MIAMI – October 21, 2022 – Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc., the nonprofit organization that manages the National Historic Landmark Vizcaya estate, is proud to welcome five new Directors to the Board. Vizcaya is also pleased to share that Ken O’Keefe succeeds Donald A. Kress as Board Chair. Mr. Kress will continue to serve on the Board as a Director.
Executive Director/CEO Joel Hoffman said: “I am excited to partner with Ken and all of our talented Directors to undertake an ambitious new Strategic Plan that will significantly advance the revitalization of the Vizcaya Village and amplify the organization’s positive impact on our community.”
Joining Vizcaya’s Board are:
- Odilon Almeida was appointed President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors at ACI Worldwide, Inc. following a 17-year tenure at Western Union. He is a seasoned executive with senior leadership experience spanning multiple industries and a strong track record of growth acceleration and value creation.
- Don Deubler Jr. is an American consumer products entrepreneur and brand creator. He invented a mobile phone for children called Firefly, founded the company that produced it and served as CEO through its launch across a dozen countries. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Atomic Brands, a beverage alcohol company he founded in 2006.
- Marvin Dunn is a historian specializing in Black history and culture in Florida, an educator, community psychologist and activist. He is the founder and Principal of the Academy for Community Education, an alternative high school in Miami-Dade County, as well as the author of several books, including Black Miami in the 20th Century (University Press of Florida, 1997).
- Andres V. Gil is senior counsel for Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP, based in New York. He led the firm’s 530-lawyer Corporate and Finance Department and managed its Paris and Madrid offices. Mr. Gil has extensive experience representing corporations, Boards of Directors and international financial institutions with respect to governance, fiduciary obligations and other matters. He has served as a Volunteer Greeter and Guide at Vizcaya since 2018.
- Ann Walters-Pope, a 17-year veteran of The Rouse Company, has extensive experience in high-profile developments, such as the Village of Merrick Park, Kendall Town Center and Bayside Marketplace. Through her firm, Pope Consulting, Inc., she provides project management, real estate development, strategic planning and other services to clients such as the YMCA of Greater Miami, Baptist Health South Florida and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.
Continuing on Vizcaya’s Board are Officers Adam Wolman (Vice Chair), Terri Castellano (Secretary) and Charles Seitz (Treasurer) and Directors Lynn Atkinson, Sandy Dorsainvil, Christopher Hunt, Cathy Jones, Susan Kahn, Donald A. Kress, Lydia Lopez (ex-officio), Christy Martin, Laura Munilla, Damian Pardo, Harry Tapias and Suzy Wahba. Vizcaya’s recently constituted Honorary Board consists of long-serving supporters Swanee DiMare, Mireille Chancy Gonzalez, William Robbins and Jeffrey Rynor.
Vizcaya’s Board has a busy year ahead as the organization closes out its Garden Centennial celebration and related preservation projects and moves forward with the restoration of Vizcaya Village.
ABOUT VIZCAYA MUSEUM AND GARDENS
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a National Historic Landmark that preserves its cultural and environmental resources to engage people in connecting with the past, understanding the present and shaping the future. Built between 1914 and 1922 as the winter home of farming manufacturer James Deering, Vizcaya is one of the most intact remaining examples from this era in the United States, when the nation’s most successful entrepreneur-built estates were inspired by the stately homes of Europe. Vizcaya features a Main House filled with a decorative art collection, 10 acres of formal gardens, a rockland hammock (native forest), mangrove shore, and a historic village that is being restored to tell Vizcaya’s full story and provide additional spaces for programs and community outreach, including those on agriculture. Vizcaya has been a community hub since it opened to the public in 1953; it welcomes 300,000 visitors annually.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc. manages Vizcaya on behalf of and with support from Miami-Dade County.
Located on Biscayne Bay at 3251 South Miami Avenue, Vizcaya is open Thursday through Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For more information, visit www.vizcaya.org, connect via social media, or call 305-250-9133.
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