Antonia Martinez

Antonia R. Martinez is the publisher of MMRD (Multicultural Media & Resource Directory) website and MMRD’s South Florida’s print edition.  Ms. Martinez is responsible for providing strategic direction for the company inclusive of all aspects as it relates to media relations, specialized outreach initiatives, and strengthening, developing, and maintaining ongoing relationships with community leaders, organizations and business groups.

Prior to publishing MMRDONLINE.COM, Ms. Martinez spent the last couple of years specializing in Community Disaster Education, Disaster Relief Fundraising and Volunteer Management with the South Florida Region American Red Cross and the past decade as President/CEO of a progressive public relations agency specializing in community relations and public affairs. Her latest work includes an appointment with FEMA as a Communication Outreach Specialist with their Long-Term Community Recovery Cadre.  In this role, she leads the strategic aspects of FEMA’S specialized outreach initiatives to multicultural communities and provides capacity building for community organizations and leaders.

Multicultural Media Resource Directory

Ms. Martinez holds a Master Degree in Marketing Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. Her affiliations in Professional Organizations include the Association of Women in Communication (AWC), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Leadership Broward, and the South Florida Chapter of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA). She formerly and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for several South Florida non-profit organizations and committees.

Tech Guru Kevin Michael

foundational skill for creating opportunity for yourself and your organization. Here are a few tools that I suggest to simplify the process of collecting, organizing and leveraging your contacts.

LinkedIn

In the world of social networking sites for business professionals, LinkedIn is the 800-pound gorilla. Based on the principle of six degrees of separation, the site allows you to create a professional identity (skills, work experience, etc.), connect with professionals you know and trust, and provides you the social data that you’ll need to connect with others. Personally, I’ve used LinkedIn to find prospects, identify partners, market my company and reach out successfully to complete strangers. I could spend hours explaining how to use LinkedIn to your advantage, but I’ll leave that to the marketing pros. Just take a moment, register and make LinkedIn a cornerstone of your relationship development strategy. Trust me, it will be worth your while.

CardMunch

It’s pretty safe to say that we all enjoy meeting new people and collecting business cards, but hate the process of entering business card information into our contact systems. In comes CardMunch. This nifty iPhone application allows you to snap a picture of a business card, submit it to the CardMunch system and voila! In less than 5 minutes you’ll have the complete contact data sent back to the app for you to save to your phone, send a follow up email and even connect with that contact on LinkedIn. It really helps you skip the the tedium and get down to what matters; fostering connections. In lieu of an iPhone, Android users can get similar functionality with Google Googles or can wait until the Android version of CardMunch launches. For folks on other platforms, I would recommend the Shoeboxed service. It’s not free or quite as immediate, but it does the trick and a whole lot more.

LetterMeLater

I came across this service after the unceremonious demise of my previous favorite, DeferredSender. LetterMeLater allows you to schedule an email to be sent at a future date and time. This comes in handy for following up promptly with contacts and avoiding being labeled a vampire when you send out that 3am email. The service is great because it works for any email client and for any whimsical purpose you can find. I would caution you to avoid sending sensitive data using the service (but that really applies to email in general) since the email is stored on LetterMeLater’s servers until it is delivered. Another great option for anyone using Gmail or Google Apps, is a helpful Chrome/Firefox web browser extension called Boomerang.

There you have it; 3 more tools to add to your business networking arsenal. Feel free to let me know what you think once you’ve had a chance to try them out by contacting me at kmichael [at] invizio [dot] com.

About the Author
Kevin V. Michael serves as co-founder and Managing Partner of Invizio, a South Florida IT services and consulting firm. Overseeing business development, strategic partnerships and client relations for the company this Antiguan-born entrepreneur and corporate alumnus of Motorola and Citigroup is one of South Florida’s brightest minds in the IT industry. Mr. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology & Software Engineering from the University of Miami College of Engineering with majors in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems and is a Microsoft Certified IT Professional. In 2011, Mr. Michael was named one of South Florida’s 40 Under 40 Professionals of Today and Tomorrow by Legacy Magazine in partnership with the Miami Herald.

Connect with Kevin V. Michael & Invizio

ICABA | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Web

I know that you all have made resolutions for the New Year to improve your lives- and I am hope that ICABA c an be one of the resources you turn to in your pursuit. Here are two things you can do to keep you on that path:

1) Look out for this e-Newsletter twice monthly

2) Pass it forward to at least 10 people you know and invite them to join ICABAWorld.com–Membership is Free, But the

Connections are Priceless!

