On March 2, 2018, we collaborated with former American Bar Association President Stephen Zack and Luis Suarez of Boies, Schiller, and Flexner to hold the Miami Leadership Summit at the Miami-Dade College – Wolfson Campus. The convening brought together leading scholars, legal practitioners, and media representatives in the Miami area to explore key areas of opportunity through educational innovation, broadcasting, and a vibrant economy.

Please navigate through this page to access the press release, presentation materials, video content, and local media coverage of the Summit.

The Summit began with opening remarks by Stephen Zack and welcome by Miami-Dade College President Dr. Eduardo Padrón (09:40):

To provide context for the day’s discussion, in the Opening Session Hispanics and the Making of Miami, Professor Alejandro Portes of the University of Miami spoke about the history of Latinos in greater Miami, and Professor Guillermo Grenier of Florida International University analyzed the shifting demographic profile of the Cuban-American community in Miami on a panel moderated by Rachel F. Moran of UCLA School of Law.

Access their presentation materials here and video footage below:

(08:00 – 35:15) Portes Hispanic Miami: Diversity and Inequality In the Global City

(35:16 – 58:48) Grenier The Cuban-American Transition: Demographic and Ideological Change in the Cuban-American Population of Miami

The Summit then shifted to the unique features of education for Hispanics in the Miami area. Moderated by Luis E. Suarez, the panel on Education and the Miami Hispanic Community focused on the landscape of education, law, and policy issues. Panelists included General Counsel to Miami-Dade Public Schools Walter Harvey, Professor Dario Moreno of Florida International University, Chief Judge of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Florida Honorable Bertila Soto, and Dean Patricia D. White of University of Miami School of Law). 

The second panel addressed Miami’s path-breaking role in addressing Hispanics’ images in the media.  To that end, Stephen N. Zack moderated Miami and Image-Making: Creating the Content for an Emerging Hispanic Market. Panelists included Assistant Professor Sindy Chapa, Sonia Diaz of Balsera Communications, “Democracy Lives in Miami” creator and producer Jorge Mursuli, and reporter Nathalia Ortiz of NBC and Telemundo.

The convening ended with comments from former Miami Mayor and current Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suárez.