As Chairman of the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I want to first thank our immediate past-chairman Mr. Armando Trabanco for his dedication and leadership during the past two years. During his tenure, he certainly made a large contribution to our organization and also set high standards for all to follow in years to come.

As a Chamber, we are celebrating 13 years of service to the South Florida business community. This success is directly attributed to the support and confidence you have had in this organization, and I can’t thank you enough. Today we enjoy a vibrant organization, which has surpassed the 1000-member mark thanks to the hard work of our President, Liliam Lopez, and our tireless Board of Directors who are all outstanding professionals. We are extremely proud of the services we render, not only to our business members, but also to our communities. Our members are a tribute to what immigrants can contribute to a community when they work hard and persevere. Our common bond is our Hispanic heritage, and our goal is to help those who are now embarking on the same journey that we, and or our parents, took to establish themselves in this country.

Based on the economic reality and the ever changing conditions, we are seeing traditionally large employers moving towards more efficient models and minimizing their staffing needs. This transition is motivating a large number of downsized employees to take responsibility for their future and start new businesses. Based on the fact that this business segment is the largest growing sector in our community, it is becoming increasingly important that we continue to lend our experience and personal expertise to these individuals. As a Chamber of Commerce we look to continue this service and expand not only our organization, but the services we provide.

There is no doubt that we, together, can help increase the success of many small businesses in our community and hope you will continue to be active participants in this process. Each on of us has been given a talent, and I trust that you will continue to share those talents with our membership.

Thanks for your continued support.
Luis E. Boue, CPA