Newspaper Accepting Nominations For Gold Medal Awards

Miami Today is accepting entries in its sixth annual Gold Medal Awards competition, which spotlights six elite individuals, companies and institutions already honored by others as tops in their fields.

The six medalists will be featured April 21 in Miami Today’s annual Gold Medal Awards edition.

Eight respected judges will select gold, silver and bronze medalists among organizations and also among individuals.

Only those who have been recognized in 2004 with other awards as leaders in their fields will be considered.

"This annual award gives our community its only opportunity to publicly honor the best of the best – because winners are selected from among those who have already been judged the best in their class," said Michael Lewis, publisher of Miami Today.

The 2004 winners, honored at a dinner at the Miami City Club, included a tie. They were law firm Markowitz Davis Ringel & Trusty, Miami Dade College, the National Self-Defense Institute, the National Non-Violence Project USA, Modesto Abety; Charles Jones and Eduardo Padron.

The 2003 winners, honored at a dinner at Northern Trust Bank, were Ocean Bank, Mandarin Oriental Miami, Markowitz Davis Ringel & Trusty, Stuart L. Blumberg, Alina de la Paz and Julio D. Torres.

The 2002 medalists, feted at The Cloisters residences in Coconut Grove, were Montenay Power Corp., PharMed Group, Continental National Bank of Miami, Patricia A. Redmond, Michael S. Goldberg and Cesar Alvarez.

The 2001 medalists, honored at a dinner at the Ocean Club on Key Biscayne, were the Beacon Council, the Related Group, IVAX Corp., San Juan Bosco Clinic, William A. Graham, Jimmy Morales and Sonny Holtzman.

Winners in 2000 were Baptist Health Care Systems of Florida, St. Thomas University, United Parcel Service, Aaron S. Podhurst, Edward J. Rosasco and John Hinson

Judging this year’s competition are:

nMario Artecona, executive director of the Miami Business Forum.

nJoyce Elam, dean of the College of Business Administration at Florida International University.

nAllen Harper, chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell Realtors.

nDavid A. Lieberman, senior vice president for business and finance at the University of Miami.

nHarve Mogul, president and CEO of the United Way of Miami-Dade.

nBen Mollere, chairman of the Beacon Council and vice president of sales and marketing at the Biltmore Hotel.

nR. Donahue Peebles, chairman of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and president of Peebles Atlantic Development Corp.

nJ. Antonio Villamil, chairman of Florida’s Council of Economic Advisors and president and CEO of the Washington Economics Group.

Entry forms can be obtained from Miami Today by calling (305) 358-2663 or by fax at (305) 358-4811. Deadline for entries is Jan. 14.