Here’s why:

W.E.B. Dubois has gained notoriety for many of his thoughts- provocative and forward-thinking in his day. One of the matters most concerning to him, and for many subsequent leaders, is that our top talent must be identified and rise to their expected roles in our society.

You have been identified as one of a select few. One thing I know for sure, accomplished professionals like to be in the company of others of similar talent. As an example, ICABA South Florida is blessed to have a talented group of professionals to advise us.

The ICABA South Florida Advisory Board is composed of leaders from throughout South Florida, and you will get to learn more about them. Inside this edition of the ICABA e-newsletter you will find a featured profile on James Bearden, a South Florida ICABA Advisory Board member with a highly regarded law practice based in Palm Beach County. James is well-known and respected in Palm Beach county and assists ICABA in serving that market.

Also, our monthly features are designed to keep you current with career / business opportunities, technology, fine dining, current events and other useful information.

In the upcoming days, ICABA will  survey your interests in luxury dining experiences, exclusive-luxury group travel, and other affinity activities that you’d enjoy.  Please participate in the short survey coming your way shortly.

As we develop more opportunities for you to connect with other accomplished professionals, there are unlimited possibilities that we look forward to providing you.  The surveys that will guide us to effectively deliver the ICABA experience and brand of excellence that you deserve and have come to expect from ICABA.  I am excited to hear more from you in your survey responses.

Please keep reading our e-Newsletter, pass it forward and get connected to all the opportunities ICABA provides.

Reminder: When joining ICABA, please don’t forget to upload your photo and a short bio; a valuable membership benefit- member-to-member networking and featured profiling is activated when your photo and bio is present on your account!

Sincerely,

]]> http://icabaworld.com/blog/lifestyle/inside-icaba/2012/02/01/message-from-the-icaba-south-florida-publisher/feed/ 0 http://icabaworld.com/blog/lifestyle/inside-icaba/2012/01/11/lets-reinvent-the-world/ http://icabaworld.com/blog/lifestyle/inside-icaba/2012/01/11/lets-reinvent-the-world/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:05:26 +0000 Hutchinson, Jr. http://icabaworld.com/?p=3502

Marvin Dejean

So, here we are at the intersection of runaway dreams and steadfast resolutions on making our individual lives a bit better once again.

I’ve always wondered how this tradition began. Perhaps, it is our ingrained need to have second chances and start anew. We all like to believe that we can just leave the past behind and start fresh as if we were shedding bad habits like an old skin. It’s a great exercise albeit one that never really gets us very far or closer to our goals for that matter.

I’ve stopped making resolutions years ago since I realized that my life is a continuous thread that doesn’t really end on December 31st and begins again on the 1st. Our capacity to renew ourselves lives in the choices we make every day. In them we create our worlds, our aspirations and even our own hell.

This is the realization for our species at this juncture in time. We can no longer shrug and give up the responsibility of our lives to circumstances, politicians, teachers, parents or priests. We are as much to blame or edify for the way things turn out.

In reaching this conclusion, I also realized that my so called “resolutions” were extremely small and limited. I always focused on things that I should change about myself and things that I promised I would do more of. So, this time around, I decided to focus these changes around an overarching goal for my life. Why not make changes within me that could help me accomplish my prime directive?

Indeed, I’ve decided that my “resolution” this year and onward would be to reinvent the world. Pretty simple if you ask me. Of course, I can already hear the skeptics out there. Reinvent the world? What does that really mean? Reinvent what exactly? Governments? Systems? Education?

Why not?

The truth of the matter is all of us have what it takes to reconfigure this world as we see it. What Seth Godin calls making a dent in the Universe. The simple fact is that you only need two pieces to make that happen truly anywhere:

The first is to be committed to your “art” or prime directive whatever it may be. Believe in what you were born to do in this moment in time and the rest will follow. Art is what you do when no one is watching and would do even if you never got paid one red cent to do it.

The second really is to start …. well small. In their book entitled “Switch”, Dan and Chip Heath lay out the basic foundation of how to accomplish change when you have no designated authority and the rest of the world is going in an entirely different direction. The book is full of stories and anecdotes of people who were able to make big changes happen seemingly against all odds by following a simple formula for change. Most of us think that change needs to be big. In other words “Big problems, big solutions”. Switch actually shows that the inverse is actually true: big problem…small solutions that become the groundswell for change.

