As Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Michael Spring has been responsible for establishing policies and programs that have helped build the organizational growth and facilities development of Miami-Dade County’s cultural community into a $922 million annual industry comprised of more than 1,000 non-profit cultural groups and thousands of individual artists. This work has encompassed: providing comprehensive support for the entire cultural community from major institutions to grassroots and multicultural arts groups with a focus on neighborhood activities; establishing an ongoing cultural facilities improvements program, with more than $80 million of public funds devoted to improving existing and building new theaters county-wide; and developing initiatives to increase more participation in cultural activities for Miami-Dade’s more 2 million residents and 11 million visitors each year. In 2004, he helped lead the work to pass a referendum for the Building Better Communities bond program, dedicating more than $450 million for building the next generation of Miami-Dade’s cultural facilities, ranging from major new art and science museums to theaters and neighborhood arts centers. He serves the Cultural Affairs Council, a 15-member volunteer advisory board entrusted with setting policy for the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Tourist Development Council, a 9-member board dedicated to supporting visitor-oriented cultural and special events, and the Art in Public Places Trust, a 15-member board responsible for one of the nation’s leading public art programs. He has worked effectively on legislative issues at the local, state and federal levels and was successful in leading the initiative in 1993 to secure $7.3 million from the state’s Hurricane Andrew Recovery and Rebuilding Trust Fund for the recovery of Miami-Dade’s cultural community. He has served on state and National Endowment for the Arts grants review panels and has participated in national arts policy discussions on the future of local arts agencies and on the issues of funding, facilities development, advocacy, stabilization of major institutions and the evolving relationship between the non-profit arts and commercial entertainment industries.

Deborah is the department's chief financial officer, managing its $24 million annual operating budget and its oversight of $80 million of County capital investments in cultural facilities; is responsible for the development and implementation of local, regional and national multimedia marketing initiatives; manages the financial and programmatic initiatives of the South Florida Cultural Consortium, a regional coalition of the local arts agencies in Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties; and, as the department’s Public Information Officer, is its media point person. In addition, she serves as liaison to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the National Arts Marketing Project, Americans for the Arts, the US Urban Arts Federation, the Florida Assembly of Local Arts Agencies, and the Florida Cultural Alliance. Deborah is a regular contributor to South Florida Arts Beat broadcast on WLRN – 91.3 FM. She has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

After working for the private sector for seven years, she has extensive experience in management of curtain wall operations, as well as experience working for Architecture firms and General Contractors in both Public and Private projects ranging from $10 to $60 million dollars.

Her main responsibilities are to work in the management and development of Contract executions of Projects under the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program. She is also one of the Project Managers for the new upcoming theater “The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center” located in Cutler Bay Florida.

In addition, Kelly assists with the coordination and development of operational and programming policies, as well as management and marketing objectives for numerous neighborhood cultural facilities throughout Miami-Dade County. Kelly is also the Department’s direct liaison for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Creative Industries Committee.

Kelly is also responsible for directing the Department’s work on Arts & Economic Prosperity III, an economic impact study, in partnership with Americans for the Arts, which measured the impact of spending by nonprofit cultural organizations and their audiences in Miami-Dade County. The recently published study provides compelling evidence that non-profit arts and culture are a significant industry in Miami-Dade County, generating $922 million in local economic activity.

With the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Ms. Andersen served as an administrator for the Performing Arts Center Trust during the design phase of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, and was actively involved in the development of the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center beginning in 1993. In past years as Chief of Cultural Facilities, Ms. Andersen oversaw a number of neighborhood cultural facilities projects and served as administrator for the Capital Development Grants Program.

In 2002, Ms. Andersen was named Chief of Arts Education and currently oversees the Department’s work in this area. Current assignments include the creation and administration of the Youth Arts Miami (YAM), Youth Arts Enrichment Program (YEP), Summer Arts & Science Camps for Kids (SAS-C), and Audience Access (AUD) grants programs.

Since 2006, Ms. Andersen has helped secure and manage over $6.9 million in funding from The Children's Trust to vastly expand the Department's arts education and outreach initiatives, developing a comprehensive array of youth arts grants programs. Grant funding from The Children’s Trust has enabled the Department to double its investment in arts education and outreach programs, reaching over 200,000 children and families annually.

