary for the BciS Board of Directors.
At Barclays, Teresa managed the Miami Bank Branch and Broker Dealer entities, comprised of money market trading, fixed income sales, corporate banking and operations teams. Her development of strategic plans, policies/procedures, new product proposals and financial budgets resulted in operational excellence, as well as cost efficiencies for the firm. These accomplishments, coupled with her strong ability to motivate individuals enabled her team to successfully cover over 300 large/mid-sized institutions in Latin America, the Caribbean and Southeast U.S.
In addition to her strong bank management experience, Teresa held a variety of Internal and External Audit leadership roles at Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Credit Lyonnais and KPMG. In that capacity, she was responsible for audit coverage of investment banking, wealth management, commercial banking and capital markets.
Teresa is a current Board Member of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, as well as the World Trade Center Miami. She is also a Past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and a Past Chair of Board of Directors for the Florida International Bankers Association. Previously, Teresa served as a Board Member for the British American Business Council and the Posse Foundation in South Florida.
Teresa received her MBA in Finance from Fordham University and her BBA in Accounting from Hofstra University. She is a Certified Public Accountant, NY State and has FINRA Series 7, Series 24, Series 9 and Series 10 licenses.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2023
Leading the Miguel B. Fernandez Family School of Global Business, Trade & Transportation at Miami Dade College is Pamela Fuertes Berti. In this capacity, Pamela serves as primary liaison between Miami Dade College and the business community in effort to help support and drive impact that leads to student success, academic partnerships and community engagement.
With a commitment to diversity, community and developing initiatives that enhance an
organization’s mission, Pamela joined Miami Dade College in 2019. She has a career in economic development that started at The Miami-Dade Beacon Council. Her professional career includes experience in the public and private sectors, including the City of Coral Gables, LanguageSpeak and Miami Dade County.
Pamela serves on the Board of Directors of the Arts & Business Council, the Organization of Women in International Trade, the Miami Scientific Italian Community, the World Trade Center-Miami and the Alliance Française. She is passionate about impacting change through education and community engagement. She has received awards including the National Order of Merit with the rank of “Chevalier ” by the Republic of France and the World Trade Center of Miami’s International Business Woman Award.
Pamela received her Associate in Arts from The Honors College at Miami-Dade College and a Bachelor of Arts and MBA in International Business from the University of Miami. Pamela is fluent in four languages (English, Spanish, Italian and French.)
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Marie Gill is a Jamaican Businesswoman with a penchant for service and a passion to helping small, minority and women business owners achieve their business goals.
One of Florida’s successful entrepreneurs, Marie has blazed several trails throughout the U.S. to bring information, funding, and economic development initiatives and opportunities to hundreds of small businesses. She advocates for the revitalization of urban communities, and assists small, minority, and women-owned businesses to successfully compete in the domestic and global markets. As founder and CEO of M. Gill & Associates, Inc., Marie and her team provide economic development and specialty consulting services to small, minority, women and veteran-owned businesses, and international firms. She works with government agencies, corporations, educational and financial institutions to advocate for inclusion of minority programs and participation goals in contracts and financing.
A Champion for minority and women businesses, Marie began making a name for herself in the U.S. as a community organizer and advocate for small and minority businesses in Newark, New Jersey and Denver, Colorado in the 1970’s. Upon settling in South Florida in the late 1980’s, she continued her quest to help women and people of color to obtain the information, training, financing and procurement opportunities they needed to succeed in business.
Marie is the first black business owner and the first woman entrepreneur to have been awarded the federal contract in 2001 to operate the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) programs throughout the state of Florida. After 16 years as a productive MBDA Contractor, her company was awarded $2.5 million to operate one of four EXPORT CENTERS nationwide to provide Export and Disaster Recovery services to minority businesses in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
To date, Marie’s services through her MBDA Programs have facilitated over $4.3 Billion in contracts and financing for minority and women-owned businesses, with over 12,000 U.S. jobs created and retained.
Before migrating to the U.S., Marie held senior management positions with the government of Jamaica, including Sugar Industry Housing, where she advocated for, and assisted hundreds of Jamaica’s impoverished sugar workers throughout the island to obtain new, affordable housing, and established sugar workers cooperatives that evolved as thriving economies in rural Jamaica.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Jerry Haar is a professor of international business and Executive Director for the Americas as well as Faculty Advisor for Executive Education in the College of Business, Florida International University. He is also a Global Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a non-resident senior research fellow at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He has held visiting appointments at Wharton, Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and the American Enterprise Institute and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in Brazil. A former director of Washington Programs for the Council of the Americas, Dr. Haar holds graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins, Columbia and Harvard and has authored 17 books and numerous articles. A consultant to multinational firms, he has appeared in media such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Miami Herald, The Hill and CNN.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
As the Miami Tunnels’ Chief Executive Officer Chris Hodgkins is in charge of the operations, maintenance, finance, public affairs and outreach for the $1 billion Miami Tunnel. The design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract that represents 35 years of infrastructure innovation building a tunnel to connect the Port of Miami to I 95 is the first Public Private Partnership (P3) in South Florida.
