MDGLCC to Honor Community Leaders
at 6th Annual Gala Awards Dinner

Sharon Gless to Introduce The Legendary Jim Bailey as Judy Garland

Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce (MDGLCC) will honor corporate and individual leaders of the Miami-Dade community at its 6th Annual Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday, June 23rd at the Radisson Miami Hotel. Actress Sharon Gless will introduce internationally acclaimed entertainer The Legendary Jim Bailey, who will perform as Judy Garland.

MDGLCC selected honorees for their long-term commitment to fostering diversity, as well as their efforts in contributing to the overall well-being and quality of life in South Florida. “As the voice of the GLBT business community, the Chamber is especially proud to have such an exemplary group to recognize this year,” says Steve Adkins, MDGLCC president.

Honorees

President’s Award: AT&T Florida

With its 39-year legacy, AT&T has been a pioneer in developing and implementing an environment of inclusion – one in which each individual is valued, and every voice is heard. Don Sadler, Public Affairs Manager for Florida, will accept the award on behalf of the company. “I am fortunate and proud to be affiliated with a company that fosters respect as a core value, both in words and in action,” says Sadler. Earlier this year, AT&T was among the top three companies recognized by DiversityInc in their list of Top 50 companies for Diversity.

Business Persons of the Year: William Carson, Jr. and Michael Larkin

William Carson, Jr. is president/co-owner of Carson Realty Group, Inc., specializing in residential and commercial sales and leasing. He attended SUNY Plattsburgh in the Engineering program and the Culinary Institute of America, where he earned an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts. A Pillar Trustee of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Bill is a member of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), American Foundation for AIDS Research, Beacon Council and Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches. He also supports the Children’s Cause for Cancer Advocacy and the Food for Life Network.

Michael Larkin is a partner at Bercow, Radell & Fernandez, P.A., specializing in land use and zoning law. He is currently working on an Adopt-a-Block program for the City of Miami Beach, which will permit businesses to adopt and maintain city blocks. He received his B.S. degree from the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University and graduated from University of Miami School of Law. Michael supports the efforts of Lambda Legal, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and the recently formed Red and Blue campaign, created to fight the proposed amendment to ban gay marriage. He also is a member of the Executive Committee of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors.

Business of the Year: Akerman Senterfitt
Akerman Senterfitt, Florida's largest law firm, has 500 attorneys and consultants servicing the needs of domestic and international clients. For more than a decade, Akerman Senterfitt and Akerman shareholder Richard Milstein have been among the top corporate and individual fundraisers for AIDS Walk Miami. The firm has done pro bono work for Shelbourne House, a non-profit agency that provides housing and social services to HIV positive individuals, and for the AIDS Ministry. Milstein, an attorney with Akerman since 1990, was honored in November 2005 by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force with the Miami Herald Humanitarian Award for 2005. The firm's longstanding commitment to diversity has been recognized most recently by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, which presented the firm with the 2006 Thomas L. Sager Award for diversity leadership, and by MultiCultural Law magazine, which named Akerman Senterfitt the 2006 Top Law Firm for Hispanic Americans.

Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year: Care Resource
For more than 20 years, Care Resource has been dedicated to serving those suffering with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Virtually all of the popular anti-retroviral drugs widely used today have been studied by the agency through its clinical research program. The agency provides prevention and education programs in the community, disseminating prevention information and connecting those in need to the healthcare system. Prevention programs target youth, men who have sex with men, the incarcerated, African American, Haitian, and Hispanic men and women believed to be HIV positive or at risk of contracting the virus. The agency currently serves approximately 3,000 clients, conducts more than 7,000 HIV tests annually and utilizes hundreds of invaluable volunteers help raise awareness, bring hope and build a sense of community.

Community Service Award: Dr. Patrick Ward
Patrick is well known in the Miami-Dade community for his volunteer and philanthropic efforts, especially for his generous support of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF). In recognition of his dedication, the Festival recently announced the formation of the MGLFF Dr. Patrick Ward Angel Award for Outstanding Contributions. Patrick is an optometrist and previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Helmsley Enterprises, Inc.

Sharon Gless, award-winning actress best known for her roles in Cagney & Lacey and Queer as Folk, will introduce The Legendary Jim Bailey, who will transform himself into Judy Garland to entertain the crowd.

An accomplished singer with an operatic background, Mr. Bailey recreates both the visual and vocal presence and vocal techniques of the legendary ladies he brings to the stage. The many high points of Mr. Bailey’s career include command performances for Prince Charles and Princess Diana, H.M. Queen Elizabeth, and four U.S. Presidents. Mr. Bailey performed in the very special recreation of the Mother and Daughter Concert, as Judy Garland alongside Liza Minnelli. Another highlight includes Mr. Bailey’s performance as Barbra Streisand for Barbra Streisand, in which she led the standing ovation at the conclusion of the performance.

Mr. Bailey has made numerous television appearances, including 14 times on The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, CNN, E!, the Tony Awards and the Super Bowl, and performed nine times at Carnegie Hall.

With a roster of more than 400 members, MDGLCC is the largest not-for-profit corporation in the county for gay and lesbian businesses. With membership on the rise, the Chamber's mission is to promote a unified and thriving, gay and gay-friendly, business and professional community throughout Miami-Dade County. Their goals are to promote networking within the existing gay and gay-friendly business and professional community, to promote business opportunities for Chamber members, to promote Miami as a year-round, gay and gay-friendly tourist destination, to provide resources for our members, and to provide outreach from our community to other organizations.

The 6th Annual Gala Awards Dinner will feature a Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction beginning at 6:30 PM, followed by dinner, Awards Ceremony and the Legendary Jim Bailey at 8 PM. Tickets are available for $140 per person or $1150 for a table of ten. Valet parking is included. The Radisson Miami Hotel is located at 1601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. For tickets and further information, please call (305) 573-4000. Visit MDGLCC online at www.gogaymiami.com.