18th Annual Twelve Good Men Luncheon
Ronald McDonald House Pays Tribute
The 18th Annual Twelve Good Men Luncheon will recognize men in the community for their philanthropic work with charities and non-profit organizations. The luncheon brings together current and past honorees and celebrates the local Ronald McDonald House chapter that supports houses in Miami-Dade (since 1982) and Fort Lauderdale (since 2004).
Join in supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities and honoring these twelve outstanding men. The luncheon will be held Thursday, March 8, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Parrot Jungle. For more information, call 305-324-5683, Ext. 1 or email 12goodmen@rmhcsouthflorida.org.
Jeff Bartel
Jeff Bartel is chairman and managing director of Hamptons Group LLC, a private investment and strategic consulting firm headquartered in South Florida. He retired in 2011 from Florida Power & Light Company and its parent company NextEra Energy, Inc. where he was a senior officer and member of the corporate leadership team in roles of progressively increasing responsibility, and served as a member of the Operating Committee and its Management Committee. Under his leadership, the company was named by Fortune each year as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies for social and corporate responsibility and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.
During Jeff’s career, he also served as a part-time city attorney for local municipalities and performed extensive pro bono and guardian ad litem work. Before practicing law, he was chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Lincold Diaz-Balart in Washington, D.C., and was the youngest chief of staff in the United States Congress at the time. After graduating from Harvard University, he served as chief aide to City of Miami Mayor Xavier Suarez, directing oversight and policymaking for city operating, finance, police, fire and budget departments, legislative affairs, and political activities.
Jeff is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees and President of Gulliver Schools, serves as vice chairman and a trustee of the Collins Center for Public Policy, and of the LeRoy Collins Institute, is an active member and committee chair of the Orange Bowl Committee, serves on the governing board of United Way of Miami-Dade and its philanthropic Leadership Circle, on the Beacon Council of Miami-Dade and its executive committee, on the board of the Miami Children’s Museum, and as a member of the Harvard College Schools Committee. He has served as a distinguished lecturer at the Florida State University College of Business and its Ethics Roundtable, and is a frequent guest speaker at universities and corporate, business association and government agency conferences.
Jeff and his wife Caterina and their children, Lauren Gianna and Matthew Anthony, live in Coral Gables. Jeff and Caterina are passionate supporters of education, children’s health, arts and cultural charities. His philanthropy includes serving as Life Trustee of both the Vizcaya Foundation and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, founding member of the Children’s Movement of Florida, and longtime benefactor of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Miami Children’s Hospital, Baptist Hospital Foundation, New World School of the Arts, New World Symphony, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the Miami International Film Festival.
Jeff Berkowitz
Jeff Berkowitz (“JB”) is the chairman and owner of Berkowitz Development Group (BDG), Inc., and over the last 30 years, he has engaged in the development and management of large commercial real estate shopping centers. JB is widely recognized as one of the pre-eminent retail developers in Miami-Dade County, having developed more than 1,500,000 square feet of retail and office space that generates in excess of $250 million in gross sales. He has significant experience in the design of vertical retail centers, a format that will be utilized at Gables Station, BDG’s third center in Miami-Dade County.
Prior to forming BDG in 1986, JB was a senior partner of the law firm of Berkowitz and Diaz where he specialized in real estate law. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cornell University and is a graduate from the University of Miami School of Law, where he served on the Law Review and obtained a Juris Doctorate degree in 1974.
Jeff Berkowitz has been deeply engaged in community leadership in South Florida. He is a trustee and was chairman of the National Leaders Forum for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He is the current chairman of the Miami Children’s Museum. He served as a member of the National Board of Directors of People for the American Way. He was also appointed by the Chief Judge of Miami-Dade County as the founding Executive Director of Miami-Dade County’s Independent Review Panel, a watchdog agency charged with the responsibility of investigating and addressing complaints against any Miami-Dade County employee or agency.
