Power Series: Women of Influence

John Elizabeth Alemán has been a resident of Miami Beach for more than twenty-one years. She is married to Jose Braulio (JB) Alemán, and their two sons are fourth-generation Miami Beach residents. John is an accomplished business professional and an active member of our community. Her 25-year corporate career in information technology was spent at public companies Accenture, Ryder System and MasTec. At Ryder, she managed 70 IT professionals across the UK, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, China and Singapore, and a $30M capital budget. As the Chief Information Officer at MasTec, she identified $500K operating savings within her first 30 days. John has 15 years’ experience developing solutions in the field of transportation and logistics.

Meg Daly is founder and president of Friends of The Underline, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization leading the initiative to transform the underutilized land below Miami's Metrorail into a 10-mile, urban trail and linear park. A 30-year sales and marketing veteran, Meg owned First Media Direct, a breakthrough target marketing company catering to the broadcast television industry. She has also held executive marketing and management positions in the public relations, advertising, technology, and real estate industries. Meg has a BA in English from Vanderbilt University and has served on a number of philanthropic boards. She is also chairperson of the Coral Gables Cultural Affairs Board and a member of the Bike305 Executive Committee. For her love of community and desire to serve others, she was recently named one of Miami's Angels by the Miami Herald.

Alice Bravo was appointed Director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) in February 2016. The department includes all functions of the previous Miami-Dade Transit, along with the County Engineer, Traffic Operations, Construction and Maintenance and Highway Planning, as well as the Passenger Transportation Regulation function. DTPW is responsible for Miami-Dade County’s entire surface transportation system, the planning, maintenance and operation of our roadways, transit system and taxicab and limousine services.

Jill Capelli, P.E., is a senior transportation engineer specializing in multi-modal transportation projects including those for aviation, transit, and seaports. She especially enjoys focusing on projects that leverage technology to improve operations. Jill has 16 years of experience in traffic engineering, transportation planning, and simulation modeling. She has managed technology projects for security and communications design as well as the deployment of communications networks and their subsystems that comprise computer control and management systems. She is experienced with simulation modeling, transportation analysis, and multimodal simulation software. Jill most appreciates working with clients on projects and programs that cover a diverse skill set and require strong resource management to achieve success. Jill’s experience includes serving as Program Manager for the City of Miami Beach Intelligent Transportation System and Smart Parking System; Program Manager for PortMiami Security and Communication System Deployment; Program Manager for the City of Tallahassee Regional Transportation Management Center; Project Manager for the Miami-Dade County Metromover System Expansion Plan; Project Manager for the Miami-Dade County Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)/Transit Signal Priority (TSP) Concept of Systems Operations Plan; Deputy Project Manager for the Broward County Aviation Department On-Call Planning Contract; Deputy Project Manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, District 4 Transportation Systems Management and Operations Contract; and conducting a number of transportation studies evaluating pedestrian, transit, and vehicle access through simulation modeling. Jill is a United States Coast Guard veteran and a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. She received her Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky

Nicole Shiman is Senior Vice President of Investments, leading our Florida portfolio and office. She brings extensive experience in acquisitions and dispositions, as well as portfolio oversight and management, to the investment team. Nicole previously served as Vice President at Miami-based 13th Floor Investments, where she was responsible for leading acquisition initiatives, new business procurement and capitalization efforts. She was actively involved in the ongoing oversight, development, management and disposition of 13th Floor’s and its affiliates’ real estate portfolios. Prior to her work with 13th Floor, Nicole spent many years with The Boston Consulting Group in their Toronto, New York and Miami offices. Nicole graduated from The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and received her Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Nicole sits on the ULI Southeast Florida/ Caribbean Advisory Board, she serves as a Board Member for The University of Miami School of Law LLM program, and serves as a founding Board Member of the Wynwood Yard, a culinary incubator and community space located in Wynwood, Florida.

Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office and serves as the deputy section leader of the Real Estate Section. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has extensive experience in complex real estate transactions for both private and public clients, representing institutional lenders in commercial lending for various types of projects and developments in the United States, and in asset-based loans secured by real estate, inventory, equipment receivables and securities. In addition, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has experience representing developers in a range of projects, including land development, condominium, office and single family development and hotels. She also handles the financing for these types of developments, including institutions and mezzanine financing. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz focuses on guiding institutional lenders toward resolutions for troubled loans and complex workouts. She is called on to assist clients in developing solutions for complex real estate transactions. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz represents clients in the purchase and sale of commercial and residential properties, development of commercial properties, commercial leasing and related transactions. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz's special assets experience includes representation of lenders and developers across the U.S. with respect to forbearance, negotiation of loan modifications, restructuring and workouts on behalf of lenders and borrowers for various types of loans, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, note purchase, and sales and foreclosures affecting numerous commercial properties located throughout the state and nation.

