10 Mar THE MIAMI FOUNDATION APPOINTS FIVE LOCAL LEADERS TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Miami Foundation announces the appointment of five new board members with significant experience in finance, real estate and law. The new trustees are: Tere Blanca, president and CEO of Blanca Commercial Real Estate; Jorge F. de la Cruz-Muñoz, shareholder at Dunwody White & Landon, P.A.; Avra Jain, founder of The Vagabond Group; Julie Neitzel, partner at WE Family Offices; and Mark Scott, principal in the estate and trust department of Kaufman Rossin.

“In our 50^th anniversary year, we’re encouraging all Miamians to take ownership of what matters to them in our community,” said President and CEO Javier Alberto Soto. “In addition to their successful careers, each of these noted leaders have championed efforts they cared about to improve life for Greater Miami residents. We look forward to their considerable insight and guidance as we strive for even greater impact over the next 50 years at the Foundation.” 

Tere Blanca, M.B.A.
Tere Blanca has more than 25 years of experience in the South Florida real estate industry and has been actively engaged in helping clients optimize the financial outcome of their real estate decisions. Prior to launching Blanca Commercial Real Estate, Ms. Blanca served for five years as senior managing director for Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc. In 2016, she received recognition as the Philanthropic Leader of the Year by City Year Miami and Community Leader of the Year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She received an M.B.A. from University of Miami.

Jorge F. de la Cruz-Muñoz, J.D.
Jorge F. de la Cruz-Muñoz, Esq., is a shareholder of Dunwody White & Landon, P.A., a trust and estates law firm whose founding shareholder, Atwood Dunwody, served on the The Miami Foundation’s first board of trustees in 1967.  Jorge practices in estate planning, probate and trust administration, guardianships, and special needs planning. He is a former board member of YES Institute and is a current member of the Estate Planning Council of Greater Miami, The Florida Bar Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, The Florida Bar Elder Law Section, and The Florida Bar Tax Law Section.

Avra Jain
Avra Jain, a Purdue University industrial engineering graduate, has a reputation for developing projects around her favorite pursuits: art and architecture. A former Wall Street trader, Avra has directed boutique real estate projects that range from converting a warehouse into luxury loft condominiums to the remake of The Vagabond Motel on Biscayne Boulevard. A local champion for redeveloping historic properties, she is a board member of HistoryMiami, Dade Heritage Trust, Locust Projects and the MiMo Biscayne Association.

Julie Neitzel
Julie Neitzel has extensive experience in business strategy and governance, wealth advisory, real estate and private equity. Over the last two decades, Julie has served as advisor to global families in investment capital management, estate planning, beneficiary mentoring, philanthropy and wealth education. She has held many leadership roles at nonprofit organizations supporting education, the arts and public service. Currently, she is on the board of the Miami Finance Forum, the PAMM Investment Committee, the National Association of Corporate Directors Florida Chapter and a director for Heico Corporation (NYSE: HEI).  She earned her M.B.A. from the American Graduate School of International Management.

Mark Scott, J.D., LL.M.
Mark Scott is a principal in the estate and trust department at Kaufman Rossin, a certified public accounting firm.  Mark formerly practiced estate, trust and tax law in Boca Raton. Mark’s areas of concentration include complex estate tax planning, gift tax planning, trust tax planning, international estate and trust planning, and estate and gift tax return examinations. He served on The Miami Foundation GLBT Community Projects Advisory Committee.  He is on the board of directors for the Estate Planning Council of Greater Miami and is the current president of the Greater Miami Tax Institute.  Mark is a member of The Florida Bar, and is the current secretary of The Florida Bar Tax Section.   He has also provided pro bono legal representation through various entities.  Mark earned a Juris Doctorate and Master of Laws in taxation from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.  Mark is an adjunct professor in the University of Miami School of Law, Graduate Program in Taxation.