As the Department’s ADA/Access Coordinator, Ms. Andersen is responsible for the creation and administration of the All Kids Included (AKI) - Accessible Arts Experiences for Kids program initiative, and serves as chair of the AKI Steering Group: developing model demonstration projects for children and youth with and without disabilities. Three such model program conceived and produced by Ms. Andersen are: the annual All Kids Included Family Arts Festival; the Youth Arts in the Parks program, offering sequential arts instruction in inclusive settings; and the Shadow Interpreted Theatre Program for Children and Families, presented in 2010 for the first-time ever in the State of Florida.

Ms. Andersen won funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to launch the Department’s Golden Ticket Arts guide, which provides free admission to cultural events and venues for seniors. In addition, Ms. Andersen provides support to Culture Shock Miami, a student discount ticket program to encourage high school and college students to attend cultural events, and coordinates the Florida “State of the Arts” license plate program for Miami-Dade County.

Ms. Andersen represents the Department for Miami-Dade County District 11’s Creative Visions student art exhibition and the Miami-Dade Coalition of the Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education. In addition, Ms. Andersen serves as the Department’s liaison to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Division of Life Skills, Arts for Learning/Miami, VSA Florida, and is a member of the Florida Department of State - Division of Cultural Affairs / VSA Arts of Florida Access Task Force on disability issues.

Upon her arrival at the Department, Ms. Benjamin served as an administrator for the Performing Arts Center Trust during the design phase of the Performing Arts Center of Greater Miami. Ms. Benjamin was responsible for the development and administration of public information and presentations, budget operations, and design and implementation of programs such as arts education and community outreach. After the privatization of the PACT, Nikki decided to return to the Department as an Administrative Officer, where she provided technical assistance to four grant programs: Community Grants, Festivals and Special Events, International Cultural Exchange and the Tourist Development Council.

In 2002, Ms. Benjamin became the Cultural Projects Administrator for the Tourist Development Council Grants Program (TDC). The TDC is a quarterly program which is responsive to significant cultural and/or special events that promote Miami-Dade County’s appeal as a tourist destination and stimulates tourism by increasing hotel occupancy and has a significant media impact for the destination.

In her current capacity as Cultural Projects Administrator, Nikki also administers the Department’s Targeted and Service Organization Grants Programs, where she is the liaison to the Diaspora Arts Coalition, the Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc., Florida Memorial University, and the Miami-Dade County Department of Park and Recreation - Joseph Caleb Auditorium. Other responsibilities include consultations with potential applicants and the facilitation of technical assistance workshops for the TDC.

Ms. Benjamin is a member of the South Miami Alliance for Youth, an organization that was incorporated in 1995 by a group of concerned residents responding to a call for enhanced youth recreational programs. Its mission is to empower the youth of the South Miami and surrounding communities, to develop their fullest potential through building volunteerism, increasing parental and community involvement to build stronger families, and providing funding and assistance for local youth organizations. Ms. Benjamin assists this organization by sitting on its Special Projects, Event Planning, Grant Writing and Grey Ghosts Committees.

Lisa D'Andrea joined the staff in 2004 as a Construction Projects Manager. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and her Master’s Degree in Architecture from Syracuse University. Lisa is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. She lived in Florence, Italy for one year as part of her Master’s program. While in Florence, she learned to speak Italian and deepened her intense appreciation of painting, sculpture and the built form.

Her current responsibilities include construction project management for the Department’s $45 million South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center located in Cutler Bay, FL, the 12 cultural projects that are part of the County’s General Obligation Bond program, and the existing and neighborhood facilities grants.

As the Cultural Facilities Manager for the City of Miami Beach from 2002 - 2007, he established a strategic business plan for the operation of the network of cultural venues on Miami Beach, leveraging long standing relationships with local and regional arts organizations. Mr. Fliss developed the initial cultural facilities rental programs, customized to the needs of the local artistic community, while increasing annual revenue for the theaters. Additionally, he supervised the construction of a three-year $8.3 million renovation of the historic Colony Theater on Lincoln Road and advised the design and development of the Byron Carlyle Theater renovation.