Rachel is a tested leader of organizationally complex projects. Her ability to organize, direct, and oversee the efforts of our own team, various consultants, and other project participants keeps the critical day-to-day progress in control and ensures an effective design and delivery process. Throughout her fifteen years in the industry, Rachel has excelled to achieve various leadership positions in the organizations she’s represented. She is well-regarded for her thoughtful design on luxury residential projects including Jade Signature and Paramount Bay in the Miami area and 330 3rd Street in St. Petersburg.

Ann McNeill speaks and coaches nationally, teaching work-life balance principles. She has impacted the lives of countless people with examples from her life experiences and encouraged to take up endeavors which would change their life by following basic principles. She can be reached via cell 786-546-0184 Ann McNeill is owner and president of one of South Florida’s few African American female-owned construction companies, and is a licensed General Contractor. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Memorial College and her Master’s in finance from Barry University. She has held positions as Miami’s first female construction manager at Thacker Construction and Contract Administrator at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Group. In the early 1980s she decided to strike out on her own and take advantage of the reconstruction opportunities after the Miami riots of 1980. From this MCO Construction & Services, Inc. was born. In the 1990s MCO Construction began to accrue larger construction management contracts, taking on one of the largest construction projects in the City of West Palm Beach. In 1999, the company began work on the $200 million American Airlines Arena project in downtown Miami. In 2000, the company participated in the $700 million Miami International Airport South Terminal Project with a team of eight contractors. MCO provides general contracting services to different agencies: Army Corps of Engineers, FDOT, and many state and local agencies. She is the Founder of National Association of Black Women in Construction, President of MCO Consulting, Inc., an outreach and monitoring consulting company, and is an officer in Speak 2 Share, Inc., a public speaking firm, owned by her daughter, Ionnie McNeill. Employing the MasterMind principles in her own life and faith in the Lord, she managed to be successful in the mostly male dominated construction industry. She has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine, USA today and on ABC’s World News.

Suzanne M. Amaducci-Adams, Real Estate Practice Group Leader, has extensive experience in handling all aspects of commercial real estate and finance transactions, including acquisitions, mixed-use development, leasing, public private partnerships, commercial mortgage backed securities, and loan restructurings. Suzanne is very active in the areas of marina and hotel acquisition, finance and development, and leads the firm's Hospitality Group.

Avra Jain, a Purdue University industrial engineer graduate, has a reputation for developing projects around her favorite pursuits: art and architecture. The recipient of three Sundance Film Awards, Ms. Jain has directed boutique projects that range from converting a warehouse into luxury loft condominiums to the remake of The Vagabond Motel on Biscayne. She is a board member of the MiMo Biscayne Association.

Lissette Calderon is founder and CEO of Neology Life Development Group, a lifestyle- driven residential and commercial real estate firm that specializes in the transformation of undervalued communities into sought-after neighborhoods. Calderon’s rapid rise in South Florida’s highly competitive real estate industry began with her ability to see the potential in overlooked waterfront land along the Miami River. In 2000, with the introduction of her pioneering and trend setting loft-style residential building NeoLofts, and her subsequent building concepts Neo Vertika and Wind by Neo, Calderon is credited with transforming the Miami River District into one of the city’s hippest, most sought-after neighborhoods. With her most recent flagship project on the Miami River, the 199-unit Pier 19 Residences & Marina, Calderon solidified her reputation as one of South Florida’s most visionary developers. Today, Calderon is spearheading the revival of another historic Miami neighborhood: Allapattah. Neology completed the 192-unit No. 17 Residences Allapattah in 2021 (nominated for a Structure Award by the South Florida Business Journal) and is breaking ground on two more residential projects nearby later this year. Neology’s portfolio consists of 1,200 apartments under ownership that have been recently built or under development in Miami’s urban core, with a pipeline of over 500 more units planned in South Florida and beyond, along with 1,500 condo units previously built and sold representing nearly $1 billion. A second-generation Cuban-American, Calderon was born and raised in Miami and earned a bachelor’s degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She launched her career in real estate at the Related Group, and later became the firm’s first female president, serving in that role from 2014 to 2016. She is involved in numerous community organizations including Amigos for Kids, a nonprofit organization serving the needs of South Florida’s abused, abandoned and neglected children. Most recently, Calderon was appointed to The University of Miami’s Master of Real Estate Development + Urbanism Advisory Board. She and her husband live in Coral Gables and have three daughters and three dogs.