JB and his wife, Yolanda, are active supporters of many organizations, including Voices for Children Foundation, Jackson Memorial Hospital Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis, Miami Heat Charitable Foundation, United Way, Charlee, United Way Center for Excellence, the Miami Children’s Museum, Vizcaya Foundation, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Care and numerous others.
Dennis Campbell
Dennis Campbell has called South Florida home since the age of four. He is a 1972 graduate of Chaminade-Madonna High School. Dennis attended the University of Florida where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration with high honors. In 1978, he graduated with honors from the University of Florida Levin School of Law where he was the recipient of the Florida Bar Ethics Award.
Dennis began his legal career as a staff attorney in the Miami office of Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company. In 1980, he became the youngest partner in the 75-year history of the prestigious law firm, Mershon, Sawyer, Johnston, Dunwoody & Cole. Last year Dennis founded the Campbell Law Firm PLLC, an eight attorney litigation boutique firm located in Coral Gables. His practice focuses on complex litigation involving creditor’s rights, commercial torts, banking and bankruptcy litigation. For the past eight years, Dennis has been voted by his peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” and among “Florida’s Legal Elite” by Florida Trend Magazine. He has also been named a “Leading Florida Attorney,” has been recognized by the South Florida Legal Guide as a “Top Lawyer in South Florida,” the “Best of the Bar” by the South Florida Legal Journal and as a “Florida Superlawyer.”
Dennis is the past Chair of the Board of Trustees of History Miami where he has been an active member for twenty five years. During his tenure as Chair, Dennis was instrumental in creating the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Historical Society, an influential network of lawyers and judges focused on preserving and celebrating the rich legal history of South Florida. He also oversaw the museum’s development and management of the Miami Circle, the reaccreditation of the museum and the proposed move of the museum to Museum Park.
Dennis has been married to his wife Debbie for 29 years, and they have two daughters, Ansley and Denise. The Campbells are long-time supporters of the American Red Cross, the Florida Grand Opera, and the Lowe Art Museum.
Tomas P. Erban
Formerly a senior international corporate executive, Tomas Erban is now retired from a successful business career. He feels very fortunate to be able to invest his time and share his experiences with not-for-profit organizations that understand the needs of the community, have a clear mission, strong values and an exciting vision that define their long term objectives and expected outcomes.
Tomas volunteers with four organizations that serve different segments of our population, each having made an impact in Miami and will continue to do so for many years to come. His chosen nonprofits are: Baptist Health of South Florida, where he serves as the Chair of the Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute Foundation and the Executive Committee of the Baptist Health Foundation; Chapman Partnership (empowering the homeless), where he serves as Vice Chair, member of the Board and the Executive Committee; Goodwill South Florida, where he serves as Chair of the Board Development Committee, member of the Board and the Executive Committee; and YMCA of Greater Miami, where he serves as a member of the Board and the Executive Committee.
Tomas has been married to Sandra for 41 years, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Rebecca, are both professionals in the field of psychology. He is still hoping that his daughters will one day provide him with the psychological help he needs to improve his golf game!
Carlos R. Fernandez-Guzman
Since May 2010, Carlos Fernandez-Guzman has served as President, C.E.O and Director of Pacific National Bank, a $350 million community bank focusing on international trade and community banking. Carlos has a proven record of developing and implementing innovative solutions to multidimensional business challenges and as a community leader. Before taking his latest position, Carlos was the Senior Executive for six years of BankUnited, the largest Florida-based bank with over $14 billion in assets and eighty-five branches.
Carlos attended Louisiana State University where he attended and completed the Graduate School of Banking of the South. He also attended Florida International University (FIU), Miami Dade Community College (finished with his Associates of Arts Degree), completed special education in various sales management and sales training courses at American Management Association in New York, and successfully completed multi-year, multi faceted, management training program at Southeast Banking Corporation.
