LTC 049-2005 Women's History Month CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 049-2005
To: Mayor David Dermer and Date: February 17, 2005
Member of the City Commission
From: Jorge M. Gonzalez-- ~ (~ ,~¢-c'~'~
City Manager
Subject: WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
March is Women's History Month, and, as in previous years, the Miami Beach Commission
on the Status,of Women will celebrate the event with a reception in honor of three women
in our community whose contributions have made a difference in our community. The
Women Worth Knowing Award will be given to each of these women and was voted on
recently by the Commission on the Status of Women. A list of the three honorees and a
brief summary of their major accomplishment is attached.
The City is partnering with the Commission on the Status of Women to hold a reception in
honor of Women's History Month on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. at the South
Beach Marriott Hotel located at 161 Collins Avenue.
During the reception each honoree will be presented with a Certificate and will have the
opportunity to highlight her major accomplishments regarding her work in the community.
We hope that you will be able to attend this important event. Please RSVP to Maria E.
Martinez in the City Clerk's Office at (305) 673-7411 by March 1,2005 if you plan to attend.
If you have any questions or need additional information regarding this event, please feel
free to contact me.
JMG:REP:mem
Attachment
F:\CLER\$ALL\MARIA-M\CSOW\WWW05\LTC 20051 ,doc
Miami Beach Commission on the Status of Women
Women Worth Knowing 2005
Dr. Georgina Garcia D.M.D.:
"Dr. Georgie", as she is known, began her community service in 1987 by volunteering her time
to various dental organizations. She served on numerous committees of different dental
organizations, and went up the line to become President in 1991-1992 of the Dade Dental Study
Club, and the Miami Beach Dental Society. Dr. Georgie also served the community through the
Rotary Club of Miami Beach. She was voted as "Rotarian of the Year in 1992". Dr. Garcia was
President of the Rotary Club of Miami Beach in 1994-1995. She has also volunteered her time
and expertise to the Miami Medical Team and Donated Dental Services by helping numerous
patients with their dental needs. Dr. Georgie served as President and Executive Director of the
South Florida District Dental Association in 1998-1999 and was chosen as "Dentist of the Year
2000". She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Bertha Abess Children's Center
and the Advisory Board of the University of Florida Hialeah Clinic. Dr. Gerogie Garcia serves on
the faculty of the University of Florida and practices dentistry with her mother Dr. Dalia S. Garcia
in Miami Beach.
Elsie Sterling Howard:
She is the immediate past chairperson of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority and
served on the Board of the Greater Miami Visitor and Convention Authority. She served on the
Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel and Tourism and currently serves on the Public Relations Ad Hoc
Committee for the City of Miami Beach. She is founding co-chair of special events for the
SyIvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/University of Miami. Elsie serves as a co-chairperson
of the Endowment for the United Way of Miami-Dade County. She is the chairperson of the
Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Press, having served as a University
Trustee, President of the Penn's Alumni Society and as the Chairperson of the Penn Fund. She
is a co-chair of the 2005 Switchboard Miami gala and served as the chairperson of the
Department of the Treasury's Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee and has
served as a director of Deutsche Bank Florida, N.M. since 1992. Elsie is a member of the
Alexis De Tocqueville Society of United Way, a member of the Founders Society of both the
Sylvester Cancer Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center. Recent awards include the Caroline
Halpern Leadership Award from the Sylvester Cancer Center in November 2004 and the
Stewart "National Volunteer of the Year Award in 2003 from "CASE". She will receive the Red
Cross Spectrum Award in March, 2005 in addition to the "Woman Worth Knowing Award" from
the City Of Miami Beach/Committee on the Status of Women.
Shelley J. Kravitz:
Shelley J. Kravitz is a Miami-Dade County Judge who not only resides in the City of Miami
Beach, but was born here. In fact, the future Judge Kravitz was born in an elevator of the
original Mt. Sinai Hospital; her mother did not make it to the obstetrics room. She is a member
of the Faculty of the Florida Judicial College. Yes, when we elect or appoint a new judge, the
new judge is required to go to what is colloquially referred to as "New Judge's School", and
Judge Kravitz teaches trial skills to the new judges. Beginning in 2001, she also served as
Chair of the Miami-Dade County Canvassing Board. In addition, she lobbies the State
Legislature for the Conference on County Judges, the only woman to have done so. Judge
Kravitz did her undergraduate work at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and received
her law degree from the University Of Miami School Of Law. She is on her third career, having
started as a public school teacher, followed by a 10 year law practice, during which time she
served as a Special Master for the City of Miami Beach. She then began her current service on
the bench, where she has served for over 12 years, while serving several community groups
involved in the arts and in education. She has received many honors from a myriad of
community and professional groups, is a lecturer on law and is married to former Miami Beach
and Miami City Manager, Jose Garcia-Pedrosa.