Combine the formula laid out by the Heath brothers ( Direct the Rider, Motivate The Elephant and Shape The Path) with the pattern recognition of epidemics in Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and you have the perfect recipe for change and,may I dare say evolution.

Change may be the only constant, bust conscious change is the domain of our species. It is finally dawning on most of us that we have much more power than we were ever led to believe. Powers that heretofore resemble the stuff of legends or superheroes. But, all you have to do is look around you every day and see the emerging stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things that we once thought could only be done by some rare individuals plucked out of history and strangely aligned circumstances.

Look at the groundswell being created by the “Girl Effect” or Tom’s Shoes. Everyday people who are transforming their passion into a kindle that is literally reinventing and reshaping our world simply by redefining what it means to be human.

So here is my challenge to you at the very beginning of 2012. I challenge you to make your “resolution” bigger. I want you to turn it into a BHAG (Big Hairy Achievable Goal). Something so outlandish that the first word that will come to mind is: impossible. Now, begin thinking of ways to achieve this goal, not in one big swoop, but with simple pieces that clustered over time will help you reach this moment in time step by step. Once you achieve that goal you will simply look up and realize that the world indeed has changed because you did.

The formula is a simple one:
Passion + Art + Entrepreneurship/Intrapreneurship + A New Reality = Human 2.0

Marvin Dejean

CEO
Gilead Sanders

Take A Quantum Leap Forward

“Helping Organizations and Individuals Take The Quantum Leap Into The 21st Century Marketplace”

P:(954) 254-9030

www.marvindejean.com

info@marvindejean.com

Blog: www.the-prime-directive.com

Diamond Wealth Management, an Office of MetLife
Can family structure dictate your level of financial comfort in retirement?

A great deal of attention has been paid to the role that gender plays in retirement planning, but family structure is a critical and often overlooked component. A new study from MetLife’s Mature Market Institute shows that family dynamics strongly influence retirement planning for people in mid-life.

The Family Matters study was developed to determine the degree to which family structure influences how people plan for retirement. It addressed three specific mid-life segments – ‘Traditional Families’ (two parents and children from their current relationship), ‘Blended Families’ (two parents with at least one child from a previous relationship) and ‘Single Women’ (widowed, divorced or never-married women with or without children).

One of the Study’s central findings is that Blended Families and Single Women do not consider themselves prepared for what retirement holds. The majority of Traditional Families (55%) have a clear idea of what they hope to experience and achieve in retirement, compared with only 38% of Single Women and 48% of Blended Families. Similarly, nearly seven out of ten (66%) of Traditional Families feel at least somewhat prepared for retirement, compared to only 56% of Blended Families and 40% of Single Women.

Blended Families and Single Women also believe that their families face unique challenges when it comes to retirement planning specifically because of their family situation. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of Single Women and Blended Families (61%) think that it’s significantly more difficult for them to save for retirement than it is for their friends who have different family situations.

Roughly one in five Blended Families and Single Women (19% and 18%, respectively) are concerned that they don’t have safeguards to ensure that an ex-spouse will not lay claim to their income or savings meant for themselves or their children. This sentiment is even higher among those that have experienced a divorce in the past five years. These recently-divorced respondents are also more concerned than their peers about having sufficient separate funds earmarked for their children’s inheritance.

Single Women are more worried than their peers (38% vs. 27% of Blended Families and 23% of Traditional Families) that they will not have a set level of monthly income that lasts throughout their retirement.

Many single female respondents, for instance, share the sentiment, “Because I am a widow, I do not have the buffer of a second income; it all falls on me.” A large number of Single Women respondents believe that the retirement savings imperative is higher for them than it is for those who are married. Despite this, Single Women are actually much less likely to own many common traditional savings or income products.

The study also shows that some retirement issues transcend family structure. Healthcare is a critical issue for all.  Roughly two-thirds (63%) of Traditional Families do not expect to have enough money to cover healthcare costs in retirement, as is the case with 69% of Single Women and 66% of Blended Families.

Of the entire group surveyed, almost half (47%) identify a need for more savings and assets; 29% would like a better gauge of both their routine and unpredictable retirement expenses.

Retirement income and healthcare are two universal concerns for pre-retirees. The challenge for those in middle age is to make the unpredictable elements in their lives – the current and future needs of their children, the assets or income that go to an ex-spouse, their own healthcare and other costs – more manageable.  More security with regard to income and assets would be of great help to them as they transition into retirement.

