MIAMI ARTS & HUMANITIES FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- ADVISOR
- Director of the Harvard University Afro
Alejandro de la Fuente is the Director of the Harvard University Afro-Latin American Research Institute, Robert Woods Bliss Professor of Latin American History and Economics and Professor of African and African American Studies. He is a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean who specializes in the study of comparative slavery and race relations. He is the author of Havana and the Atlantic in the Sixteenth Century (University of North Carolina Press, 2008), and of A Nation for All: Race, Inequality, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Cuba (University of North Carolina Press, 2001). He is also the curator of two art exhibits dealing with issues of race: Queloides: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art (2010-12) and Grupo Antillano: The Art of Afro-Cuba (ongoing). De la Fuente is currently working on a comparative study of slaves and the law in Cuba, Virginia and Louisiana. He is the editor of Transition magazine and of the journal Cuban Studies. Alejandro de la Fuente recently curated "Diago: The Pasts of This Afro-Cuban Present" at the Cooper Gallery of Harvard University that travelled to the Lowe Museum of Art at the University of Miami.
Anthony Bogues is a scholar, writer and curator. He is the Asa Messer Professor of Humanities and Critical Theory, Professor of Africana studies and African and African diaspora art and the inaugural director of the center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University. He is the author / editor of six volumes and has published over 80 essays in the fields of intellectual history, political theory and Haitian / Caribbean art. He has curated several major shows in the USA and the Caribbean. He is currently working on a book on freedom, serves as the series editor for the collected works of Sylvia Wynter and is a co-convener for the global curatorial project on slavery and colonialism. His edited volume on the history of black political thought will be published in 2019. He is a visiting professor in the Faculty of visual arts at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Tony E. Crapp, Sr. is President of CMDI Solutions, a management consulting company providing services to public and private organizations. He holds a Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in Urban & Domestic Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Government, cum laude, from Harvard University. Mr. Crapp has over thirty-five years of high-quality professional experience in community redevelopment, county/city management and administration, urban and community economic development, business development programming, economic analysis, economic and community planning, affordable housing development and budget and financial management/analysis. Prior to CMDI, he was Executive Director of the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency where he worked with the City of North Miami to leverage millions of dollars to implement infrastructure, housing and economic development projects. He has also worked as Director of the Miami Dade County Office of Community and Economic Development and as Assistant County Manager overseeing community redevelopment.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Business Diplomacy Consulting
Bryant Salter is the CEO of Business Diplomacy Consulting, an international business consulting firm. Mr. Salter created and has managed Enterprise Florida's (the official economic development organization for the State of Florida) African Trade Expansion Program since 2000. A diplomat for more than 20 years, Mr. Salter joined the U.S. State Department's foreign service in 1977. He first served as the Staff Aid to the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (1977-82), making visits to Africa on behalf of the African Bureau, the State Department and the White House. Mr. Salter served as the US Consul at the US Embassy in Antigua from 1982-90, the permanent Charge d' Affaires and Chief of Mission. In 1994, he was assigned to the Florida Governor's office as a State Department liaison officer during the 1994 Summit of the Americas. A 1971 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Mr. Salter currently serves on the University's Board of Trustees. Pitt honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Mr. Salter earned a Master's Degree from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and has attended Law School at the University of San Diego and Business School at the University of California at San Diego. Prior to his Foreign Service career, Bryant was a Collegiate All-American in Track and Field and in 1971 was drafted into the National Football League by the San Diego Chargers. Salter played in the NFL from 1971-1976 for the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Colts and the Chargers.
Dr. Benjamin Cowins, Ph. D is a semi-retired public school educator. He is the author/co-author of six books, an educational consultant to the Urban League of Greater Miami, FL.; Vice President and co-founder of the Ralph Hogges and Benjamin Cowins Writers Group of South Florida; member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a U.S. Military Combat Veteran of Vietnam and member of Mt. Herman AME Church of Miami Gardens.Additionally, he is a proud literary health advocate, the Director of the Christian Community Service Agency of Miami Gardens, a Liberty City Alumnus of Miami Northwestern Senior High, as well as a graduate of Florida A&M University, Barry University and University of Oklahoma. He is married to Harriet Blackshear-Cowins and the father of three children. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the State's Florida Fund for Minority Teachers.
