Steve Adkins Named as The 2022 South Florida Tourism Professional of The Year
The Advisory Board of Miami-Dade Public Schools’ NAF Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT) is delighted to announce that Steve Adkins, President of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce was named South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year at the 31st Annual Awards Luncheon held December 15, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.
An accomplished business, hospitality and tourism leader, Mr. Adkins has dedicated his career to building business relationships, closing social gaps, working for equality, assisting the marginalized, and making his community a better place to live, work and play.
President of Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Honored at Annual South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year Luncheon
Steve Adkins, South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year
With professional roots in the banking industry, a move to Miami more than 20 years ago presented an opportunity for Mr. Adkins to take an active role in the hospitality and tourism industry as the owner of a Miami Beach bed and breakfast. As a gay businessman, he became involved with the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Several years later when the head of the organization stepped down, Mr. Adkins stepped into the position and found his calling.
Adkins’ business expertise, passion for community and dedication to advocacy has garnered the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce recognition among the most accomplished and impactful organizations of its kind in the country. Under his leadership, chamber membership grew twentyfold and through the MDGLCC Foundation, opened the first and only LGBTQ Visitor Center in the world on Miami Beach, which helped position Greater Miami and Miami Beach as a gay and lesbian friendly year-round destination.
Adkins is the South Region Co-Chair of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority; Board Member of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Advisory Board member of Miami Beach Pride.
Other distinguished nominees of this year’s South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year include Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) Senior Director of Partnership & Events Ali Bibeau; Hyatt Regency Miami General Manager Amir Blattner; Miami-
Dade Aviation Department (MIA) Director and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Cutié; and Miami-Dade County PortMiami Director & CEO Hydi Webb.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ AOHT is a member of the non-profit organization NAF. Academies are in 16 Miami-Dade County public high schools. Proceeds of the South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year luncheon benefit work-based learning activities and scholarships for AOHT students and professional development for teachers.
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NAF is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career, and future ready. NAF’s educational design is uniquely comprehensive in its approach to skill development, enabling students of all backgrounds to participate in a meaningful education and gives businesses the opportunity to shape America’s future workforce by transforming the learning environment to integrate STEM infused, career-relevant curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships.
NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences; and support programs of study that are aligned with the National Career Clusters Framework.
During the 2021-22 school year, over 120,000 students attended 618 NAF academies across 35 states, plus DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. In 2021, NAF academies reported 99% of seniors graduated with 87% of graduates planning to go to college.