Complex family structures add an extra level of unpredictability to retirement planning, and today’s middle-aged Americans are seeking ways to make their income last a lifetime and tools to support their goals.  They are looking for professional planning and financial products for “families like theirs,” not just generic advice.

For additional information on the tools MetLife can provide to ensure that retirees from every kind of family structure can safeguard their retirement savings, or to view more on the MetLife Family Matters Study, please visit www.metlife.com or contact Tunde Ogunlana at 954-625-1557 or via email at bogulana@metlife.com.

BY FABIAN LYON flyon@MiamiHerald.com

Fulfilling a life-long dream to play professional basketball has opened doors for Cilk McSweeney to shoot commercials alongside NBA superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, appear in two feature films and become an entrepreneur.McSweeney, a former Fort Lauderdale Dillard High School star 6-6 swingman, hopes his debut book “From the Pit to the Palace”, which will launch at McNichol Middle School in Hollywood on Saturday, inspires others to overcome the same skepticism he faced in a career that spanned Cardinal Gibbons High School, Dillard, Towson University, Penn State University and the professional leagues.

“I just want to encourage everybody with what I went through, with people doubting my dreams,” said McSweeney . “I want them to use their individual gifts and talents to go out and do what they are called to do.” McSweeney will talk about the book and sign copies from 1-3 inside the McNichol auditorium.In the book, McSweeney recounts the renewed determination he felt to play in the professional leagues after hearing his college coach say he wouldn’t make it. McSweeney also shares the pressure he felt to help Dillard defend it’s 2000 state title following his transfer from cross-town rival Cardinal Gibbons. McSweeney said although he knew several Dillard players through the AAU circuit, he didn’t feel full acceptance from the Dillard fan base until his pivotal shooting helped propel the Panthers to the second of what would become a record-setting four consecutive state titles in the big school classification.

“A lot of people in the Dillard community didn’t know who I was,’’ said McSweeney. “I knew I had to prove myself because there were 15 other players already on the team. The only thing missing for Dillard was a pure outside shooter. I only wanted to add what they needed. When we won states, it was a big relief. Step one was done for me.”Vindication came for McSweeney when he signed with an Italian pro team and then became the No. 4 overall selection in the 2008 BSN Puerto Rico League draft. McSweeney said playing in the same pro leagues as his father, Elisha McSweeney, a 1976 draftee by the Cleveland Cavaliers, made his journey even more rewarding.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/30/2526045/basketball-star-cilk-mcsweeney.html#storylink=cpy

Attorney Eugene Pettis

Fort Lauderdale attorney and ICABA Member Eugene K. Pettis is The Florida Bar’s president-elect designate. No other candidates came forward to challenge Pettis, who will be the first African American president in Florida Bar history.

Pettis will be sworn in as president-elect at the Bar’s annual convention in June 2012, when Tampa attorney Gwynne Alice Young will be sworn in as president. He will become Bar president in 2013.

“The reach of the Bar and its members’ contributions to public good is unparalleled,” said Pettis. “Through my travels across the state, I have seen hundreds of lawyers who are using their skills in service to their communities. These observations have ignited in me even greater pride in our Bar.”

A founding partner of Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm, Pettis is a trial attorney who has been practicing law since 1985.

In 2005, he was elected to The Florida Bar’s governing board from the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors and co-chairs the Commission on Review of the Discipline System, which is comprehensively reviewing the Bar’s discipline system.

For three years, Pettis chaired the Bar’s committee that fights to preserve the independence of Florida’s judiciary and led the committee as it launched its Benchmarks program for attorneys to teach civics education to adults. He remains committed to working to make sure Florida’s courts receive the funding they need instead of relying on volatile fees that have fallen with the troubled economy.

“Our challenge is to make it clear that sufficient funding for our court system is not an option but is essential,” Pettis said, adding that he will continue efforts to identify “a long-term, predictable source of court funding so that every Floridian will be assured access to our courts.”

Pettis also co-chaired the Board of Governors’ committee formed to promote diversity and inclusion in the practice of law.

“The Florida Bar has made diversity and inclusion an objective in its strategic plan,” he said. “I truly believe the strength of the Bar rests in the whole; together, there is benefit for us all.”

A graduate of the University of Florida in 1982 with a B.A, he went on to get his law degree at UF in 1985. Currently, he is on the Board of Trustees at the university’s Levin College of Law and serves on several university advisory committees.

In addition to his admission to The Florida Bar, Pettis is also admitted to the Federal Bar for the Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Florida and Middle District of Florida.