As the CEO He has been recognized for his energetic work with local communities, vendors and labor unions for his initiation of “OPERATION 305”, a program to aggressively pursue people and businesses from the Miami Dade area for inclusion on the Port of Miami Tunnel Project. Over 80% of all jobs and over $400 million dollars have been targeted to those in the 305 area code (Miami-Dade County). The on time and under budget tunnel construction was completed 6 days ahead of schedule and $90 million under budget.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Barbara is the former Executive Vice President / Director for the Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, Inc. (FCBF) she held that position from 2004 until 2019. With over 3 decades’ years of experience under her guidance and leadership, the FCBF grew to over 600 member companies statewide and was Florida’s largest and most influential logistics organization and the 2nd largest in the Nation. Barbara started her career in 1980 at FIF which was sold to Fritz Co (now UPS Supply Chain Logistics) and worked for over 21 years (combined) gaining experience in freight forwarding, bonded warehousing and distribution, EDI, quality control, and warehouse management. Under her supervision and guidance, the Fritz Companies warehouse became one of the first warehouses to create a “pick and pack” bonded operation in Miami. Barbara is also one of the first woman warehouse managers in the Miami area and the first for the Fritz companies breaking the “glass ceiling” in a male-dominated industry. In 2001 she accepted an offer to lead the operations of Asia Direct/KSK Group LLC as their Operation Manager.
During her career, she has been involved in the development and implementation of extensive training programs related to the processes, compliance, and movement of freight. Barbara is a highly accomplished business professional instrumental in domestic and international transportation solutions for all in the supply chain/logistics community in Florida. Barbara also serves as President for the Florida Perishable Trade Coalition working closely with USDA and Florida Dept. of Agriculture to bring cold treatment perishables directly to Florida.
Emir Pineda is the Director of Marketing and Air Service Development for Miami-Dade Aviation Department, which operates Miami International Airport (MIA). His duties include the strategic and tactical responsibility for airline planning, marketing, finance and economics development of passenger, trade, and new air route development. He directs, formulates, and implements the domestic and international air service plans to grow passenger and cargo traffic and routes. He leads all marketing, branding, and promotional efforts for MIA using various communication mediums and outlets. He fosters business growth through the development international passenger and cargo route structures and promotion of MIA globally through major trade show participation, diversified world-class advertisement and new business project integration and implementation. Mr. Pineda manages multiple contracts, consultants, and marketing service providers, working to enhance the airport’s image and position in the global market.
Mr. Pineda’s career began at Miami International Airport in 1988 as an intern, later being promoted to the position of Marketing Specialist. He recently re-joined the Miami Dade Aviation Department in September of 2015, after more than 20 years working in the public and private sector.
Mr. Pineda has enjoyed a long and diverse career path which includes Director of Cargo Trade Development at DFW International Airport, later as a consultant at Leigh Fisher Associates, and then as Director of Marketing and Business Development for Air France/KLM Martinair where he also served on the Board of Directors of Tampa Cargo, a Colombian cargo carrier. Before returning to MIA, Mr. Pineda was the Commercial Route Development Manager for Cargolux, responsible for sales and operations throughout Latin America.
Mr. Pineda serves as the Secretary for the Board of Directors of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and is on the Board of Directors for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Center. In addition, he is active on several committees of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and Beacon Council.
Mr. Pineda was raised in Miami, Florida and is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. He is married and has 3 children and in his spare time enjoys: traveling, reading, biking, golf, and the beach.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2018
Olga Ramudo is President & CEO of Express Travel which has grown from what began as a startup business in 1989 that was started with her sister and a best friend, to today being one of the leading travel management companies in the United States. Its great reputation and long-term client retention are Express Travel’s greatest source of accomplishment. The commitment made to the Hispanic luxury market, corporate travel, as well as community involvement, has earned Express Travel numerous awards and recognitions throughout the years, including national travel agency of the year from ASTA , top ten women led business and fastest growing company in the State of Florida. . Olga Ramudo has conspicuously pioneered and led the charge to not only advocate on behalf of the tourism industry but has also provided an outstanding public role model as a successful woman owned business who has always found the time to serve her community and her industry through leadership appointments on numerous local, state, national and international organizations. The South Florida Business Journal has recognized Olga as one of their Ultimate CEO’s as well as one of the top influential business leaders in South Florida. Miami Today has also recognized her with the “Best of Miami” designation. WITII (Women in Travel and Tourism) honored Olga with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce has appointed Olga to a third term on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. She also sits on the national board of ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors), the World Trade Center Miami, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and the executive Board of the Beacon Council were she also serves as Treasurer of the organization. The Miami Dade County Board of County Commissioners has appointed Olga to serve on their Tourism Development Council Board and Miami’s Mayor appointed her as her representative to the International Trade Consortium (ITC). Express Travel is comprised of corporate, leisure, groups and meetings, cruise, and study abroad departments. Olga studied in Puerto Rico and has two sons and two granddaughters.
Richard R. de Villiers is the Chief of Staff to the Director at PortMiami. Mr. de Villiers has over 30 years of experience in the maritime industry of which the last twenty he has served at PortMiami. In his current capacity, Mr. de Villiers serves as the Chief of Staff for the Director assisting in the day-to-day administration of the Port.
Prior to joining the Director’s Office, Mr. de Villiers was a Public Affairs Officer responsible for promoting cargo and cruise business opportunities as well as community outreach. Mr. de Villiers held a similar role at the Business Initiatives Division and a supervisory position with the Cruise Operations at the Port of Miami where he administered the cruise terminal and parking facilities. He also served as the Manager for the Housekeeping division responsible for cleanliness and maintenance of all Port properties.
Mr. de Villiers began his career in the Maritime Industry in 1987 working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ landside operations. Among several assignments at RCL, he served as Manager of South Florida Operations. He was responsible for cruise passenger traffic for Royal Caribbean at the Port of Miami, Port Everglades, Miami International and Ft. Lauderdale/ Hollywood International Airports.
A native of Miami, Mr. de Villiers is a graduate of the University of Miami with a degree in Political Science.
WTCM BOARD MEMBER since 2021
Thirty year career in transportation logistics, providing strategic leadership, specializing in organizational development, restructuring, and developing stable revenue growth. Proven change agent with a focus on developing team leadership skills, and agile, efficient businesses.
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