Carlos is a current member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Community Partnership for the Homeless, past member of the Board of Directors for Association for Retarded Citizens, Bank Administration Institute, Hispanic Heritage Festival, Inc., Leukemia Society, Police Athletic League, and Optimist Club of Miami Lakes where he also served as Treasurer and President. Carlos retains his ties with FIU as he was past co-chair and is currently member of the advisory board for the Master’s In Finance program and the Dean’s Council, School of Business.
Carlos is married with three children and enjoys reading, golf and other outdoor sporting activities.
Gary M. Gregory
Born and raised in Miami, Gary M. Gregory, CPCU, AAI, AIS, is retired from the insurance industry, having owned and operated Lon Worth Crow Insurance Group for over 25 years. During his career he served as President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Florida, as well as President of the Dade County Agents. He has been honored by his industry with its highest awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award from both Dade County and the State of Florida.
Gary has served as a Director of the Bank of Coral Gables, Vice President of the Jr. Orange Bowl, President of the Coral Gables Jaycees and JCI Senator, member of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Management Council, member of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, Grant Review Committee of Dade Mental Health Board, member of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Chairman of the Board of East Ridge Retirement Village. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors of the 200 Club and is serving his second term as Chairman of the Board of Miami Children’s Hospital.
Gary has one daughter, Taylor, and lives with his wife Sheila in Coconut Grove.
William J. Jones
William “Bill” Jones currently serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Trust and Fiduciary Specialist for Wells Fargo Private Bank. For more than 23 years he has provided legal and financial guidance to a select group of high net worth individuals and families.
Bill is a board member and past Chairman of the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, is also a board member and Treasurer of The Vizcayans and has also served on the board of the Bakehouse Art Complex. In 2008 Bill received a “Starfish” Award presented by Jackson Memorial Foundation’s Cancer Care Center. One of Bill’s greatest accomplishments is being a “Big Brother” for the past three years to 11-year-old Sacorey as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program.
Bill obtained his undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University, his Juris Doctorate from DePaul College of Law and his L.L.M. with honors (Masters in the Laws of Taxation) from John Marshall Law School. He currently lives in Miami Shores with his three dogs, all of whom were adopted from rescue agencies.
Andrew M. Korge
Andrew Korge graduated from Babson College in 2003 and the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida in 2007. He immediately became involved in the 2008 Presidential Election and served as the youngest member of President Obama’s National Finance Committee. Through his affiliation with politics, Andrew co-founded Generation FortyFour, an organization that engages and inspires the next generation of leaders to become politically active.
After passing the bar exam, Andrew became active in different businesses within the education and insurance industries. He is a co-founder of Viridis Learning, which was launched to meet the need for a clean technology-skilled workforce to support growing corporate sustainability initiatives. Andrew also has a public insurance adjusting company that works with large commercial and residential property owners, and he is a managing partner in Miami Strategies, an advocacy group with principals on both sides of the American political isle. Andrew’s family has hosted the leaders of the Democratic Party at their home, including Presidents Clinton and Obama, Secretary Clinton, and many others.
Andrew is also involved with nonprofit organizations that help the next generation of Americans succeed in life. He is the chairman of Impact Circle, the young professional arm of Big Brothers Big Sisters; serves as a mentor for Kairos Society, an organization that brings together the brightest collegiate entrepreneurs across the globe; and is a member of Our Time, a special interest group that supports the interests of the next generation of leaders.
Donald Kress
Don Kress joined the Miami office of Northern Trust in 1998 and is the Bank’s Fiduciary Practice Leader for Miami-Dade County. He also acts as a senior trust administrator for a select group of high net worth clients. Prior to joining Northern Trust, he managed various teams of trust and investment professionals for First Chicago Bank in Chicago. Don was Associate General Counsel of Miami Corporation, a private holding company based in Chicago, prior to his First Chicago experience. Don earned an AB in English Literature from Dartmouth College in 1967 and a JD from The University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1971.
