Andrea Graham Rechichi chairs the Town of Miami Lakes Economic Development Committee. She is a member of the fourth generation of the Graham family, which developed the town. Graham Rechichi is vice president of corporate relations for The Graham Companies, is married and has two young children.
Q: Where are you from and what is your background?
A: I was born and raised in Miami Lakes. I went to Miami Lakes Elementary and Miami Lakes Middle School. For high school, I attended Miami Country Day School. I attended the University of Colorado as well as The New School for Public Engagement, where I received my master’s degree in Nonprofit Management. I returned to South Florida and served as the program director for the Honey Shine Mentoring Program, a life skills program for girls ages 8-18. For the last ten years, I have been fortunate to work at The Graham Companies and participate as part of the fourth generation of the family business.
Q: What do you like most about Miami Lakes?
A: I love our tree canopy.
Q: What do you dislike about the town?
A: Not so much anything that I dislike, but I do wish I saw more people biking around town. As a kid, we would ride bikes all over the place, to Main Street, Cypress Village Shopping Center or a friend’s house. It was our go to mode of transportation [that is until rollerblades became popular]. When the pandemic began you started to see more families out and about on bikes, but sadly it seems like that has gone to the wayside. We are so fortunate to have the most amazing tree canopy and network of sidewalks that it really is so easy to get around.
Q: What are the demands/responsibilities of your current position and what do you hope to accomplish?
A: The Economic Development Committee works hard to attract new businesses, but also ensuring the 1,700+ businesses remain satisfied and prosperous in our town. With collaborations with the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce as well as BNI Miami Lakes, we have had successful networking events and we have put on many successful webinars and programs such as the “Best of Miami Lakes,” which spotlights so many of our small businesses.
Q: What is your biggest accomplishment, in your personal life or career?
A: I don’t think I could narrow down just one major accomplishment. I believe life is like a giant puzzle as you connect the pieces to make the final masterpiece. Obviously, I am proud of my little family and watching (and guiding) my children to develop into whom they will be. I believe in living a life of service. I volunteered for a year with AmeriCorps; it was probably one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences I have ever had. I spent the year teaching kids that their current circumstances did not need to dictate the future. When I worked at Honey Shine, I was proud to develop a summer camp program for the girls to participate in for six weeks. Each summer, we would see incredible growth in our girls. I recently joined the Board of the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, which is about to celebrate 100 years of serving girls in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, and I am excited about the future of impact there.
In my role at The Graham Companies and as chair of the EDC, I often tell whomever I am speaking to, “How Can I Help You?” I strive each day to find solutions that can keep us all moving forward.
Q: What would you rather be doing, what is your fantasy career?
A: I grew up attending a sleep-away camp and I have always thought it would be very fulfilling to run one. The thought of every summer being able to help kids overcome fears and achieve personal goals would be so rewarding.
Q: What books are you reading, are there any podcasts you’re listening to?
A: I started the year with the goal of reading one book per month. I started off strong, but for a lack of better words, I need to get back up on the horse. I am currently reading “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. As far as podcasts, I listen to many right now but one of my favorites is the “9 to 5ish” with theSkimm. The co-founders of theSkimm talk to women leaders who share work advice. Working full-time, volunteering and juggling being a mom and wife is no walk in the park and I always find a little bit of wisdom in each episode.
Q: What have you binge-watched on TV?
A: I have an 8- and a 3-year-old, so I don’t have much “me time”. However, I would be lying if I did not admit that my 3 year old has me binge-watching some shows like “PAW Patrol & Friends” and “Peppa Pig”.
Q: Where did you last travel to on vacation?
A: The Keys. Living in South Florida it is easy to forget that we live where everyone else wants to travel to. The Florida Keys is such a short car ride away and when you get down there it is amazing how you feel like you are hours away from home.