Miami's Hospitality & Culinary Surge!

A well-known and venerated industry veteran, Richard Millard was at the helm of Trust Hospitality for over three decades before joining Highgate to lead business development and owner relations efforts in the region. Prior to joining Trust, the UK-born hotelier served in management positions with some of the world’s most recognized hotel companies, including Hyatt, Sheraton and Hilton. A self-described “lifetime hotelier,” Richard continues to guide Trust’s development and growth.

NIKI LEONDAKIS, one of the leading women executives in hospitality, joined Commune Hotels & Resorts in November, 2012 to lead the expansion for the Commune brands. Previous to Commune, Leondakis led Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants as their President and Chief Operating Officer, where she started in 1993 and was a key member of the executive team that led the growth of the company from 15 hotels to 50. Under her leadership, Kimpton was named one of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2009, 2011 and 2012. Prior to joining Kimpton, Leondakis held various leadership roles with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company from 1985 – 1993. She began her hospitality career for Marriott Hotels in 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee. The force behind Commune’s global growth, Leondakis has expanded the company’s Thompson Hotels and Joie de Vivre Hotel brands, as well as introduced the Singapore-based Alila Hotels & Resorts, and soon-to- be launched tommie to the corporate portfolio. Her goal of creating a workplace culture that instills pride and ownership among employees has led to numerous awards and accolades for Commune, including being recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for 2015” by Crain’s New York and rankings on both the San Francisco Business Times’ “Best Place to Work” and Chicago Tribunes’ “Chicago’s Top Workplaces” 2015 lists. Individually, Leondakis has received numerous industry awards, including being cited in 2015 by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the Bay Area’s Most Admired CEO. A recipient of the Leadership Excellence award by HR.com and LEAD2016, Leondakis has been named one of the "100 Most Influential Women" by the San Francisco Business Times every year since 2002. She was recognized as one of "30 Women Power Players" by Nation's Restaurant News and named one of the "Most Powerful Women in Travel" by Travel Agent Magazine. She was the recipient of the International Food Service Manufacturer's Association Silver Plate Award for Operator of the Year, the Fred Tibbits Hospitality Award for Lifetime Excellence, and Penn State's Hotel and Restaurant Society Hospitality Executive of the Year. Further, Leondakis' alma mater, the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Department of Hospitality and Tourism, awarded her its Stephen E. Elmont Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011, and in 2012 she was honored with Hospitality Design's Platinum Circle Award. In 2014 she was awarded the Horst Schulze Award for Excellence in Hospitality. Tempering business with community stewardship, Leondakis served as Chair of the Dress for Success Worldwide Board of Directors from 2009 – 2011; an international nonprofit that promotes the economic independence of disadvantage women. Leondakis continues to serve as a board member for Dress for Success where she chairs the Strategic Planning Committee. A native of West Springfield, Massachusetts, Leondakis now resides with her husband in San Francisco, California.

Susan is an award winning Interior Designer with expertise spanning Hospitality and Residential projects across the country. Her knowledge of emerging trends, detailed focus on design aesthetics, and a deep understanding of her client’s needs allow her to take a holistic design approach, creating spaces that are timeless and tell a story for each guest. With a unique approach to conceptualizing design, she instills a blend of meticulous project management among her team merged with a passion for the highest levels of design and modernity, all while maintaining the integrity of the building, the community and her client’s needs.

Michael Tillman is the CEO and CIO of PTM Partners, a Fort Lauderdale-based real estate investment and development firm focused on designing and building tech-forward sustainable multifamily housing in urban markets. PTM has invested, developed, constructed, and managed over $2.5 billion in real estate covering a broad range of mixed-use inclusionary projects in D.C., Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina. PTM seeks medium-to long-term community-oriented development opportunities that create substantial value for residents, partners, and investors. Prior to PTM, Michael was a managing director of development and acquisitions for LeFrak, building and overseeing their multi-billion-dollar portfolio in South Florida. He holds his BBA from Emory University and earned his MBA from Columbia University’s Business School.

