The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) Hosted its 16th* yearly Champions Business Awardson- March 30th at 7:00 PM at Miami JCC. The annual event recognizes pillars of the business community including a chamber board member for their leadership.
This year’s notable honorees are;
- Michael Shvo, SHVO | Champion of Business Award
- John Stuart, FIU | James McDonnell Outstanding Board of Governors Award
- Reinald Borges, Borges Architects + Associates | Boutique Innovative Firm of the Year Award
- Stephanie Leodegari, First Rate Hospitality | DeAnne Connolly Graham Outstanding Woman in Business Award
“The camp is excited to continue its tradition of honoring visionaries in our business community,” said Jerry Libbin, President and CEO, Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. “They are honored to be champions of each industry, which includes real estate development, architecture, education, hospitality – all of which are instrumental to the economy of Miami Beach.”
The Honorable Business Champions are:
Winner Business Award: The award is given to a successful business person who is effective in changing the dynamics within the industry, developing business ideas and strategies and using technology to promote the brand. save philanthropic activities.
- Michael Shvo, President and CEO | SHVO
Michael Shvo is the Founder, President and CEO of SHVO, the nation’s leading development, ownership, and investment firm of luxury real estate.
Headquartered in New York City with offices in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, SHVO owns and operates a national portfolio with more than $8 billion in assets under management with more than 4.5 million square feet across industry segments, including commercial and retail services. , hospitality, luxury.
The firm’s selective portfolio of significant architectural properties, new developments designed to avoid the characteristics that define the world’s main cities, the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, The Raleigh Miami Beach, 333 South Wabash Avenue, called “The Big Red, in Chicago, the Mandarin Oriental Residences at 9200 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Mandarin Oriental Residences, Fifth Avenue in New York and AMAN New York, Hotel and Residences in the Crown Building.
Michael draws from his diverse background in real estate – from brokerage to marketing and sales to development – to lead his firm in creating and acquiring one-of-a-kind properties in some of the most important and sought-after locations in the world.
He leads the firm’s investment and transaction planning, capital markets, site selection, planning and conceptualization – and anchors a team of some of the world’s most respected investors including pension funds, insurance companies, financial institutions and other key institutional investors who are SHVO’s partners. a vision of creating maximum value by elevating how people live and work.
The James McDonnell Outstanding Board of Governors Award: given annually to an outstanding Board of Governors for years of dedication to the growth and development of the Chamber and Miami Beach.
- john stuart, Dean’s team for cultural and community care to FIU and * Executive Director at Miami Beach Urban Studios in the College of Communication
John Stuart, AIA, Distinguished University Professor of Architecture, Associate Dean for Culture and Community Outreach and Executive Director of Miami Beach Urban Studios is an architectural historian and visual artist developing collaborative research on diversity, community, identity, technology, environment and public space with funding from The Van Alen Institute, the National Endowment of the Arts, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Study in the Fine Arts.
Boutique Innovative Firm of the Year Award: New and growing things were offered for outstanding achievements.
- Reinald Borges Principal and CEO | Borges Architects + Associates
Reinaldo Borges has a Masters in Architecture Degree with a focus on Mixed-Use and Hybrid urban projects and urban planning. With over 25 years of professional experience, he has won many international design competitions. His work has been published in national and international architectural publications and publications from the collaborative design of the new Airlines Arena in Miami, to the Royal Palm Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel in South Miami Beach, to the new Carillon Canyon Ranch Resort in Miami Beach, to Community Centers and Fire Stations in Florida. He is a Florida and Maryland registered architect, a certified member of the National Board of Architectural Registration and an active member of the Institute of Architects and the US Green Building Council.
Reinaldo has developed a well-rounded field of architecture, in projects ranging from luxury high-rise multi-family residences to urban hotel shelters and mixed-use facilities to fire stations and building renovations. Luxury high-rise condominiums with controlled design and hospitality projects are the most powerful special designs. Reinald uses responsive creative problem solving from concept to final detailed execution of work, with an enthusiastic team-oriented approach. He has successfully partnered with national planning teams on a number of collaborative projects. In the design of the new American Airlines Arena where Mr. Borges as chief designer, he directed a team of over 20 design professionals ranging from sports architects to structural and mechanical engineering. Rigid, structured and balanced design with a strong technical field is Borges’ leadership approach to the profession of systems architecture and engineering.
DeAnne Connolly Graham Woman in Business Award: Initiated in 2015, this project was started by the Women’s Business Council, President DeAnne Connolly Graham and recognizes an outstanding woman who is a leader in the business community. The honorees are recognized for continued growth, success and inspiration in the Miami Beach community. In 2022, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce honored DeAnne with an award in recognition of her life’s work and dedication to empowering women.
- Stephen Leodegarius, President | First Rate Hospitality
Stephanie Leger has over nineteen years of experience in the hotel industry globally, including Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Forbes Guide Travel Inspector, AAA and many others associated with the luxury hotel industry.
Over the years, Stephanie has completed countless performance evaluations and hired employees to provide world-class service to the top hotels in the world. It has also helped hotels in times of crisis such as hurricanes, ZIKA, COVID-19 and the 2008 recession.
Her passion for improving employee performance, development and engagement has made her a skilled professional who works well with individuals of any cultural background. Other areas of expertise in the hotel industry include Spa, Food & Beverage, Leisure, and Casino.
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