Dr. Keshia N. Abraham is a scholar-educator-practitioner of African diaspora literature and cultural arts with an extensive background in international education. She has studied, lived and worked in nearly every region of the African diaspora and the postcolonial world working as a professor, researcher, facilitator and currently as Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion at CIEE. (Council for Independent Education Exchange) Prior to CIEE, Dr. Abraham was the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Humanities Department, Director of International Education and Associate Professor of English at Florida Memorial University in Miami. She earned a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Binghamton University and holds a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in Women's Studies from Spelman College. Among other notable awards, Dr. Abraham is a two-time Fulbright Scholar, having conducted research in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and in India. Her scholarly work appears in journals and books, and as an editor in the Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora and The Caribbean Woman Writer as Scholar: Imagining, Creating, Theorizing. Dr. Abraham is a contributor to the Routledge Encyclopedia of Women's Studies and has several forthcoming book projects. She remains deeply committed to enhancing global African diasporic knowledge and experiential cultural exchange worldwide.
Dr. Willie Logan is a founder of the Opa-locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC) and has served as its CEO and president since 1980. In addition to his work with the OLCDC, Logan served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1982 to 2000 and was elected Democrat Speaker-Designate from 1998 to 2000. He also served as Mayor of the City of Opa-locka from 1980 to 1982. Logan earned his Ph.D. in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University and his M.B.A. and Bachelor's in Accounting from the University of Miami where he is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Architecture. Dr. Logan is a sought-after speaker at many different housing and community development conferences and recently he has spoken at the First Future of Places International Conference on Public Space and Placemaking in Stockholm, Sweden and in Rome, Italy 2013; the Future of Places International Conference on Streets as Public Spaces and Drivers of Urban Prosperity in Buenos Aires, Argentina 2014. Finally, he spoke at the Project for Public Spaces Conference on Public Markets, Barcelona, Spain 2015. He is also a published author and his writing includes a chapter entitled "Revitalization & Transforming the Community" in the Future of Places book Shifting from Objects to Places published by Ax: son Johnson Foundation, Stockholm 2014. Under Dr. Logan's leadership, the Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation uses art as a force of transformation of a community.
Etzer Kenta Botes began his career at Deloitte Consulting where he advised government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and multi-national NGOs on business strategy and technology issues. He took a year off to work in New York City as a Broad Education Resident supporting initiatives to improve the quality of charter schools in New York City. When he returned to Deloitte Consulting, he relocated to South Florida where he hopes to make a positive impact in youth mentorship and encouraging students toward business careers. Recently, he joined Kaplan, Inc. as Director of Strategy. Kaplan, a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company, is a premier provider of educational services for individuals, schools and businesses worldwide. Etzer obtained his Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from New York University, and a Master's Degree in Public Policy, Strategic Management and Finance from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Managing Partner of Ottinot Law
Hans Ottinot, Esq, is Managing Partner of Ottinot Law, P. A. He formerly served as Chief Legal Strategist for RK Centers, a family held real estate development company with an excess of more than 8 million square feet of commercial property in South Florida and New England. As the former City Attorney for the City of Sunny Isles Beach, he was primarily responsible for providing strategic legal advice to city officials on complex development projects and representing the City in complex litigation. In 2014, Hans was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to serve on the 11th Circuit Judicial Nomination Commission. He has served as Chair for the Executive Council of the City, County, and Local Government Law Section of the Florida Bar. He also served as a member of Miami-Dade County Charter Committee. He was appointed by the President of the Florida Bar to serve as the liaison for government lawyers on the Florida Bar Board of Governors. During his tenure as City Attorney of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Hans has played an integral role in the review and approval by the City Commission of numerous development projects with a total real estate value exceeding $5 Billion Dollars. These projects include but are not limited to internationally recognized projects such as Porsche Design Tower Miami, Acqualina Resort, Mansions of Acqualina, Jade Signature, and Ritz Carlton Residences. He has also acquired through negotiations and litigation real properties for the City exceeding $100 Million Dollars in value. Due to his expertise in real estate development projects, Hans was recognized in 2008 by Florida Trend's Magazine Legal Elite as one of the top government attorneys in the State of Florida. The South Florida Legal Guide also recognized him in 2004 as one of the top government attorneys in South Florida. Prior to being appointed City Attorney of Sunny Isles Beach in 2005, he served as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Sunny Isles Beach, and City Attorney for the City of North Miami. He was the first City Attorney for the City of Miami Gardens, the largest African-American municipality in the State of Florida. He is a former State of Florida Assistant Attorney General. He is a former president of the Haitian Lawyers Association and holds memberships in the Wilkie D. Ferguson Bar Association, Caribbean Bar Association, TJ Reddick Bar Association, and the Cuban-American Bar Association. Ottinot received his undergraduate degree from Colgate University and law degree from University of Miami School of Law.
