Board Members
Alejandra Henao, President
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Alejandra is the Director of International Trade Development at Select Florida. Alejandra joined the International Trade Development team in November 2017, where she continues to work in Latin America and the Caribbean, her region of specialty. Alejandra brings over 16 years of international experience working for different institutions including the Organization of American States (OAS), Atlas Service Corps and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Foreign Commercial Service). She holds a BA in International Relations from Florida International University (FIU) and a MSc. in International Development from University of Bath (UK). Alejandra has also completed other graduate studies in Government and Public Policy in Los Andes University (Colombia) and a Graduate certificate Development Studies from The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University (Washington, D.C.). Alejandra has been recently selected to take part of the first SIDO-Thunderbird (University of Arizona-ASU) Advanced Certificate in Global Trade Development. Originally from Colombia, Alejandra has devoted a significant part of her professional life to assist U.S. small and medium companies enter and expand in global markets.​
Lynare Robbins, Vice President
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Lynare Robbins is the Director of Sister Cities International in Miami. She is a veteran of the United States Navy and also serves on the Florida Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), an organization which promotes bipartisan support for international development and diplomacy to strengthen national security and international relations. The USGLC’s Florida Advisory Committee brings together more than 260 business, faith, non-profit, and political leaders who understand how American global leadership matters for Florida as a global business hub at the commercial crossroads of the Americas, as well as its well-developed port infrastructure, and multilingual workforce. Lynare holds an Associates in Arts in Behavioral Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and Masters of Arts degrees in Human Behavior and International Relations & Conflict Resolution. Her Master's Thesis involved research work identifying how technology and innovation can promote equality and equity. She is the founder and president of Robbins Global Innovations, a boutique international relations consultancy firm specializing in communications & strategic external relations, curriculum development and internationally driven programs. Lynare works closely with the British American Business Council of Miami as a Consultant. In her free time Lynare enjoys volunteering in the local community where she serves on the LGBTQ Tourism Advisory Committee for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; as well as an Advisory Board member of the Miami-Dade County International Trade Consortium, appointed by The Honorable Eileen Higgins to represent District 5. Lynare is a member of the board of directors for Care Resource Community Health Centers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with four locations located in: Midtown Miami, Little Havana, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale that provides compassionate, competent, and committed healthcare and support services to address the full health care needs of South Florida's pediatric, adolescent and adult populations. She was a founding board member of the World Affairs Council of Miami, a nonprofit organization established to engage members of the South Florida community on global affairs issues, where she served as the board Secretary and Programs Chair. Lynare is an honoree of the World Trade Center Miami's 2022 International Women's Day award.
Elena Méndez, Treasurer
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Elena Méndez joined the Export-Import Bank’s regional office in Miami in July, 2012, and is primarily responsible for assisting US exporters in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Prior to joining EXIM Bank, Ms. Méndez had dedicated most of her extensive banking career in international trade, new business development and institutional and corporate banking. She worked for various global financial institutions, including Citibank and Dresdner Bank Latin America AG. Elena has extensive business exposure and travel throughout South and Central America & the Caribbean. Her diverse experience includes working closely with domestic and foreign companies; the overseas branches and affiliates of multinational corporations; financial institutions; central banks; and foreign governments. Ms. Méndez received a Master of International Business degree from Florida International University (FIU), Miami, Florida; and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Miami (UM), Coral Gables, Florida.
Anabel Garcia, Secretary
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Anabel Garcia is the Director of Operations at DOF Ground, a leading transportation company specializing in logistics solutions and freight management services for BCOs. With over a decade of experience in the logistics industry, Anabel leads a team of supply chain engineers and overseeing day to day strategic operations. Anabel is dedicated to helping clients successfully position their products in the U.S. market by reducing shipping costs, minimizing transit times, and optimizing their supply chains. Her expertise, combined with DOF Ground’s multimodal transportation management services, empowers clients and contract carriers with innovative, efficient solutions. In 2024, Anabel is focusing on enhancing intermodal solutions by integrating container inland services via rail and comprehensive warehousing options. This approach not only streamlines the distribution process for her customers but also delivers significant cost savings and lower carbon emissions, eliminating port demurrage and ensuring a smooth integration into existing supply chains. Passionate about the intersection of technology and supply chain management, Anabel is an active member of the Organization for Women in International Trade (OWIT), where she champions the advancement of women in international trade. She also collaborates with public schools and universities to elevate academic programs centered on trade and logistics, fostering the next generation of industry leaders.
