MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Damaris Aguiar, recognized for her unwavering determination, immigrated from Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Miami at the age of 12. She has proudly called Miami her home for the past two decades.

Damaris achieved academic excellence with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Marketing, specializing in Finance from Florida International University (FIU). She demonstrated her leadership abilities as the secretary of the Honors Society of the American Marketing Association and earned a place on the Dean's list. Her commitment to serving the community led to her receiving the Medallion of Distinction for Civic Engagement and being recognized as the "Youngest Volunteer of the Year" at the Philanthroguia 2015 event. Additionally, Damaris generously volunteers her time as a fashion and style consultant at Dress for Success Miami, known globally for empowering women to become economically independent.

Damaris Aguiar boasts extensive experience in the fashion and beauty pageant industry, spanning over 15 years. As a beauty queen, she has achieved success in various pageants, including Miss Miami USA, Miss Carnaval Miami, Miss Intercontinental Cuba, Miss Supranational Cuba, and Reina Hispanoamerica Cuba. She has received numerous special awards and consistently placed as a finalist in local and international competitions. Damaris has been an Assistant Director for the Miss America Organization since 2013 and currently holds the position of Executive Director for the Miss Miami Scholarship Program and the Miss Cuba Teen Pageant.

Damaris's work ethic and perseverance continue to be the driving force in her pursuit of empowering women within her community. In 2012, Damaris established DAMA School and Agency, utilizing her personal savings to create a platform for teaching modeling, beauty pageants, and etiquette to girls and young women. Damaris firmly embraces the significance of a strong work ethic and wholeheartedly dedicates herself to equipping her students and queens with the essential tools for their professional growth and advancement. Her expertise and professionalism have led her to produce events for prestigious occasions like Miami Swim Week, New York Fashion Week, and MACY'S, alongside organizing various local events each year.

Damaris is also a community leader and serves on the board of FemCity Miami Beach, a global business community. Her aspirations involve actively leading projects that empower women to achieve success within her community.

Amarilis Correa is the owner of Ace Travels, an agency that curates group trips with a focus on immersive cultural experiences and designs trips for individual clients seeking personalized itineraries for their dream destination.  They are dedicated to helping travelers discover and experience the true essence of a destination versus just scratching it off a bucket list. For Amarilis, traveling and experiencing new cultures is her passion.  It’s her belief that experiencing the food, people, customs, art and history of a location will forever change your world perspective and may even change you at your core.  During a time of so much division, it’s her conviction that traveling to learn about how others live and making those human connections globally can provide some healing and ultimately bring us closer.  Amarilis was born and raised in Norwalk, CT but is now a resident of Miami Beach, FL. During her free time she loves to travel, is an avid reader, loves long walks on the beach or getting out on her paddleboard.

sabela is a highly accomplished policy and administration professional with a rich background in both the private and public sectors, having worked in Washington D.C., Miami, and South Korea. As the Director of Public Policy at United Way Miami, she passionately champions the cause of the underserved Miami community, focusing on financial stability, education, and health.
 
Prior to her role at United Way, Isabela held key positions such as Chief of Staff and Director of Executive Affairs at Carnival Cruise Line and Director of Public Affairs and a faculty fellow at the Honors College at Florida International University (FIU).
 
Isabela holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Emergency Management from FIU. She also possesses a certificate in Policy Management from the University of Seoul and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. A graduate of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s (GMCC) Leadership Miami Program, Isabela successfully completed a project benefiting His House Children’s Home and now sits on the GMCC’s Government Affairs Committee advocating for key issues that impact both the business community, and Miami as a whole.
 
Committed to empowering young women, Isabela serves as a mentor through her roles as a director and board member for the Miss Miami Scholarship Competition, recognized as the 2022 Local Organization of the Year in Florida by the Miss America Organization. She has served as a judge in local and international pageant competitions, including Miss Tampa, Miss Cuba, and the Selection Committee for the Spirit of Carnival Award at the Miss Universe Competition.
 
In her spare time, Isabela volunteers her expertise and skills to various organizations in South Florida, with a particular focus on initiatives benefiting Miami-Dade County’s homeless population and addressing food insecurity. Additionally, she plays an active role in her community as the Secretary to the Neighborhood Improvement Committee at the Town of Miami Lakes and the Vice Chair of the Domestic Violence Oversight Board for the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, and serves as Chair of the Advocacy and Community Engagement Committee.