Liliana has an extensive special events and marketing background, most recently as the Marketing Coordinator at the Deering Estate at Cutler, a tourist attraction and cultural heritage site in South Miami Dade-County, where she spearheaded all audience cultivation, public relations & advertising initiatives, and served as the liaison to the Greater Miami Conventions and Visitors Bureau. Previously she worked at the advertising agency of Beber Silverstein Partners in the public relations division, where she managed special event logistics and media relations for McDonald’s Restaurants’ local and national events, including the Lo McXimo de la Musica concert featuring international “Rock Latino” acts in Orlando and Miami, Florida. She also gained experience promoting and coordinating major local art fairs and expos, including Merrill Lynch Arteamericas, the premier Latin American art fair in Miami, and CubaNostalgia. Liliana also managed local outreach programs such as the Ronald McDonald literacy initiative by developing partnerships with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Miami-Dade Public Library systems.

Gerry won numerous piano competitions and scholarships including a scholarship for Piano Performance from The University of Alabama where he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Management with a minor in psychology. He taught piano in private practice for 10 years and served as a staff accompanist for the Department of Music at The University of Alabama as well as piano instructor for the University’s continuing education department.

Gilda currently serves as grants program administrator of the Hannibal Cox, Jr. Cultural Grants Program, the Developing Arts in Neighborhoods Cultural Grants Program and is responsible for coordinating all components of the Department’s Arts Help Technical Assistance Program. She has served as staff support and grants program administrator to the Tourist Development Council, the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, and is the former administrator of the Cultural Access Network Grants Program and the Capital Development Grants Program. Among her duties, she provides direct staff support to the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council, provides and coordinates technical assistance workshops (in both English and Spanish) for small and medium sized arts groups, and manages and maintains the Department’s extensive grants history database.

Alex joined the staff in April 2006 as a Construction Projects Manager. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Florida and is currently finalizing a dual Master’s Degree in both Architecture and Building Construction. Prior to joining the staff he was responsible for organizing and directing the policies and guidelines regarding Project Control Department’s scheduling goals and objectives for Miami-Dade County Public Schools by providing technical assistance to Project Managers in analyzing project schedule’s Critical Path (CPM) during the construction process. Alex has also performed research that requires extensive analysis of alternatives and includes responsibility for technical decisions associated with major or complex project control issues.

As a Certified General Contractor with over 15 years of experience he brings a wealth of knowledge in both Architecture and Construction in various stages from Planning to Construction in New Construction, Renovations, and Remodeling. He has exposure to Private and Public sector work ranging from 500K to 150 million dollars in Judicial/Correctional, Healthcare and Educational Facilities. Notable projects include: South Miami-Dade Cultural Center in Cutler Bay, Florida., Orange County Courthouse Complex in Orlando, Florida., John Hopkins Rutland Medical Research Building in Baltimore, Maryland.

Adriana received her Bachelors degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Florida and her Masters in Fine Arts in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University.

Prior to joining the department, she served as Producer of Major Presentations at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, where she booked sold-out performances of artists such as The Temptations and Four Tops, Lissette and Willy Chirino, Dan Zanes and Friends, Lily Tomlin, Bernadette Peters, Mad Science, and many others. While at the Arsht Center, she also commissioned several critically acclaimed new works, including: Michael Yawney’s 1000 Homosexuals, David Clarkson’s Flexion, Octavio Campos’ BugChasers, Gustavo Matamoros’ Cars and Fish, Jennylin Duany’s Cabaret Unkempt, Jason Freeman’s Flock, and collaborated on the world premiere’s of several others. She also served as Associate Director of Administration at Coconut Grove Playhouse.

Before landing back in Miami, Adriana worked on “the great white way” managing several Tony Award-Winning Broadway and off-Broadway shows, including John Leguizamo’s Freak, the revival of Annie Get Your Gun starring Bernadette Peters, the 50th Anniversary revival of Death of a Salesman starring Brian Dennehy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Nathan Lane and many more while working in the producing offices of Richard Frankel Productions, Robert Cole Productions, and Manhattan Theatre Club.

