Industrial News

In an elegant gala held at Downtown Miami’s InterContinental Hotel, over one thousand distinguished guests witnessed the inauguration ceremony, in which prominent developer Augusto J. Gil was sworn in as president of LBA. A second-generation builder, Mr. Gil will lead this energetic organization for the next two years. He takes charge at a time in which the area’s construction industry and the community itself are experiencing unprecedented growth; this boom —especially the resurgence of the city of Miami’s core with dozens of high rise and mixed use projects— has therefore created new opportunities and challenges.

“Latin Builders Association has a strong tradition of commitment to our area’s growth, security and wellbeing,” says Mr. Gil. “The new board of directors and I are already taking on issues and projects that are vital to our community, our industry and our organization.”

Among LBA’s goals this year is to work closely with the Florida legislature and the governor’s office on a growth management bill. Locally, the association’s committees are participating in the amendment of Miami-Dade’s zoning code, as well as the modernization processes of various public service departments.

“This changing of the guard, in which the second generation is now leading the way to the future, comes at a unique time and place in the history of LBA,” added Augusto J. Gil. “We are charged with a great responsibility and are humbled by the trust placed on us.”

Assisting Latin Builders Association’s new chief executive will be the organization’s president-elect, Osvaldo M. Vento, president of Everglades Lumber, and the nine members of the new Executive Board: Angel Medina, Jr., immediate past president, Latin Builders Association, and president, Regions Bank (formerly Union Planters Bank) in Miami; Gloria Velázquez-Meitin, director of entitlements, Lennar Homes; Hiram Ocariz, co-founder and partner, Ocariz, Gitlin & Zomerfeld, CPA; Jorge Piedra, attorney, Jorge L. Piedra, P.A.; Luis García, president, Adonel Concrete; Marisol Tamarazzo, vice president, United Homes International; Ernesto Portuondo, Jr., manager, Countrywide Home Loans; Noelia Moreno, vice president of sales and administration, Moralmar Kitchen Cabinets; and Jorge Guerra, Jr., vice president, Design Drywall, Inc.

Also playing fundamental roles in this new phase are LBA’s dynamic board of directors, forty-seven individuals who represent a cross-section of South Florida’s business community, and the organization’s administrative staff, headed by its director of operations, Angel Garay.

With over 800 members, Latin Builders Association is an energetic, non-profit organization that encompasses a vast array of individuals and companies related to South Florida’s vibrant construction industry. Since its establishment in 1971 by a group of 12 subcontractors, Latin Builders Association has embodied the interests of builders, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, tradesmen and other professionals not directly associated with the business of construction, striving to provide a vital forum for discussion, networking, training/ development, and representation at the local and state level.