Newly-elected Mayor Josh Dieguez drew one of the largest recent crowds to the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Dec. 11.
Ninety-five members of the business group gave Dieguez, 35, a warm welcome at the Miami Lakes Hotel on Main.
Chamber President Fred Senra praised Dieguez’s past support for the group.
“He’s actually one of the council members who always attended our lunches throughout the years,” Senra said. “When you needed something, he would be more than glad to lend a hand and help. He fought a good fight, running for mayor, and he won.”
In the audience were Council members Steven Herzberg and Ray Garcia; Vice Mayor Bryan Morera; members of Dieguez’s family and law firm; Town Manager Edward Pidermann; Clarisell De Cardenas, Miami Lakes Communications & Community Affairs Director; volunteers from town committees and boards; Miami-Dade Commissioner Sen. René Garcia, Lauren Pardo, his deputy chief of staff and Aylen Ginoris, commission aide and Dr. Georgette Perez, Hialeah Campus President at Miami Dade College.
Dieguez described new and ongoing initiatives to spur commerce that he is working on with town staff and council members.
Those include hiring an assistant, creating an informal group of advisors who have expertise in issues that confront municipal government, and nominating someone to fill council Seat 4, which he once held.
That term has two years left and the council will vote on whether to approve the candidate or not.
Dieguez told the gathering that he wants to be “Helping all of you be successful, especially our Main Street Merchants.”
He listed past efforts to host professional organizations in town for meetings.
“I brought Leadership Miami to the town, which is a division of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce,” Dieguez said. “That means hundreds of people every year come over to Miami Lakes Town Hall for their focus sessions and then move to a bar to mingle and eat. That is money in your pockets, for those who are on Main Street. It’s great exposure for our town.”
He said the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accounts have met in town and that “a lot of members” are based in Miami Lakes.
“I’m working to bring them up here more often, another way that we can help our local business community,” he said.
Entrepreneurs will want to watch the town’s website, where early next year they may be able to access a Business Tool Kit that will guide them in working in Miami Lakes. There will also be a place on the town website where copies of business tax receipts may be obtained.
Pedro Fiallo, a member of the Veterans Committee and Elderly Affairs Committee, suggested that Dieguez meet the chairs of the town’s 13 volunteer boards and committees, and the new mayor agreed it was a good idea.
Dieguez’s description of what he is looking for in the person he’ll nominate to fulfill the remainder of his council term drew the biggest applause.
“The individual that will be selected will somebody that always puts Miami Lakes first,” he said. “I’ve made a habit out of doing things that are not necessarily politically popular that have been absolutely the right thing for this town.”
Marcela Munera, campus director for Ana G. Mendez University, is scheduled to address the chamber at its next luncheon on Jan. 8.
For more information go to MiamiLakesChamber.com.