Malik S. Benjamin finds growth opportunities at the intersections of energy, design, climate, economics, and community development. He runs strategy, implementation, and knowledge sharing as the Business Development Manager of Elevate Energy and Senior Associate at RW Ventures. In these roles, he manages regional economic development projects from strategy to implementation, and develops national partnerships and opportunities. Through a fellowship with the Roddenberry Foundation, he has worked with groups to promote 21st century workforce skills in underemployed communities; promoted economic viability at the individual and community level; built economic partnerships between like-minded yet geographically separated local communities; built tourism networks between burgeoning creatively- and culturally-interesting communities; and developed digital platforms to enhance, not replace, local analog systems. He is a Roddenberry Fellow, BMe Fellow and a member of Harvard Business School's Young American Leader Cohort 1.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Partner in Holland & Knight LLP
Marilyn Holifield is a partner in Holland & Knight LLP, an international law firm that traces its history to the 1890s. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Concentration in Black Studies from Swarthmore College, Juris Doctorate from Harvard University and Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Barry University. Ms. Holifield was born in Tallahassee, Florida where she was one of three black students to desegregate Leon High School. Her legal career began at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City, where she litigated class action employment and prison reform lawsuits. She was General Counsel for Peter Edelman at the New York State Division for Youth and worked as a law clerk for Judge Paul H. Roney of the United States (former) Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She joined Holland & Knight in 1981 and became a partner in the firm in 1986 - the first black woman partner of a major law firm in Florida. Ms. Holifield serves on the Executive Committee, Harvard Board of Overseers; Board of Managers of Swarthmore College and Board of Trustees of University of Miami. She has served on the Directors Committee of Holland & Knight, Executive Committee of the Harvard Alumni Association and two terms as chairperson of the ABA Conference of Minority Partners in Majority/Corporate Law Firms. She is consistently listed as a top lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Trend's Legal Elite and Super Lawyers and has received numerous awards. While growing up, outreach by Florida A&M University supported her involvement in the arts (music, visual arts, dance, journalism, and children's theater). Her continuing involvement includes her collection of artwork from the African Diaspora.
Marlon Hill, Esq. is a partner in the Miami office of Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, LLP practicing in the areas of general corporate, intellectual property/entertainment, immigration and government transactions representing the interests of entrepreneurs, corporations, and non-profit organizations. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Marlon is a graduate of the Florida State University Colleges of Business & Law. Marlon is an Inaugural Fellow of the Miami Foundation's Miami Fellows Initiative leadership program and has served as a past president of the Caribbean Bar Association (2001-2003). He previously served as Co-Chair of Obama for America Florida Finance Committee and currently serves as a member of the board of directors for the Miami Parking Authority, Miami Foundation (Chair, Governance Committee), Miami Book Fair International, and an active member of the Orange Bowl Committee. Marlon is currently the advisor/mentor to the Florida Caribbean Students Association and immediate past Jamaican Diaspora Advisory Board Member for the Southern United States (2006-2011). Marlon is a weekly civic commentator, The Peoples Politics, on Caribbean Riddims, WZAB 880AM, every Saturday at 4pm covering issues of civic interest, legal concern, and social or cultural impact, a guest Opinion Pages columnist with The Miami Herald, and Roundtable guest contributor to WPLG Local 10, "This Week in South Florida."
Job Titles:
- Founder and Editor of Sugarcane Magazine
Melissa Hunter Davis is the founder and editor of Sugarcane Magazine, a digital platform for visual and performing artists of Africa and the African diaspora. Melissa is responsible for leading a team of five creatives with growing the platform and providing content that appeals to a global audience. Sugarcane Magazine is a part of Sugarcane Global Media, a boutique videography firm that works with non-profits, small corporations, podcasters, and artists. Sugarcane Global Media is the official media firm for Prizm Art Fair. Melissa's background in the arts started with her love for theatre in her hometown of Gary, Indiana. She was active in high school theatre and moved to Miami to major in theater at Barry University. Her work at Barry led to a revival of not only the theatre department but led the university to restore performance space for students to produce cutting-edge work. After graduation, Melissa started her career at Miami-Dade Parks Department's African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. At African Heritage, Mrs. Davis led a team to revive Cornucopia of the Arts, a children's arts festival powered by children, she successfully produced Calabash, an Afrocentric arts festival, and the Calabash Visual Arts Awards celebration. After working Broward Cultural Council, Melissa dedicated her time to developing Sugarcane Magazine.
Michelle Johnson is the Faith Based and Community Leadership Liaison and builds and maintains relationships between the Office of The Mayor and the Faith Based, Nonprofit Community and grassroots organizations in Miami-Dade County. She also facilitates communication and coordinate activities among people, agencies and/or organizations as they fit in the priorities of The Office of The Mayor's strategic action plan. Johnson has an extensive background in finance and program management working in the private and non-profit sector. She is also responsible for ensuring outstanding outcomes for over 1,800 participants including parents, youth and community members and coordinating multiple programs including: The Independent Parent Council, New Dimensions in Parenting, Synergy Service Partnership and Youth Violence Prevention.
