2013 Silver Medallions / Humanitarian Dinner
MCCJ Awards Six South Florida Leaders
Since 1946, MCCJ has awarded the coveted Silver Medallion to outstanding leaders who have exhibited extraordinary humanitarian efforts in the community that mirror MCCJ’s mission of creating an inclusive community. WPLG Local 10 anchor, Calvin Hughes, will host this year’s event along with Chair Hilarie Bass and Honorary Chairs Richard and Colleen Fain, Tony Argiz and Cesar Alvarez. The event will take place on March 2nd at The Four Seasons Hotel. For info, sponsorship levels and tickets, call the MCCJ office at 305-755-6096 or Chase Management at 305-379-0800.
2013 Silver Medallion Honorees:
Willard T. Fair
Willard T. Fair’s published works include articles in the Miami Herald, Miami Magazine, and Tropic Magazine. He has been a host of both radio and television programs. As an analyst on some of the pressing issues of the day, he has been interviewed by 60 Minutes, Tom Brokaw Show, Ebony Magazine, and National Geographic. Fair was selected “Icon of the Month” by Florida Trend Magazine, the magazine of Florida business, September 2006. Fair has met with four different Presidents of the United States, relative to Issues of Concern to Black Americans. He was appointed by former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, to the United State’s Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs, where his responsibilities included visiting American embassies in Egypt, Oman and the United Kingdom to promote cultural diplomacy. He served on the United States People to People Ambassadors Program and traveled to Cuba to discuss issues related to child welfare and education. In 2010, he was appointed by President Barak Obama to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships-Miami Regional Selection Panel, reappointed in 2011.
Ruth Shack
Ruth Shack is President Emeritus of The Miami Foundation. She served as president for 24 years leading the organization from its infancy to one of community leader and change-agent. During her esteemed tenure, Ruth spearheaded a campaign to encourage philanthropy and charitable giving by developing a permanent endowment to meet Greater Miami’s emerging charitable needs. Determined to better respond to the needs of Miami’s most intractable challenge, Ruth led the charge to focus all grant making against the issue of cultural alienation and the need to help people successfully cross ethnic barriers. Empowerment and seed funding for emerging groups, based in the diverse multi cultural communities of Miami-Dade, were the hallmarks of the grant making program under her leadership. Ruth Shack’s career has been rooted in the world of community service. She was elected to her first term as a Metro-Dade County Commissioner in 1976, re-elected to a four year term in 1978 and to a third term in 1982.
Merrett R. Stierheim
Merrett R. Stierheim is a principal founder of major Miami-Dade civic and municipal institutions including the Beacon Council, the GMCVB, the Metro Miami Action Plan (MMAP), the Human Service Alliance, etc. He has served on the board of directors or chaired more than 30 local, state and national organizations including the Zoological Society of Florida, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC), GMCVB, Goodwill, Mellon National Bank, Barnett Bank, Sun Trust Bank, the Orange Bowl Committee, etc. He is a lifetime member of the International City and County Management Association (ICMA), and is the Chair and lectures at the Academy for Strategic Management at FIU. Recently, Stierheim received the prestigious Distinguished Service Award from ICMA, which has 8,400 members worldwide. He also received the Henry Flagler Visionary Achievement Award from the GMCC, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Miami Today newspaper, a National Public Service Award from ASPA, and is an Honorary Member of Phi Alpha Alpha.
Peter Dolara
Peter Dolara, a recognized aviation, travel and tourism professional is actively involved in the South Florida community and currently serves as Co-Chairman of the United Way of Miami-Dade Annual Campaign where he is a long-time board member. Throughout the years he has been recognized by numerous civic and travel organizations for his commitment to the community and development of tourism in Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America. The Greater Miami Chamber recognized his exemplary leadership with the “Sand in My Shoes” award in 2012. He has also been recognized by Beacon Council, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Government of Belo Horizonte and the Greater Miami Aviation Association among others. Under Dolara’s leadership, American’s Miami hub became the largest international gateway in American’s network, with more than 9,000 employees and daily nonstop service to virtually every major business and vacation market throughout Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Clergy Medallion Award: Rabbi Glickstein
Rabbi Glickstein has been the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom since 1985. Rabbi Glickstein has distinguished himself as one of the leaders of the Miami community. He is the Founding Executive Director of the Woldenberg Center for Jewish Life and serves on the advisory boards of the Lehrman Community Day School and the Greater Miami Coalition for a Drug Free Community. He is a Board Member and Finance Committee member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. He serves as a Board Member for the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, is a Board Member and Advisory Board Member for the Golden Care Foundation and is Past President of the Greater Miami Chapter Board of American Friends of the Hebrew University. Rabbi Glickstein’s commitment to the cross-cultural community in Miami is evidenced by his position as Past Chairman of the Religious Leaders Coalition and membership on the Executive Committee and Past Chair of the Education Committee for the Miami Coalition for a Drug Free Community. He was also a past Board Member for the Miami Human Rights Commission and the Past Chairman of the Judaic Studies Advisory Committee to the President of Barry University.
Tony Goldman
Tony Goldman (b. Dec. 6, 1943 – d. September 11, 2012) was a Vietnam veteran, real estate developer and arts visionary. He was instrumental in turning South Beach from a retirement spot to one of the country’s hippest hotel districts. Goldman also played a central role in reviving Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood as an arts destination. He was given the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2010 for lifetime achievement. Trust president Stephanie Meeks said, “At its core, preservation is about recognizing the value of historic buildings and neighborhoods, and restoring life to places that define and enrich our communities. That is what Tony Goldman does, and nobody does it better.” He died at 68 in New York where he initially launched his real-estate empire in the 1960s. He’s also credited for revitalizing the New York City neighborhood of SoHo and 13th street in Philadelphia.