Pettis has extensive trial experience in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury, employment law, professional liability and commercial litigation. He also represents clients in administrative hearings and other alternative dispute resolution forums.

He holds Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV rating and has been selected by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America.

In 2009, he was honored and admitted by The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, an academy recognizing lawyers who are regarded by their peers as leaders in the community who have contributed significantly to the legal profession.

The Florida Bar has more than 93,000 members.

Tech Guru Kevin Michael

Tip#1: Prepare Your Organization For Change

There is no amount of technological advancement that can overcome our very human and natural resistance to change. In my experience, technology projects seldom fail because the solutions fail to work as advertised, but rather because of a failure in leadership to act. Before undertaking any technology, understand that the project is fundamentally about change to the way people in your organization perform their work. Projects affect business processes, systems and people. You must be willing to champion these projects by communicating with and involving the people who are affected by the change. Ignoring this reality results in systems that never get used, or used ineffectively by people who did not ‘buy-in’ to the vision.

Tip #2: Calculate the ROI

It may sound like a fairly standard business practice to consider cost/benefit and return on investment when making a decision, but you’d be surprised by how often this analysis is overlooked. Technology has to create leverage by making life for you or your employees easier, although these benefits are often hard to measure. It is absolutely essential for you to determine what a technology solution means to your team in terms of money, time or hassle saved. Does the solution increase productivity so you can do more with less? Does the solution create time for your team to focus on more valuable initiatives? Does it help you close more business? Does it mitigate risks that could have significant tangible or intangible losses? If you can’t answer yes to these questions and attach numbers to these answers, avoid justifying a purchase solely on the promise of its bells and whistles.

Tip #3: Seek Help

Whether you’re the CIO of a large enterprise or the owner of small home-based business, its important to take an inventory of the skills, knowledge and bandwidth available within your organization that will be necessary to effectively execute on a technology project. If it turns out that you will be deficient in any of those areas, you’ll need to revise your plans or seek external help. It’s always appealing to go it alone when you consider the additional cost, but I would argue that getting it done right is better than simply getting it done. Many a project has gone up in flames due to an unwillingness to incorporate skilled consultants or by forcing a project onto an overburdened IT staff.

About the Author
Kevin V. Michael serves as co-founder and Managing Partner of Invizio, a South Florida IT services and consulting firm. Overseeing business development, strategic partnerships and client relations for the company this Antiguan-born entrepreneur and corporate alumnus of Motorola and Citigroup is one of South Florida’s brightest minds in the IT industry. Mr. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology & Software Engineering from the University of Miami College of Engineering with majors in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems and is a Microsoft Certified IT Professional. In 2011, Mr. Michael was named one of South Florida’s 40 Under 40 Professionals of Today and Tomorrow by Legacy Magazine in partnership with the Miami Herald.

Connect with Kevin V. Michael & Invizio

ICABA | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Web

Antonia Williams-Gary

I am excited to tell you about upcoming plans in 2012 as we continue recognizing black accomplishments and connecting black professionals! The new year will usher in two ICABA Honors, our premier publication and event, and an upcoming ICABA Salute, and so much more. I am also excited to share news of the ascension of ICABA  member and super lawyer Eugene Pettis to history-maker status as he takes leadership reigns as President-elect of the Florida Bar Association on his way to becoming its first African American President!

We are planning a Salute to South Florida’s 100 Most Accomplished Caribbean Americans in June, which is the nationally designated month to celebrate the accomplishments of South Florida’s Caribbean Americans. We have formed a Steering Committee of distinguished leaders to assist us in our efforts to recognize accomplished Caribbean Americans who live in South Florida- Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.  Additionally, we will profile over 30 Caribbean countries and its leaders in our signature style publication.

In August, ICABA Honors South Florida’s Most Accomplished Black Entrepreneurs and Community Leaders will be held at Nova University. Legendary entrepreneur R. Donahue Peebles is the Honorary Chair and we look forward to publishing a phenomenally rich directory full of accomplished black South Floridians.

In late November, ICABA Honors South Florida’s Most Accomplished Blacks in Sports, Arts, Media and Entertainment!  This directory and event will be star-studded and culturally rich.

Nominations for the aforementioned recognitions will open February 1, 2012.  Please take some time to think about who you know that deserves this recognition.

Have you noticed TECH BYTES from INVISIO Tech Guru Kevin Michael that we began in December? Not only does technology dominate our businesses and personal connections, but more and more, technology is dictating how the future will be shaped: in finance, the environment; international relations; communication across language and cultural barriers; and so many other areas of our lives.

