SAMUEL J. LOUIS NAMED MIAMI-DADE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Samuel J. Louis of John A. Ferguson Senior High was named Assistant Principal of the Year in Miami-Dade County. After serving in this position for three years, he is described by district officials as “a strong leader with an energetic work ethic.” Louis won a $1,500 cash prize and a 65-inch TV from Toyota of North Miami
KATIA SAINT FLEUR WINS MIAMI SHORES VILLAGE COUNCIL RACE
Katia Saint Fleur became the first Haitian American elected to the Miami Shores Village Council. She brings more than 15 years of government and community experience to the role. Saint Fleur’s grassroots campaign focused on empowering women and people of color to become more involved in local government
WPB NAMES DR. PHILIP C. HARRIS ASSISTANT TO CITY ADMINISTRATOR
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James announced the selection of Dr. Philip C. Harris to serve as assistant to the city administrator. In this role, Dr. Harris will oversee the City’s Community and Business Services, which include the Departments of Housing and Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Library, Office of Economic Opportunity, and ArtLife WPB.
Harris brings to the city 18 years of diversified government experience and a background in civic engagement, strategic planning, human services, public policy, emergency management, grant management, budget management, community and business development, and volunteer management.
He has held positions with the City of Clearwater, City of St. Petersburg, United Way Suncoast, Hillsborough County, Broward County, PME Development Consulting, LLC in Tamarac, Fla., and Broward County Public Schools.
Harris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication degree from the University of South Florida and a Master’s and Doctor of Business Administration degree from Argosy University. Harris is the South Florida Chapter President of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and a member of the Florida City and County Management Association and the International City/County Management Association. He was also recently recognized as 2020 ICMA International Honorary Member of the Year and 2021 FCCMA Who’s Who Under 40 Award Honoree.
FORMER CITY OF MIRAMAR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LANDS CITY MANAGER POSITION IN COLLEGE PARK, GA.
Natasha S. Hampton has been selected city manager for the City of College Park, Ga. She will be the first woman and first person of color to serve as the city’s chief executive.
Hampton comes to College Park with more than 23 years of management experience in municipal government. In her previous position as assistant city manager of the City of Rocky Mount, NC, Hampton guided more than 600 employees and managed a budget exceeding $45 million. Prior to her arrival at Rocky Mount, Hampton served as assistant city manager and acting city manager for the City of Miramar.
Hampton is a credentialed city manager by the International City/County Management Association, a member of the National League of Cities, Women in Municipal Government, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.
KAREEM BRANTLEY JOINS MIAMI FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Miami Foundation welcomes Kareem Brantley to its board of trustees. Brantley, CFA, is Florida principal of the Integral Group. He’s an active member in the business and political community, with 20 years of engineering and real estate investment, development, and construction experience.
Brantley is the founding member and managing partner of Bravis Group. In 2021, he joined forces with The Integral Group to form Integral Florida, continuing development work, inclusive of community and commercial real estate development.
Brantley holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and serves as a Miami Beach Planning Board Chair and Jackson Health Systems CAC member.
HIKEEM BANKS HIRED AS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR IN PALM BEACH COUNTY
Hikeem Banks has been named athletic director at Inlet Grove Community High School in West Palm Beach. He has served as a coach and teacher in the Palm Beach County School District for nearly nine years.
Banks is the founder of Balanced Living Mentorship Program, a non-profit organization striving to help students discover their identity by balancing life and building positive character to reaching their full potential.
GLENDON HALL JOINS PRESTIGIOUS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Glendon Hall has been named to the Urban Land Institute’s 2021 Leadership Institute. Hall is one of 30 South Florida professionals in real estate development, planning, design, engineering, finance, and law from the Southeast Florida region to participate in the fourth cohort of the ULI Southeast Florida and Caribbean Leadership Institute.
FELECIA HATCHER TO HEAD PHARRELL’S NEW NON-PROFIT TO SUPPORT MINORITY ENTREPRENEURS
Felecia Hatcher has been named the founding CEO of Black Ambition, a new Miamibased non-profit initiative launched by Grammy Award-winning singer Pharrell Williams.
Hatcher is the cofounder of Code Fever, established to teach Black students how to code and build a diverse generation of technology workers. She also cofounded BlackTech Week, a national conference focused on bridging the gap between minority entrepreneurs and large tech insiders.
“Excited to lead this! Excited to be in a position to directly fund founders,” Hatcher shared on Facebook. “After seven years working to build Miami’s tech and startup community … it’s hard to leave your baby, so this is bittersweet.”
Black Ambition will fund and support projects and companies started by Black and Latinx founders through a series of national prizes. The organization will identify and directly fund promising founders who build tech, design, health care, and consumer product startups.
DR. DOROTHY BENDROSS-MINDINGALL RECEIVES SPECIAL SERVICE AWARD
School Board member Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall was recently presented with the She’s Making a Difference Award at the 5th Annual Glitz and Girl Power Awards program. This honor recognizes BendrossMindingall’s contributions to her community and her continued efforts to empower the women and girls of Miami-Dade County.
The Glitz and Girl Power Awards ceremony was designed to celebrate, support and inspire women. Previous honorees include tennis star Serena Williams, Grammy-winner Betty Wright, and Dania Beach Mayor Tamara James.
Proceeds from this year’s event went to women who have lost or are on the verge of losing their business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SANDRA CUMPER NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NAMI BROWARD COUNTY
Sandra Cumper now serves as the executive director of NAMI Broward County, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Cumper has more than 20 years of experience working in health and human services and has worked with individuals diagnosed with mental health or substance abuse, and individuals facing homelessness.
In her earlier role as a forensic mental health specialist, Cumper served individuals with mental health challenges who were involved in the judicial system and committed to forensic state hospitals. She also worked with severely mentally ill inmates in Broward County jails.
Before joining NAMI, Cumper served as Crisis Intervention Training manager for Broward County, facilitating mental health training for first responders.
Cumper holds a Master of Science degree in mental health counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University and is a doctoral candidate at Arizona State University.
DID YOU RECENTLY GET A PROMOTION? ARE YOU A NEW HIRE AT A SOUTH FLORIDA COMPANY? DOES YOUR FIRM HAVE A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE?
Let us know by sharing your good news in Legacy Briefs. Send a press release and your professional headshot to [email protected].