Mel Martinez
Chairman of Florida, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean at JPMorgan Chase & Co.; U.S. Senator (2004-2009) and Secretary of Housing & Urban Development (2001-2003)

 

Melquaides “Mel” Martinez is Chairman of Florida, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for JPMorgan Chase & Co.  As the senior executive in Florida and the region, he represents the firm at the most senior levels to clients -- from businesses to large corporations to non-profits and governments.

He joined JPMorgan Chase in July, 2010, after representing Florida as a U.S. Senator, serving as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and working as a private sector attorney for 25 years.

Martinez began his career in public service as Mayor of Orange County, representing the greater Orlando area (including the theme park areas) from 1998 into 2001 and managing a budget of $2.8 billion and 9,000 employees.

As HUD Secretary, his many accomplishments include working with state and local officials to assist with the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan after the September 11th terrorist attacks.
 

As the first Cuban-American to serve in the Senate, he played an active role in shaping policies as a member of several pivotal committees: Armed Services (Ranking Member of Sea Power Subcommittee); Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Foreign Relations (Chairman, Subcommittee on African Affairs); Energy and Natural Resources; Commerce; and Special Committee on Aging (Ranking Member). 

 

In 2008, he served as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Most recently, Martinez had been a partner at DLA Piper in Washington, D.C. and Orlando -- a leading global business law firm – and focused on advising clients on issues related to all aspects of public policy.

Prior to his career in public service, Martinez practiced law in Florida, specializing in civil litigation and government affairs. He has served on numerous public and private boards throughout his career, including serving on the board of several community banks.

 

Martinez embodies the transformative power of the American dream.  Born in Cuba, Martinez came to the U.S. as part of a humanitarian program that helped more than 14,000 Cuban children escape Communist Cuba.  At age 15, Martinez arrived in the U.S. with only one suitcase, and lived in refugee camps and with generous foster families until his own family relocated to Orlando.  Martinez worked his way through school, eventually earning his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University. 

 

With deep insight into the most important social and political issues of our time, Martinez brings a fresh perspective to the debate on issues of foreign policy and immigration, health care reform, energy, international investment, commerce and the economy. 

Todd Buchholz
Former White House Economic Adviser, Author, Hedge Fund Manager, and NPR Contributor

 

Todd Buchholz is a former Director of Economic Policy at the White House, Managing Director of the $15 billion Tiger hedge fund, and award-winning economics teacher at Harvard.

 

Buchholz is a frequent commentator on ABC News, PBS, and CBS, and recently hosted his own special on CNBC.  He is co-founder and managing director of Two Oceans Management, LLC and was a fellow at Cambridge University in 2009.

 

He has authored numerous books. Market Shock: 9 Economic and Social Upheavals that Will Shake Our Financial Future, was released to rave reviews and dubbed “outstanding” by the Wall Street Journal. Buchholz is also author of the best-selling New Ideas from Dead Economists and From Here To Economy, which were praised by The New York Times and Financial Times. His newest books are Lasting Lessons from the Corner Office and a novel, The Castro Gene. His editorials in the Wall Street Journal and commentaries on PBS correctly forecast the 2001 slowdown in the U.S. and the 2008 pop in commodity prices.

 

Buchholz is a contributing editor at Worth magazine, where he writes the "Global Markets" column, and he has penned articles for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Reader’s Digest. He delivered a lecture at the White House entitled “Clarity, Honesty and Modesty in Economics,” and has been a keynote speaker before such groups as Microsoft, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

 

Before joining Tiger in 1996, Buchholz was President of the G7 Group, Inc., an international consulting firm, whose clientele included many of the top securities firms, investment banks, and money managers in New York, London, and Tokyo. From 1989 to 1992 he served at the White House as a Director of Economic Policy.

 

Buchholz won the Allyn Young Teaching Prize at Harvard and holds advanced degrees in economics and law from Cambridge and Harvard. He also holds several engineering and design patents and is a co-producer of the Broadway smash “Jersey Boys.”

Martin E. Stein, Jr.
Chairman and CEO, Regency Centers Corporation

 

Martin E. Stein, Jr. (“Hap”) is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Regency Centers Corporation, a publicly-traded real estate investment trust. Hap has served as CEO of Regency from its initial public offering in October 1993, and as Chairman since January, 1999.  He also served as President of Regency's predecessor real estate division since 1981 and as a Vice President from 1976 to 1981.  He is a graduate of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College and Washington & Lee University.  Hap is a Director of Patriot Transportation Holding, Inc., a publicly-held transportation and real estate company and Stein Mart, Inc., a publicly-held upscale discount retailer.  He is past Chairman of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and currently serves on the Executive Committee of their Board of Governors.  Hap is a long time member of the Urban Land Institute and began a three year term on their Board of Trustees on July 1, 2009.  He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Washington & Lee University and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Real Estate Roundtable.
 

Terry Stiles
Chairman and CEO, Stiles

 

Terry Stiles is the Chairman and CEO of Stiles, a multi-faceted real estate development firm formed in 1951. Headquartered in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale, Terry has grown this full-service real estate company to one of the largest in the Southeast. With over 37 million square feet completed, Terry and his 300-person strong organization have garnered numerous awards for development and construction projects, including office, mixed-use residential, retail shopping centers, build-to-suit facilities, and master-planned, mixed-use corporate parks.

 

Well respected by his peers within the industry, Terry has a history of being at the forefront of real estate trends, such as building the first master-planned corporate park in Broward County and building the first speculative office building in an urban downtown area in the nation after a five-year period of slowed construction activity.

 

Beautifying and revitalizing the town where he grew up isn’t the only difference Terry has made within the community. He also has been an aggressive community worker, using his position and the great resources of Stiles to help make a positive difference for today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders. Among many other distinctions, Terry is proud to have been awarded the Sun-Sentinel’s Philanthropist of the Year in 2003, the Citizen of the Year by the City of Fort Lauderdale in 1999, and the United Way Community Hero in 1996, in which he was commissioned to carry the torch at the 1996 Olympic cross-country relay.  Nevertheless, Terry’s biggest reward comes from the many “thank-yous” he has received from children throughout the years.  Terry was recently presented the Business Hall of Fame Laureate Award by Junior Achievement of South Florida.