Don is a member of the Board of Directors of the Estate Planning Council of Greater Miami and is a member of the University of Miami Estate and Gift Planning Advisory Board. He is currently a member of the board (and is also on the faculty) of the Florida Trust Schools and was on the faculty of the American Bankers Association National Trust School, where he taught courses in trust administration.
Don is a member of the Board of Directors of The Vizcayans and its immediate past president. He is a trustee of the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens Trust; is a committee member of Miami’s Leave a Legacy program (which is a program of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning).
Jack R. Loving
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Jack Loving moved to Miami at the age of four. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in accounting. While working as a CPA, he became a member of the first graduating class of Nova University’s Shepard Broad Law School, where he graduated cum laude. Jack is one of a few select attorneys who is board certified in tax law and wills, trusts and estates. Currently he is the senior partner of a boutique law firm located in Fort Lauderdale.
Jack has been an active participant in the community since the 1980’s. He serves on the board of the Pace Center for Girls and is a member of the Advisory Group for the Pantry of Broward, as well as the Professional Advisory Council for the Community Foundation of Broward. He is past Chairman of the Board of the Broward County YMCA and of the City of Fort Lauderdale Employees’ Pension Plan. He was the past President of Fort Lauderdale Rotary South, past board member of the Community Foundation of Broward, past Trustee and Elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, past Commodore of the Lauderdale Yacht Club and past member of the steering committee of the Annual Joint Tax and Estate Planning Seminar for the event’s first seven years.
Jack and his wife, Susan, have three married children: Jacklyn and her husband Chris, David and his wife Calla, and Randy and his wife Monika. Jack and Susan have five grandchildren with whom they enjoy spending time.
Kevin E. Packman
Kevin Packman, a 1993 BA graduate from the University of Texas (where he was named the Most Outstanding Individual in 1991), received his JD in 1998 from Washington University School of Law (where he received the Honor Scholar award).
Kevin has frequently been recognized for his volunteer efforts in the community, including the honor of being the first recipient of the ALS Association’s Kevin Packman Award for the Most Outstanding Volunteer, Thelma Gibson Community Service Award, and Health Care Hero Award. He serves as Chairman and CEO of the ALS Recovery Fund, a non-profit organization where he served as its President from 2001-2009. The volunteer-driven organization has given $1 million to fund a permanent chair for ALS Research at the University of Miami, and more than $750,000 to ALS patients. It is the only ALS organization in the country that provides patients with grants of up to $10,000.
A partner with Holland & Knight LLP, Chair of its Offshore Compliance Team and a member of its Private Wealth Services Group, Kevin’s practice also includes tax controversies, estate planning and creditor protection planning. In addition, Packman currently serves the pro bono committee at Holland & Knight, the Miami Children’s Hospital Ambassador Legacy Board, the University of Miami Planned Giving Advisory Board, and is heading a program to help Holocaust survivors throughout South Florida apply for pensions from Germany.
Kevin E. Packman is frequently quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Daily Business Journal and Business Week as he is a prolific writer with articles appearing in numerous publication including the Florida Bar Journal, Journal of Taxation, Estate Planning and The Jerusalem Post.
Frank Rubino
Frank Rubino, a native of New Jersey, moved to Florida in 1967 where he worked as a United States Secret Service agent until enrolling in the University Of Miami School of Law. Frank graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree and opened his own law firm, specializing in the defense of complex white collar criminal cases in Federal International Courts. His cases, including many high profile legal actions, have been heard in federal courts all over the United States. Frank was the lead counsel for General Manuel Antonio Noriega of Panama. He was named one of America’s “Super Lawyers” by Thompson Reuters/Findlaw, an honor given to fewer than 5% of all lawyers in America.
Frank is married to Ann Rubino, a well known social figure in Miami who is on many charitable boards in the community, and together they have devoted time and contributions to many worthwhile charities. They are members of the Golden Angels Society of Jackson Memorial Hospital. Frank founded an organization known as “Friends of King,” which raised money and built a one acre open air habitat at Monkey Jungle for King, the low land gorilla.
