(BLACK PR WIRE) – MIAMI – In the first event of its kind, ICABA Media Holdings, LLC, (ICABA) will celebrate some of South Florida’s most accomplished professionals and entrepreneurs with heritage spanning 14 different Caribbean nations. One hundred corporate executives, educators, entrepreneurs, entertainers and community leaders will be honored at the ICABA Salutes South Florida’s 100 Most Accomplished Caribbean Americans program, Friday, June 29, 2012, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts: 201 Southwest 5th Avenue in Ft. Lauderdale. The black-tie event will begin in the Amaturo Theater at 7:30 p.m. with the recognition program and be followed by a reception and traditional Caribbean fete. The signature ICABA coffee table book showcasing their diverse accomplishments will be unveiled at the event and include the honorees’ bios, features and advertorials from a noted list of corporate sponsors, including Duty Free Americas, JM Family Enterprises, BB&T, Comcast, South Florida Times and MetLife.

“As our nation’s gateway to the Caribbean, South Florida has long-been a cultivator of successful migrants and talented natives,” said Jerome Hutchinson, Jr., president & CEO of ICABA Media Holdings. “The contribution Caribbean-Americans have made to our region is extraordinary, and I am thrilled that ICABA will be the first entity to celebrate their excellence in such a unified way.”

ICABA identified the 100 honorees through public nominations, recommendations from the steering and host committee and editorial research. A distinguished list of 40 well-known South Florida business and civic leaders with Caribbean heritage signed on to support the initial effort, including Miami-Dade County Chair Miguel Southwell, deputy director at Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Broward County Chair Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh, president of the Urban League of Broward County, and Palm Beach County Chair Carlton “Ricky” Wade, a McDonald’s franchisee. Marlon Hill, Esq., managing partner at delancyhill, P.A., wrote the foreword for the publication.

“The Caribbean-American community is an important demographic,” shared Hill. “Our culinary, musical and religious traditions are undeniably present in every aspect of life in South Florida. It is timely that we share our community’s accomplishments and celebrate their entrepreneurial spirit.”

The salute will also include official recognition presentations from the White House, Florida Governor Rick Scott, Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll, U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings, U.S. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, and Miami-Dade and Broward County mayors. The list of honorees spans multiple professional categories including health care, law, media and spiritual leaders. Notables include Pauline Grant, CEO at North Broward Medical Center (Jamaica), Dr. Rudolph Moise, medical director at Comprehensive Health Center, LLC (Haiti), Yolanda Cash Jackson, shareholder at Becker & Poliakoff (Bahamas), Joseph Bernadel (Ret. Major, U.S. Army), founder of Toussaint L’Ouverture High School (Haiti), Garth Reeves, publisher emeritus of The Miami Times (Bahamas), and Bishop Henry Fernandez, founder and senior pastor of The Faith Center (Jamaica). There will also be sections featuring South Florida’s elected officials from federal, state and county governments and local Caribbean consuls general.

“This will be a special and historic salute!” said Antonia Williams-Gary, ICABA South Florida publisher. “On the heels of our successful ICABA Honors South Florida’s Most Accomplished Black Executives, Professionals and Academicians last fall, we are solidifying our role as identifiers of achievement, and I hope we’ll all unite in recognizing these outstanding leaders.”

Tickets are $125 for the general public, $100 for ICABA members (membership is free and open to all), and available at ICABAWorld.com through June 27th. For more information, please contact ICABA Media Holdings at (786) 871-5633.

About ICABA Media Holdings, LLC: ICABA Media Holdings, LLC is a South-Florida-based affinity marketing and media company. ICABA profiles accomplished black professionals and entrepreneurs in its publications and connects them through its social network – icabaworld.com, and at its signature events. It’s most recent Profile Directory: “ICABA Honors South Florida's Most Accomplished Black Executives, Professionals and Academicians” was published in October, 2011 and was presented at its signature Recognition Reception. ICABA® is the registered trademark of ICABA Media Holdings, LLC. For more information regarding ICABA, please visit icabaworld.com.  

**Media note: Key honorees and senior executives at ICABA are available to selected media outlets for pre-event interviews, both live and via phone. To request one, please contact Matthew Beatty at (305) 948-8063 ext: 209 or mbeatty@sonshine.com. Thank you!**