By Charlotte Gallogly, Founding President, World Trade Center Miami

For 17 years, the World Trade Center Miami (WTCM) has made it a priority to recognize women leaders who are making vital contributions to our economy every day. On March 6, we honored five outstanding women at our 17th International Women’s Day Awards Luncheon at the Double Tree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center.

More than 500 professionals attended our annual high-profile luncheon, which drew more than 30 business and media sponsors. Our 2020 honorees were Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson; Marie Gill, founder & CEO of Gill & Associates; Susan Harper, Consul General of Canada in Miami; Karen Kuhn, associate chief counsel of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Christine Valls, vice president of sales of Florida, Latin America, and the Caribbean for American Airlines. Altogether, the WTCM has recognized 92 powerful women leaders since 2004.

By hosting this annual event, the WTCM is helping to break the glass ceiling for women in international trade, while supporting our regional economy. We believe gender parity is a vital issue for the global trade and logistics industry, and World Trade Centers can be powerful catalysts for change.

There are many benefits to recognizing and promoting women leaders, including:
• Creating new opportunities for partnerships with the private sector, as well as seaports, airports and trade and transportation agencies.
• Gaining positive publicity from TV broadcasts, as well as press releases and social media posts.
• Increasing goodwill and support from the local community.

Through our International Women’s Day Awards luncheon and year-round promotion of women professionals, the WTCM has been successful in raising awareness and expanding our diverse constituency in Miami. We believe our model can be applied by other World Trade Centers, and would be glad to share our materials. If you are interested, please send an email to info@worldtrade.org.

We also encourage World Trade Centers to recruit more women for leadership positions, including service on the board of directors, and gain the benefits of fresh ideas and perspectives.

By recognizing and supporting women leaders, we can open the door to new career opportunities for today’s professionals and for younger generations in the future.