Hailing from a long lineage of hospitality and real estate professionals, Jared Galbut brings a wealth of industry expertise to his position as co-founder and managing principal of Menin Hospitality. Galbut has a deep understanding for hospitality development with two decades of experience in organizational and operational management. Growing up in Miami Beach, Galbut was already well immersed in the industry by his teen years when he worked for his notable uncle, Russell Galbut of Crescent Heights -- one of the nation’s largest developers of high-rise, multifamily housing and hotels. After many years of working closely alongside some of the best in the marketplace, he discovered his passion and decided to claim the world of hospitality a career of his own. After gaining a deep understanding of the industry, Galbut acquired the Raffaello Chicago and relocated to Illinois to develop the hotel. While maintaining success of this new venture – a hotel that is still part of Menin Hospitality’s portfolio – Galbut sought out further opportunities to take him home to Miami Beach and founded Menin Hospitality with another emerging hotelier, his cousin Keith Menin. Menin Hospitality consists of a fast-growing, eclectic portfolio of brands spanning throughout South Florida and Chicago. Offering upscale lodging, lifestyle restaurants and nightlife venues, Menin Hospitality currently owns, manages and/or operates the Mondrian South Beach; Shelborne South Beach; Gale South Beach; Raffaello Chicago; Drumbar Chicago; Bodega Taqueria y Tequila; and Pizza Bar South Beach. Presently, Galbut oversees operations for each property and venue within the Menin Hospitality portfolio. Galbut received his Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance from the University of Miami. He resides on Miami Beach with his wife Stacey and their two children.

Thomas Meding, born in Hamburg, Germany, brings more than 17 years of management experience in the luxury hospitality sector to Miami. A frequent traveler throughout Europe during his childhood, Meding grew a deep appreciation for the vibe, ambiance and glamour of hotels. He began his career with Intercontinental Hotels in Germany before relocating to San Francisco, where he obtained his degree from the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM) at Golden Gate University. Most recently, Meding was the Director of Operations, Hotels, for sbe Group in Los Angeles and the General Manager of SLS Beverley Hills. Prior to joining sbe Group, he served as General Manager of Le Parker Meridien Palm Springs, California, for six years. Under Meding’s leadership, the hotel became an undisputed market leader. He received the General Manager of the Year Award in 2009 from the Hospitality Industry and Business Council (HBIC) for the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. Prior to his tenure at Le Parker Meridien, Meding worked in a variety of senior executive positions within the Ritz Carlton, Fairmont and Four Seasons portfolios, as well as The Waldorf Astoria and The St. Regis Hotel in New York. Meding lives in Miami Beach with his wife, Alisa, and his two sons, Tristan and Tanner. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and skiing.

Matthew Sherman has a mission to raise the vibration of miami by making clean eating fun, one jugofresh at a time. sherman received his bachelor’s degree from the university of maryland of baltimore county in psychology and interdisciplinary studies, a certification as a holistic and nutrition coach from the institute of integrative nutrition, and a master’s degree in sports and exercise psychology from barry university. sherman officially launched JugoFresh in may 2012 as a cold-pressed juice company. the company has expanded into various health food options, catering to thousands of clients daily in South Florida.

Adelee brings extensive operational skills and a passion for hospitality to her position in Miami. Her wide range of experience makes her a natural leader at SCG, with expertise leading operations and logistics for distinguished special events, including a dinner for the King and Queen of Spain hosted by the Mayor of Miami. With experience in New York City, Dominican Republic, Providence, and Miami, Adelee brings a global perspective and true love of travel and international cuisine to SCG.

Allison McCarthy is a real estate and hospitality lawyer in Florida based in Holland & Knight's Fort Lauderdale office. As a member of the firm's Hospitality, Resort and Timeshare Group, Ms. McCarthy's practice focuses on commercial real estate and commercial lending, with a strong emphasis in hotel and resort development, and hospitality law. This includes hotel acquisitions and dispositions; development and finance; mixed-use development projects; hotel management agreements; branded residential projects; restaurant and spa agreements; and general hotel operation matters throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean. Ms. McCarthy has a thorough understanding of the legal intricacies that affect the hospitality industry, and represents owners, developers and international hotel companies in sophisticated and complex hospitality transactions.