Loading...
LTC 076-2008 Women's History MonthRF~Ff~.iE(} m- MIAMI BEACH 2O00MAR-6 AMtI~ 19 OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER CITY CLtCSrr`S t)f'FIC. NO. LTC # o~6-Zoos LETTER TO COMMISSION TO: Mayor Matti H. Bower and Members of the City Commission FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager DATE: March 6, 2008 SUBJECT: Women's History Month March is Women's History Month, and as in previous years, the Miami Beach Commission for Women will celebrate the event with a reception in honor of three women in our community whose contributions have made a difference. Seventeen outstanding women from the community were nominated to receive the Women Worth Knowing Award with the Commission for Women voting for three honorees to receive the award. Gail Harris, Elizabeth "Liebe" Gadinsky and Wendy Unger will be recognized at a reception in partnership with the City and the Commission for Women in honor of Women's History Month on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at the South Beach Marriott Hotel located at 161 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. A brief summary of their major accomplishments is attached. As this date coincides with the City Commission meeting, the ceremony will begin as proximate to the commission meeting adjournment as possible or at 7:00 p.m. which occurs earlier. 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 Ana Cecilia Velasoo, Asset Manager and City Liaison at (305) 673-7000 x 6727 or avelascoCa~miamibeachfl.gov if you plan to attend. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding this event, please feel free to contact me. JMG:ACV Attachment C:IDocuments and SettingsleconvelalMy DocumentslMB Commission for WomenlWomen Worth Itc 2008.doc Gail Harris Gail L. Harris IKay) has lived on Miami Beach since 1950 and is a practicing psychotherapist on Miami Beach. She has served on many community boards of directors over her 35 years of involvement including Jewish Family Service (now JCSj, National Council of Jewish Women, The Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education, The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation -Women's Dept. She has served on several city boards, including The Fine Arts Board, past chair of The Committee For Women, and presently, The Qualiy of Education Committee. As part of Caje, she chaired the March of the Living Adult Lay leadership Committee for a four year period and has been on five of the March of the Living Journeys with teens and Holocaust survivors, as a volunteer clinician, visiting Poland and Israel. As a follow up to this very emotional journey, she has brought together , in a group setting, the Holocaust survivors who have volunteered to return to their native country, meeting once a month for the past fourteen years, celebrating the lives that they have established for themselves in America. A particular interest area for her is domestic violence. For the past five years, Gail has facilitated a monthly meeting for volunteers who are a part of the Listener's Program, sponsored by the Miami Dade County Public Schools and Francine and Hebert Tobin Foundation. The group meets to discuss the issues relating to the emotional well-being and positive self esteem of children and youth in grade 1-12. Elizabeth "Liebe" Gadinsky Liebe Gadinsky is an avid volunteer and an avid reader, belonging to several monthly book clubs (one exclusively for womenj. She has worked tirelessly and passionately with SAVE, SAVE Dade Foundation, and related organizations such as Victory Fund, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in particular the LGBT community. She has worked with the Victory Fund and been trained as a leader in the movement, has worked with Lambda Legal, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in local, state and national levels. The Human Rights Ordinance that was passed and then upheld by voter approval was passed in a large part as a result of the work of Liebe and her dedication to the process. In addition, Liebe has worked on issues involving HIV and AIDS Day, December l~' for the past three years. She has volunteered to work with students in the Haitian community and been a reader and supporter in the public elementary school primarily with enrollment of Haitians and other minorities. Additionally, Liebe has been on the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Dinner Committee for the past two years where the honorees have been of local and national renown. The Women's Center of FIU benefits by her participation and that of her family as a significant cause for the protection and rights of other women in our communiy. You will see Liebe many times at a variety of events and fundraisers, behind the scenes, only to learn that she was an integral part of the hard work to organize and establish the success of the event. Liebe embodies the true meaning of charity and caring and desire to assist and serve and better the world for those around her, no matter who they are and their station in life. Wendy Unger For the City of Miami Beach itself, she was appointed to the Commission of the Status of Women for two periods, '81 '85 and '91 '92. While working atJordan Marsh there she started volunteering with the United Way of Dade County. Through her work with the Jaycees, she took on the responsibility of starting the first Women's Jaycee Chapter in the Ciy. It gave young women a chance to do things on a citywide level t help the community. She started working for the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce in 1988 as Program Manager, where she worked with volunteers, committees, events and membership department. During that period, she also co-chaired the Chamber's Education Committee where she founded and chaired the Annual Career Shadowing Day for seven years. She was an active school volunteer at Key Biscayne Elementary School and MAST Academy. She was a member of the Rotary Club of Key Biscayne and served for one year as Secretary of the Club; and also had the opportunity to help them with their Annual Art Festival advertising and public relations. She continued to help with the Art Festival for four years after leaving Key Biscayne and the Rotary Club. She then went to work for the Association for Retarded Citizens of South Florida for 5 years. While at ARC, she was in charge of the volunteers and the fundraising and special events. While there, she helped to start the organization's first fundraising auction. She was also a "Loaned Executive' for the United Way, during which time she traveled throughout Miami-Dade County representing ARC and the United Way. She also had the opportuniy to serve Miami Dade County as Vice Chair of National Volunteer Week and started the Volunteer Fair in conjunction.