Monica Morley, Membership VP
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Monica Morley is a veteran in the Cosmetics and Beauty Industry with over 25 years of experience. Specializing in International Business Development, Monica is the CEO of Mamachas Trading, the SVP of Palladio Beauty Group & Townley Girl Cosmetics, and a Member of the South Florida District Export Council. Monica is also an award wining executive, recipient of the President’s “E” Star Award. She volunteers her time with Florida Universities and Colleges to mentor business students as well as local businesses that seek assistance in the field.
Nyamusi Igambi, Board Member At Large
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Nyamusi K. Igambi is the Regional Director for the Southern Network at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She leads a field-based team of trade professionals dedicated to assisting U.S. exporters in resolving barriers to market entry and identifying new opportunities to grow U.S. export sales. The Southern Network includes offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico and is part of the International Trade Administration's U.S. Commercial Service global network of offices in over 100 U.S. cities and within U.S. embassies and consulates in more than 80 countries.
Jennifer Diaz, Board Member At Large
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Jennifer (Jen) Diaz is the President and Founder of Diaz Trade Law. Jen is a Chambers ranked, Board Certified International Attorney specializing in customs and international trade. For more than 15 years, Jen has provided legal advice and customized training on import and export compliance to industry, with a strong record of success in mitigating federal administrative enforcement actions. Jen has received many accolades from the legal community, including being recognized by “Super Lawyers” as a Top International Attorney, having an AV rating of “Superb,” and serving as President of the Organization of Women in International Trade (2018-2019). A frequent media commentator, Jen has authored book chapters for The Florida Bar and the American Bar Association, numerous Bloomberg Law articles and other leading publications. Jen is Editor of “Customs & International Trade Law” a blog recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress as being an important part of the legal historical record.
Pamela Fuertes, Board Member At Large
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Pamela Fuertes is the Dean of the Miami-Dade College Miguel B. Fernandez Family School of Global Business, Trade & Transportation. Prior to assuming her current role, Pamela’s professional career started at The Miami-Dade Beacon Council as Vice-President of International Economic Development Programs and Staff Liaison of the Creative Design Initiative. Her professional career includes experience in the public and private sectors having also served as Director, Economic Development Department for the City of Coral Gables, President of LanguageSpeak, and Program Assistant, Sister Cities Program for Miami-Dade County. With a deeply rooted passion for Miami’s international business community and culture, Pamela serves on the Board of the Arts & Business Council of Miami, the Miami Scientific Italian Community, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce, CAMACOL, and the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT.) Pamela has degrees from the University of Miami and Miami Dade College. She was born in Nicaragua, studied in Paris, France and is a Fellow of the Institute for International Public Policy.
Barbara Grunewald, Board Member At Large
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Barbara Grunewald is Chairwoman of the Board & CEO of US Subsidiary of Elite Simulation Solutions, a Swiss-based, family owned company operating in the aviation industry. In this role, Barbara provides strategic, financial and operational oversight and managing the company which designs, manufactures and sells governmentally certified flight simulators with full in-house engineered software, and provides technical support to its global customer base. Previously, Barbara served as Director for the European office for the Empire State Development (ESD) of New York State where she provided trade support to NYS companies expanding to Europe by administering specialized market intelligence reports and establishing connections with European channel partners, facilitating foreign direct investment for European companies, providing relevant technical and operational support, building strong relationships with high-level multipliers and stakeholders across Europe; speaking at investor events and seminars; and managing 5 staff members in Europe and a women-led marketing agency in NYS.
Christopher Munoz, Board Member At Large
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Christopher Munoz is a Senior International Trade Specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce at the South Florida U.S. Export Assistance Center office. In his position he’s dedicated to enhancing global competitiveness, expanding market access, and increasing exports for U.S. Industries. Before joining the U.S. Department of Commerce, Christopher was involved in both the public and private sector organizations, as International Trade and Development Manager at Enterprise Florida and a Sr. Business Development Manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Christopher holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a master’s in business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Evelyn I. Suero, Immediate Past President
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Evelyn I. Suero is a global business attorney and founder of Suero Law, PLLC where she focuses on the legal needs of startup & established companies, foreign investors, creatives, and entrepreneurs. Evelyn handles all phases of business development, incl. corporate structure & governance, contracts, copyrights & trademarks, franchising, raising capital, business & investment immigration, expanding operations into Florida, and Going Global. Because of her broad expertise, Evelyn is an in-demand public speaker and has been a featured speaker on many prestigious platforms such as, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum, Enterprise Florida, Women Economic Forum, Univision Despierta América®, to name a few. Evelyn has also served as Board Member/Director for the Miami-Dade Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board and the Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL). She is currently an Advisory Committee Member with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and VP General Counsel of OWIT International. Evelyn holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.