I hope you’ll find TECH BYTES helpful as you seek to upgrade your technology systems, knowledge and skills!

We continue striving to bring you the best.  I look forward to hearing back from you regarding how we can serve you and create a better connected and dynamic professional community in South Florida for us all!  ICABA membership has its benefits: go to your account and make connections to make connections to extend your network.

If you are receiving this ICABA Member eNewsletter as a guest, please join today to keep it coming and to be part of enhancing our professional community.   Please join ICABA World and connect with me . MEMBERSHIP IS FREE, BUT THE CONNECTIONS ARE PRICELESS!

Please let me know what you think about ICABA and how we can serve you better.  I look forward to hearing from you and activating a profitable relationship!

Sincerely,

Antonia Williams-Gary

Publisher, ICABA South Florida Publisher

ICABAWorld.com is the World’s Leading Social Network for Black Professionals and Entrepreneurs

Join today and connect to Influential Professionals and Profitable Opportunities!

]]> http://icabaworld.com/blog/lifestyle/inside-icaba/2012/01/04/from-the-south-florida-publishers-desk/feed/ 0 http://icabaworld.com/blog/news/home-page/2011/12/08/meet-icaba-honoree-marcia-barry-smith-senior-v-p-bankatlantic/ http://icabaworld.com/blog/news/home-page/2011/12/08/meet-icaba-honoree-marcia-barry-smith-senior-v-p-bankatlantic/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:54:21 +0000 Hutchinson, Jr. http://icabaworld.com/?p=3447 By Tsitsi D. Wakhisi

Marcia Barry-Smith

Being a successful black woman in corporate America creates a lot of curious people, says a longtime leader in South Florida’s banking community.

“They want to know what makes you tick. As a black woman – and me from the Islands – how do you get away with this?” said Marcia Barry-Smith, who holds dual top-tier titles at BankAtlantic.

A voice mail greeting on her cell phone perhaps offers a clue about how she handles it: “Remember,” her message says, “courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it is a quiet voice …”

With more than 25 years in high-powered positions in the banking industry, Barry-Smith likely has relied on both strategies as she navigated a labyrinth of corporate challenges that could have blocked her successes.

“Being a black woman puts you in the position to develop a façade,” Barry-Smith added. Black women are so intrinsically strong. Like cigarette butts – even after someone stomps on them, there still is a little spark left to reignite.”

With initial designs on a career in medicine, Barry-Smith said her science classes stomped out that goal but not her passion to make a difference, no matter the career.

“I still wanted to know how I could help people,” said Barry-Smith who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and later studied sociology at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College. Her studies later included several courses at the American Institute of Banking.

She launched her career in banking in 1993 as a regional savings administrator at Glendale Federal Bank. Two years later, Barry-Smith joined Citizens Federal Bank and was a senior vice president in loan originations before going to BankAtlantic where she became senior vice president, Community Reinvestment Act Officer, and executive director of the BankAtlantic Foundation, the bank’s charitable arm.

Since its founding in 1994, the foundation has awarded more than $16 million to charitable organizations throughout the state of Florida. Barry-Smith has been at the helm since 1996.

With commanding personality and seasoned confidence, Barry-Smith simultaneously exudes an air of know-how and kindness.

“Some find it ironic that I am a banker who has so much involvement in the community,” she said. “I am blessed to work with an organization that allows me to use its corporate assets and resources to make a difference in the community,” said Barry-Smith, who through the bank’s CRA program creates opportunities for members of underserved communities to own homes.

Irony or not, scores of civic, social, media and philanthropic organizations have recognized Barry-Smith for her efforts and successes. Plaques, proclamations (In 2007, Lauderhill, her hometown, officially claimed Sept. 27 Marcia Barry-Smith Day.) and awards cover the walls of her Fort Lauderdale office.

The appreciation she cherishes most, however, comes from the people she has helped, many of whom participated in her “Homeless to Homeowner” program, a function of the CRA program.

“These are people who felt life would not change,” said Barry-Smith of the program that has helped more than 50 families save money, repair credit histories and secure loans to purchase homes.

She recalls one of the first women who completed the program. A victim of domestic violence, she was living in car with her kids. The woman eventually earned a master’s degree and became president of her homeowners’ association.

Such examples – and there are many – “tells me this is right,” Barry-Smith said.

For more information on the BankAtlantic Foundation program, call 954-940-5058 or visit http://www.bankatlantic.com/BAFoundation/default.html.