City Year Miami’s “Paint the Town Red” Gala


Gala Sponsor – Ana Mari Ortega, Executive Director – Saif Ishoof, Board Member – Jaret Davis, & Martin Zilber
City Year Miami – an education-focused nonprofit dedicated to ending the dropout crisis – held its fifth annual “Paint the Town RED” Gala at the University of Miami’s brand new Student Center Complex Ballroom. The event united over 400 of South Florida’s most influential business leaders, elected officials, and community philanthropists. Guests were “power greeted” by corps members upon arrival and ushered into a pre-program cocktail reception offering sumptuous libations, delectable hors d’oeuvres, and interactive video games. Attendees were then escorted into the main ballroom which was transformed into a high-energy nightclub with VIP lounge seating.
The evening’s program paid homage to the 203 young men and women who make up City Year Miami’s corps – a diverse group of full-time, trained volunteers (ages 17-24) who have dedicated a year of their lives to serve as tutors, mentors, and role models to at-risk students in Miami’s highest-need schools. The highlight of the night’s program was a rousing personal testimony from City Year Miami corps member Pascal Florestal. Each and every day, City Year Miami corps members – like Pascale – are working to make better happen by offering academic and socio-emotional support to the students who need it most.

Ben Moss, Christiana Serle, Lara Clayton, & Benjamin Frank
Upon the conclusion of the evening’s program, guests danced the night away and enjoyed live musical performances from chart-topping recording artist, Iggy Azalea and international singer/producer, Yones – courtesy of Power96.
Gala sponsors included: Bain Capital, Walmart, Goldberg and Rosen, Sazon Goya, Akerman LLP, Tony and Ana Figueroa Cisneros, Baptist Health South Florida, Brad and Cori Meltzer Charitable Trust, CareerSource South Florida, Comcast NBCUniversal, Deloitte, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Power96, Venetian Lady, Apollo Bank, Becker & Poliakoff, Berger Singerman, Clarisse Carbonell P.A., CSX Transportation, Macy’s, MBF Healthcare Partners, Miami Dolphins Foundation, Orthopedic Care Center, Univision, Wells Fargo, and Stinghouse.
Karin Figueroa Cisneros & Family
British Consulate General - Kevin McGurgan & Wife
Island Def Jam Recording Artist - Iggy Azalea
Gala Sponsor - The Wollberg Family
Barry Stein, City Year, Inc. Trustee - Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Carol Fulp, & Bernie Fulp
Founding Board Chair - Brad Meltzer, Founding Vice Chair - Cori Flam Meltzer, & Family
Gala Chairs - Judd Rosen & Brett Rosen
Board Member - Jorge Salgueiro of Deloitte, Maybel Salgueiro, Executive Director - Saif Ishoof, & Corps Members
Gala Sponsor - Macy's
Gala Sponsor - The Ortega Family
Executive Director - Saif Ishoof, Board Member - Heather Monahan, & Corps Members
Board Member - Christina Kolbjornsen of Wells Fargo
Diego Bentz of SFX Baseball
David Adams of Reuters
Gala Sponsor - Tony Figueroa, & Executive Director - Saif Ishoof
Edward and Christina Joyce of Northern Trust
Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Dominguez of JPMorgan Chase
Executive Director - Saif Ishoof, School Board Member - Dr. Larry Feldman, Mrs. Feldman, & Corps Members
Chairman and CEO of Akerman, LLP - Andrew Smulian, Board Chair - Tere Blanca, Board Member - Thomas Abraham
Guests on the dance floor
Board Member - Luis Andre Gazitua, Jeb Bush, Jr., Executive Director - Saif Ishoof, & Corps Member
Mr. and Mrs. Mitch Bierman
One Nation Records Recording Artist - Yones
Power96 Radio Personality - Lucy Lopez, & Husband
Tom and Susana Roth
School Board Member - Dr. Travis Holloway, Mrs. Holloway, & Corps Members
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Bach-Armas of the Miami Dolphins
BainCapital Representative - Heidi Flood, & Pascale Florestal - Corps Member
Executive Director - Saif Ishoof, Board Member - John Kitchens of CSX Transportation, Daughter, & Corps Member