Karla Fortuny is a first-generation Cuban American that specializes in government affairs and public relations. She graduated from the University of Miami with her Master’s in Public Relations after having graduated from FIU with a Bachelor’s in Communications and Miami Dade College with her Associate’s in Mass Communication and Journalism. Karla has a passion for sports and her community. Her previous work experience includes the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, Inter Miami, the Miami Open, Miami Beach Memorial Day Air and Sea Show and interning for the Florida Panther Hockey Club. Outside of sports, Karla has also garnered experience in government affairs as her current position has her working in the City of Miami as Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s Chief of Staff, where she is responsible for a staff of 12+ employees, assisting the commissioner in policy work, setting up community events and handling his communications as she is the office spokesperson. Karla has also dabbled in events and hospitality PR at Brustman Carrino Public Relations and Events by Elle.

Karla is tri-lingual speaking fluent English and Spanish and basic Italian. She loves animals, the ocean and spending time with her family and friends. On her day off, you can find Karla training her Belgian Malinois puppy, Captain, or at the beach reading a good book.

A Miami native, and currently residing in Boca Raton, Florida, Stephanie Hernandez is a Digital Marketing Specialist with a Masters Degree from Florida International University and over eight years of professional work experience. Passionate about connecting people and creating community through digital platforms and events, Stephanie has worked with a variety of clients and businesses in South Florida ranging from the City of Coral Gables to products and services that have been featured on The Ellen Show. She currently brings her talents to a Fortune 200 company in the renewable energy space and aims to empower young professionals to challenge themselves and chase their professional dreams.

With over 25 years of professional dance and modeling experience, Stephanie is a performer at heart. She has performed on stages like the Miami Heat Halftime show, the Miss Florida Pageant, and many televised FIU Sports games. She has also walked countless runways as a designer fashion model in shows such as Miami Swim Week, DAMA Fashion Show, and was even featured in British Vogue.

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As a proud representative of South Florida Stephanie had the honor of being a Miss America Organization titleholder as Miss FIU 2016, Miss Miami 2017, Miss Florida Everglades 2018 and first runner up at Miss Florida. She was Miss Congeniality not once but twice and was awarded thousands of dollars in educational scholarships. A fun fact in pageant history, Stephanie was the first Latina to place 1st runner up at Miss Florida since 1998.

As she continues to promote leadership, excellence, creativity, education, style and service Stephanie now happily serves as a spokesperson on the Miss Miami Scholarship Pageant Board of Directors mentoring young women to live to their fullest potential.

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In her free time you can find Stephanie traveling with her husband, serving her beloved church community, enjoying the beach, exercising, creating DIY projects and spending time with her family and friends.

Rosy Muto born in Italy, Raised in New Jersey has become a self made entrepreneur setting  the stage for an intriguing troubadour of ventures that reaches a discerning audience of savvy tastemakers coupled with luxury lifestyle media platforms that elevate her clientele with a sales edge and branding voice. Rosy started her career as a celebrity fashion stylist in Los Angeles, since 2009  to becoming an executive director and event coordinator for multiple fashion weeks nationally and internationally. Since then Rosy established her first company in 2014 JRprosLLC as a creative director.  Rosy's passion for original innovation and intellectual approaches has made her successful. Rosy curates with the utmost attention from inception providing unforgettable experiences in all that she does. Rosy enjoys volunteering as a motivational speaker for students in the fashion industry from Lynn university, Fullerton College, FIDM, Arts institute Miami Dade to her hometown high school speaking during career day. Rosy has been featured in a array of major publications such as Il Quotidiano, Voyage MIA and more making headlines for over a decade now. She is honored to be apart of the Miss Miami Scholarship program a platform that serves a purpose and raises awareness as a production director. Over the years Rosy discovered her life's purpose by helping others with ideas and bringing them to fruition through her vision, passion and drive.

Michelle A. Hernandez is a psychotherapist in private practice. She is specialized in treating trauma and is dedicated to helping children and families with mental health and life issues. Michelle is a seasoned therapist that offers over 20 years of experience obtained in community mental health and private practice settings. She is passionate about advocating for women and children and helping them to see their own worth and move past painful experiences. The focus of her clinical career has been trauma and she has specialized training to include Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy obtained from the University of South Carolina. She also has specialized training, obtained from the University of Oklahoma, in treating children that are experiencing sexual behavior problems. She is an affiliate of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. She has participated in Spanish radio tackling issues related to children and parenting and has been licensed in the state of Florida since 2011. Michelle is also active in the community and serves on the board for organizations dedicated to empowering women and children.