Tere Blanca is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Inc., the leading independently owned commercial real estate services firm in Florida. She founded the firm in 2009 after identifying a need in the marketplace for a local advisory and brokerage firm built on a culture of giving clients a highly personalized approach to service. With Tere’s vision, progressive leadership and foundation of passion, care and commitment to excellence, teams are purpose built and strategies are customized to fit each clients’ diverse needs allowing the firm to achieve successful outcomes and setting new market standards. Blanca Commercial Real Estate now has a dynamic team of more than 45 top professionals that embrace a culture of collaboration and caring for each other, the firm’s clients and the community. It is recognized as one of the top commercial real estate brokerage services companies in Florida, ranked by the South Florida Business Journal as one of the top ten firms in South Florida, maintaining more than 32% market share of all office lease transactions executed in Class A and B office space in Miami; the firm’s home base. Expanding across South Florida, the firm now has 3 offices across the region and has grown its services to include property management, tenant engagement services and development consulting. Throughout her 35-year career, Tere has participated and led many significant lease transactions and new development projects from land acquisition to the master planning, design, construction, marketing, lease-up, and sale of office and mixed-use assets. Clients of the firm include Nuveen Real Estate, Allianz, Hines, Agave Holdings, Lincoln Property Company, Blackstone, TA Realty, Federal Realty, Shorenstein, Stiles, Related Group, AIMCO, and the law firms of Akerman LLP, and White & Case, LLP; Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Miami Herald Media Company; WeWork; Coastal Construction, Quirch Foods, Inc.; Insigneo; Inktel, DASI, Neutralogistics, Mexican Consulate and the University of Miami, to name a few. Prior to launching Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Tere served for five years as Senior Managing Director for Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc., where she led the firm’s South Florida region, achieving significant revenue growth and increased profitability. Tere also held the position of senior vice president at Codina Realty Services, Inc. ONCOR International where she was consistently among the top producers during her 14-year tenure. Tere holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in international marketing and finance and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami and is fluent in English and Spanish. She is the proud mother of two daughters and resides with her husband in Coral Gables. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: ● Chair of Urban Land Institute (ULI) for Southeast Florida and the Caribbean ● Member of the Board of Directors of BankUnited ● Member of the Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College ● Member of the University of Miami’s Herbert School of Business Real Estate Advisory Council ● Executive Committee Member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) ● Past chair and current Member of the Board of Miami-Dade County’s official economic development agency, The Beacon Council ● Member of the Board of Governors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce ● Member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Gold ● Associate member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Chapter ● Member of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) ● Past member of the Board of Directors of The Miami Foundation ● Past chair of the Board of Directors of City Year Miami AWARDS & RECOGNITION: ● “Top 100 Power Leaders”, South Florida Business Journal ● “Ultimate CEO”, South Florida Business Journal ● “Most Influential Business Women”, South Florida Business Journal ● “Power Leader of the Year”, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce ● “Office Broker of the Year”, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce ● “Women of Influence: Legends”, Real Estate Forum ● “Women of Influence”, Real Estate Forum ● “Top 25 Women in Real Estate”, Commercial Property Executive ● “Top Dealmakers of the Year”, Daily Business Review ● “Successful Hispanic Women of the Year”, Camacol ● “Philanthropist of the Year”, City Year Miami ● “Community Leader of the Year”, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

With a 30-year career span, Beth Butler is a forerunner and prominent expert in real estate technology. As the president of Compass’ development division in Florida, a New York-based, technology-driven real estate firm, Beth has implemented strategies that has spearheaded this expansion into the South Florida real estate market. Prior to joining Compass, Beth partnered with developer Alianza Trinity Holdings as executive vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to that, Beth worked as the president for ONE Sotheby’s International Realty where she initiated an award-winning website, quintupled sales growth, spearheaded recruitment of 300+ agents and expansion from 1 office to 8. Previously, Beth managed such prestigious firms as The Keyes Company and EWM as well as maintaining her own consulting firm. A Miami native, Beth graduated from Auburn University, and received a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Cris Sullivan is the Chief Operating Officer for Gables Residential. She is responsible for all facets of REIT, third-party and retail asset operations, marketing and facilities management. Cris began her career with Gables Residential’ s predecessor, Trammell Crow Residential, as a leasing consultant in 1988 and has held numerous positions in property operations, learning and development and brokerage. She has led the Gables Charitable Contributions Committee and is active in number of charities personally and professionally. Cris is also a participant of the National Apartment Association's Executive Forum. In 2011, Cris was a recipient of the South Florida Business Journal “Woman Extraordinaire Award”. She is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and holds a Florida Real Estate Broker’s License.

Iris Escarrá is Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Land Use Practice and a deeply experienced attorney in zoning and land use law. Located in the firm’s Miami office, Iris regularly represents property owners and developers in large development projects valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. With her counsel, dozens of high-profile commercial, mixed-use, and residential projects have been completed throughout Miami over the past two decades. A Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in city, county, and local government law, Iris guides clients through the municipal zoning and land use process to seek approvals for some of South Florida’s largest and most complex projects. She routinely helps clients obtain full entitlements for development, including navigating subdivision, zoning, and other applicable development regulations. She also assists in procuring government contracts and conducts due diligence to assess a property’s development potential. Her clients include many of South Florida’s largest developers, who appreciate her creative and pragmatic approach to their complex legal matters. Clients frequently praise Iris for her ability to leverage her wide-ranging knowledge of zoning and land use law to help bring their development projects to fruition.