Melvin Bratton served two terms as Councilman on the Inaugural City Council of the City of Miami Gardens. His public service has also included two terms as Miami-Dade County Community Councilman, membership in the Miami-Dade, State of Florida and National Leagues of Cities and elected member of the Miami-Dade Black Caucus. Active in the community, he has been a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee for Miami-Dade County and the Citizen Advisory Committee for the City of Miami Gardens. His community activism has involved organizing homeowner associations, serving as president of the Leslie Estates Homeowners Associations and volunteering for numerous charity events. After graduating from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, he attended Miami Dade Community College. For two years, he served active duty in the United States Army and retired from the Army Reserve after more than twenty years. He is retired from the United States Postal Service.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
Monique D. Hayes practices in the areas of business transactions, commercial litigation, creditor's rights and corporate restructuring. She has extensive experience advising fiduciaries, corporate and non-profit board members, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Monique has successfully represented clients in a broad range of bankruptcy matters including claim prosecution, asset sales and acquisitions; finance transactions, bankruptcy plan confirmations, avoidance actions, directors and officers claim litigation, Ponzi scheme and other fraud litigation. She also has substantial experience representing franchisors in franchisee bankruptcy proceedings. In the innovation and technology sector Monique has represented start-ups, entrepreneurs, and founders in corporate formations and restructuring, due diligence, and related transactional matters. Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Hayes served as law clerk to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurel Myerson Isicoff and as a consumer bankruptcy attorney for Legal Services of Greater Miami, Inc. She was an attorney at the law firm Genovese, Joblove & Battista, P.A. before moving on to join Goldstein & McClintock.
Rosie Gordon Wallace is the Founder, Curator, and Director of Diaspora Vibe Gallery and Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator. Since 1996, Gordon-Wallace has initiated and produced transnational creative programs that redefine concept of "diaspora" including the International Cultural Exchange program, the Caribbean Crossroads Series, the Art-In-Residence program, an ongoing contemporary exhibitions program, and numerous community-based outreach projects. A licensed Medical Microbiologist and former Senior Consultant for Searle Pharmaceuticals from 1981-1999, Gordon-Wallace devoted herself full time to the gallery she created and developed in 1999. Diaspora Vibe Gallery and Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubators specializes in Caribbean and Latin American Art with an emphasis on emerging artist. The gallery supports the development of new work by resident artists by offering exhibitions opportunities, artist talks, workshops and other skill-building core values for emerging artists.
Job Titles:
- Member of the BOARD of DIRECTORS
- Chairman and CEO of Grove Bank
Sheldon T. Anderson, serves as Chairman and CEO of Grove Bank and Trust. He previously served as President & CEO of Northern Trust, Southeast Region He is former Interim President & CEO of The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is also a Past Chair of this organization which is the Official Economic Development Partnership for Miami-Dade County. Active in many civic organizations, Anderson is a board member of The Miami Foundation, United Way of Miami-Dade, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Miami Dade College Foundation, Institute of Contemporary Art, New World Symphony and other organizations. He is a member of the Orange Bowl Committee and the President's Council of Florida International University. A native of Miami, he earned a degree in international studies at Ohio State University.
Theresa Therilus, Esq. is an experienced attorney in government, sports and entertainment and commercial litigation. Ms. Therilus has extensive experience representing professional athletes as an NFL agent. She has served as legal counsel to several professional artists and entertainers in licensing and endorsement deals. Ms. Therilus is a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida and legal advisor for Miami-Dade County's Regulatory and Economic Resources Department. Ms. Therilus has also taught Trial Advocacy at Harvard Law School since 2010. Currently, Ms. Therilus is Assistant Director for the Miami-Dade County Internal Services Department. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from University of Miami and her law degree from Harvard Law School.
Tumelo Mosaka is an independent curator from South Africa. Most recently, he was the contemporary art curator at the Krannert Art Museum (KAM) in Champaign, IL where he curated several exhibitions including: Blind Field (2013), OPENSTUDIO (2011), The Kangarok Epic (2011), iona rozeal brown (2011), MAKEBA! (2011), Baggage Allowance (2010), The Bikeriders: Danny Lyon (2010), Lida Abdul (2010), and On Screen: Global Intimacy (2009), among others. Prior to joining KAM, Mosaka was Associate Curator of Exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum where he curated exhibitions such as Infinite Islands: Contemporary Caribbean Art (2007), Passing/Posing: Kehinde Wiley (2004) and co-curated Open House: Working in Brooklyn (2004). Mosaka has also worked for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina where he co-curated the exhibition Listening Across Cultures (2001) and Evoking History (2002). He has also organized several international exhibitions including Otherwise Black (2014) for the 1st edition International Biennale of Contemporary Art in Martinique (BIAC)