Event will bring together South Florida residents, advocates and experts on health care access, climate resilience, job creation and other topics

What: Multi-sector summit to convene members of the community to create long-term, sustainable solutions to alleviating poverty, with experts sharing successes from models from around the country.

When: Saturday, December 1, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where: Miami Dade College, Interamerican Campus, Room 401

Who/Confirmed speakers:

• Dr. Darrick Hamilton, professor of economics and urban policy at The New School and incoming executive director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University
• State Sen. Annette Taddeo, District 40
• State Rep. Nicholas Duran, District 112
• State Rep. Kionne McGhee, District 117
• State Rep.-Elect Vance Aloupis, District 115
• Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Dade County, District 8
• Commissioner Eileen Higgins, Miami Dade County, District 5
• James Murley, Chief Resilience Officer, Miami Dade County
• Hernan Guerrero Applewhite, Housing Development Coordinator, City of Miami
• Dr. Robert Bullard, distinguished professor of urban planning at Texas Southern University and award-winning environmental justice author
• Todd Leverette, Cooperative Conversions Program Manager at the Democracy at Work Institute
• Andy Posner, Founder & CEO of the Capital Good Fund
• Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of The Fairness Project
• Mireya Eavey, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce/CareerEdge Funders Collaborative
• Laura Hunter, Senior Vice President for Program Planning and Business Development for Jackson Health System
• Sheri Colas-Gervais, Vice President, Economic Development and Urban Initiatives at Miami-Dade Beacon Council
• Al Dotson, Jr., Managing Partner-Elect at Bilzin Sumberg
• Natalie Castellanos, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Health Foundation of South Florida

Why: To create equitable, collaborative, and sustainable solutions to South Florida’s challenges in healthcare access, job creation, and affordable housing to create a more resilient Miami-Dade County.

Catalyst Miami Recruited Pioneering Climate Resilience Training in South Florida

Miami, Florida – On Wednesday, February 7, 2018 Catalyst Miami will launch its fifth cohort of CLEAR Miami (Community Leadership on the Environment, Advocacy, and Resilience). This training program was created in response to the challenges that Miami-Dade County’s 2.7 million residents are likely to face as a consequence of climate change and sea level rise. These challenges include endangerment of 90% of South Florida’s drinking water, 7-foot storm surges occurring every five years instead of the current 76-year frequency, an increased number of King Tide flooding events and heat waves, as well as a threat to the County’s tourism and agricultural economies. Most importantly, climate change will exaggerate the inequities faced by the 1.5 million Miamians that are considered working class or in poverty, as these communities tend to be our most under-resourced.

“With the dire challenges ahead for Miami residents due to climate change, Catalyst Miami is excited to be continuing this program that will inform and empower community residents to play a part in local climate resilience strategies,” said Gretchen Beesing, CEO of Catalyst Miami.

CLEAR Miami focuses on climate resilience leadership and provides graduates with the groundwork to become educators, leaders, and innovators in their own communities and beyond. Participants will develop a deep understanding of climate science, local climate change threats, and solutions. Thus far, 63 adults and 37 youths have completed the CLEAR Miami program. Six months after graduation, 100% of our CLEAR graduates have taken a civic action in relation to climate resilience. On a policy-level, CLEAR Miami participants have participated in City, County, and State-level meetings, community input sessions, and climate campaigns. Nine CLEAR Miami graduates and facilitators have been featured in local and national news articles on climate justice issues in Miami. 

The CLEAR program is an 11-week commitment, with one 3-hour session occurring per week at Catalyst Miami’s main office (3000 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 210, Miami, FL 33137). Translation will be offered in Spanish and Haitian Creole. There is no fee to participate. Dinner and childcare will be provided at no cost. Applications to this program are available at http://catalystmiami.org/clear-miami/. For more information on CLEAR Miami, contact Zelalem Adefris, Climate Resilience Program Manager, at [email protected] or 786-414-1300.

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