Prior to coming to Cultural Affairs, Ms. Pezoldt worked with the Miami-Dade County Department of Park and Recreation’s Leisure Access Division working with children and adults with disabilities. In her capacity with Leisure Access, her responsibilities included the coordination of the Division’s Children’s Trust grant as well as the dissemination of information and marketing of the Division’s various recreation programs.

Recently, Ms. Pezoldt was appointed to the advisory board of the newly formed Village of Palmetto Bay Art in Public Places Program, responsible for selecting works of public art for the Village. In addition, she serves on the board of the Kendall United Methodist Church’s Preschool Program.

Ms. Pezoldt received her Bachelors degree in Child Development Family Relations from Florida State University. During her undergraduate studies, she took classes in dance, worked in the Theater Department’s costume shop and taught enrichment classes at an elementary after school program. In addition, Ms. Pezoldt interned at the Richmond Memorial Children’s Hospital Child Life program in Columbia, South Carolina.

Ms. Pezoldt has a Master’s Degree in Community Art Education with an Advanced Graduate Certificate in The Expressive Arts. During her studies at the University of South Florida, Ms. Pezoldt worked with Kosovo refugees on a project; “Art as a sense of Place”, and she served as an intern with VSA Arts of Florida’s state office in Tampa. The highlight of her studies was her participation in USF’s Paris Summer Study Program and finishing the term with a visit to the Venice Biennale.

Ms. Pezoldt worked for many years as a Child Life Specialist at the Tampa Children’s Hospital at St. Joseph’s and coordinated a Children’s Bereavement Program for Hernando-Pasco Hospice. There she used the arts and dramatic play to help children and their families understand illnesses, medical procedures and cope with grief and trauma.

Prior to joining Miami-Dade County, Patricia served as Project Manager for the Broward County Cultural Division Public Art projects at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). During this tenure, Patricia was instrumental in the completion of three (3) large-scale highly integrated works of art valued at over $4 million, completed on time and on budget for the opening of FLL’s new Rental Car Center.

Preceding her involvement in the public sector, Patricia served for 3 years as Operations Director for one of Miami-Dade’s major non-profit theatre organizations. In this position, she managed the business’ $3 million budget and oversaw a full-time staff of 20 employees. Concurrently, she also co-managed the last two phases of a $ 7 million renovation project of the theatre facility.

While pursuing her Masters degree in Business Administration and a Bachelors in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Patricia worked for 8 years as General Manager of her family owned photography and video production company, and two years as a Jr. Systems Engineer for American Express Latin America and Caribbean headquarter.

In her current capacity as Cultural Projects Administrator, Christina administers Culture Shock Miami (www.cultureshockmiami.com), a major new educational initiative devoted to cultivating future audiences. Culture Shock Miami is a collaboration of the Department of Cultural Affairs, local cultural organizations, educational institutions, and Ticketmaster that provides discounted tickets to high school and college students (ages 14-22) to attend the highest quality cultural events throughout Miami-Dade County. Other projects under her coordination include the Arts Help an Kreyol technical assistance program and the publication of the 2004 Miami-Haiti Bicentennial Calendar, in collaboration with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Additionally, Christina serves as liaison to the Miami-Haiti Bicentennial Committee, the City of Miami Little Haiti Park Planning Committee, the Little Haiti Caribbean Marketplace, the Haitian Artist Network (HAN), and the Creole and French speaking community of Miami-Dade County. She is the former administrator of the Tourist Development Council, which she managed for four years; and has participated in grants review panels for the Miami-Dade Parks Department.

Nicolle holds an MA in Communication from the University of Miami. She is a native of South Florida who has worked in Public Relations and Marketing for nearly seventeen years primarily in the fields of the arts and education. Nicolle was the Public Relations Manager at Miami City Ballet for nine years, served as the Public Affairs Director for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and the Communications and Marketing Manager at Arts for Learning.

In addition, she has worked as a publicity and grant consultant for organizations such as The Education Fund and The Children’s Cultural Coalition. She has also worked for several Public Relations agencies with clients in travel and tourism, consumer products, and government.