HOME ABOUT US EVENTS MEDIA MEMBERSHIP CONTACT US PIONEERS Tribute to the Trade and Transportation Pioneers In 2000, the Florida Foreign Trade Association (F.F.T.A.) made the commitment to undertake a project that would entail recording and showcasing Miami’s historic rise in international trade during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. It was during those decades that a dedicated and spirited group of entrepreneurs began transforming our city from its tourist based economy – and an almost insignificant role in foreign trade – to its current prominent leadership position in international commerce. F.F.T.A. selected 194 Pioneers in International Trade Transportation industry (ocean, air, trucking and rail) for their vital contributions to the development of our thriving international trade community. The persons selected have been honored through various events. The Florida Foreign Trade Association now welcomes and applauds the project that the Port of Miami spearheaded to preserve and salute those individuals whom we recognize as having made a difference in promoting business relations between South Florida and the rest of the world. The desire of F.F.T.A. to honor those men and women it has selected as Pioneers goes beyond the luncheons, gala dinners and the website that documents some of the individuals and their contributions. The monument -commissioned by the Pioneers- located at the entrance of the Port of Miami, was designated Historic Landmark in 2014. The Tribute clearly conveys the positive spirit, the innovation, dedication and optimism of our Pioneers. We believe the project represent the celebration of a wonderful, powerful and dynamic period in our community, which was propelled by the synergism of many factors and individuals. The Pioneers provided the momentum and the foundation upon which the Gateway of the Americas was built, thereby fueling Miami’s spectacular rise to prominence in international trade. TRIBUTE VIDEOS LIST OF PIONEERS JOSE I. AGUIRRE JUAN ALEMANY RAFAEL R. ALMAGUER MANUEL ALONSO ERIC L. ANDREWS ANGELO A. ANNUNZIATO ALVARO (AL) ARANGO FRANK AREVALO JORGE C. ARIAS MICKY ARISON TED ARISON JULES ARMELLINI JOSE ASTIGARRAGA, SR. CHARLES AUSTIN EDUARDO BACALLAO GEORGE T. BAKER ERNESTO BASCUAS GEORGE E. BATCHELOR JOHN BATISTA WADE M. BATTLES AMPARO (ANNE) BECKER SOL BENSON ELSA BLANCO BRIAN C. BLOMQUIST ROBERTO BOVO PETER CAJIGAL HECTOR CALDERON ANTONIO M. CALLEJA A. ERIC CALZADO JUAN A. CAMBÓ JOHN H. CASSIDY GUSTAVO CASTANEDA RAFAEL AND MAIKY CERVERA ARTHUR B. CHALK ALVIN P. CHESTER WILLIAM J. CLARKE JACK CREED MARTIN O’NEAL CRUCE RAQUEL GRIST CURBELO FELIX DE ARMAS RALPH DE LA ROSA JOSE MARIA DE LA TORRE ALBERTO L. DE ROJAS, SR. JORGE R. DE TUYA OSCAR C. DE TUYA, SR. OSCAR C. DE TUYA, JR. LEOPOLDO (LEO) DEL CALVO, SR. ALBERTO DEL CERRO OCTAVIO (TONY) DESCALZO RAMON R. ESPINO ANTONIO D. ESQUIVEL AURELIO ESTRADA JOSE C. ESTRADA ROBERTO FAITH BENJAMIN C. (BEN) FEDERICO JOSE A. FERNANDEZ TIM FERNANDEZ PHILLIP J. FERRARI THOMAS E. FLYNN SUSANNE FONTANA NELLY E. FRESNEDO CHARLOTTE GALLOGLY MAEBY GARCIA CHARLES H. GARRIDO L. RAFAEL AND MERCEDES GAZITUA JOHN L. GAZITUA, SR. RALPH LUIS GAZITUA TERRY GEGA RENE GONZALEZ MARIANO GONZALEZ AMADO E. GONZALEZ LOU GORSETMAN VERNON M. GRAY EMILIO GRENET PETER HANLEY ALBERTO P. HERREROS WILLIAM M. (BILL) HIGGINS H. WAYNE HILL LEONORE HOFFNER ANNETTE S. HYDER EDUARDO JAEN ARTURO J. JÁUREGUI FRANK JIMENEZ ROBERT L. KELLER MANNY LACA ALBERTO LAHENS GUILLERMO A. LARA-OLIVA JAMES A. (JIM) LARIA GERMAN LEIVA MARIO LEON GERALD LESNIK CESAREO LLANO JOSE (PEPE) LLUHI, SR. CLAUDIO LOPEZ HENRY LOPEZ-CALLEJA MARY LOZANO-MENDEZ JOHN LYNCH STEVE AND MARIA MACDOUGALL JOSE MARIA MACHIN RICARDO MADAN ALBERTO J. MARIÑO JORGE MARQUET OSVALDO MARRERO HENRY MARTINEZ RICARDO MARTINEZ JORGE A. MARTINEZ, JR. ENRIQUE ARMANDO MARTINEZ, SR. ROSE MARY MCHENRY-WILLIAMS CHARLES F. MCKAY ALBERTO C. MENACHO MANUEL A. MENCIA ANTONIO (TONY) MENENDEZ, SR. FERNANDO D. MIERES CHERI MILLER-HOGAN ESTEBAN MIRANDA LOUIS MOBILIA ANA MOLINA-DIAZ JORDAN MONOCANDILOS OSCAR MORENO RAMON MORO CARLOS R. MURCIANO ROLANDO NAPOLES ADRIAN NARANJO JOE NARANJO SALVADOR NISTAL LEWIS A. NIXON, JR. LORENZO NOVELA JULIO OLIVA CARLOS I. ORIZONDO AUGUST PALUZZI DEWEY H. PARKER ROLAND PASQUIS JORGE A. PEDRAZA JACK PENSON ROBERTO A. PEREZ JOSE PEREZ-JAUME JOSE E. PEREZ-JONES RUDY PINEDA, SR. HECTOR M. PONTE RICARDO C. PUENTE RAFAEL A. PUGA DONALD THOMAS QUINN AMALIA QUINTERO FRED RAMIREZ ERIC RATH ALBERT J. REDLHAMMER HOWARD STEELE REEDER BARBARA REILLY FRANCISCO REY L. FRANK REYES ELIZABETH (LIZ) REYES ALBERT RIBAS JEAN RICH EDDIE RICKENBACKER JORGE ROBINSON ALFONSO ROBLES EUGENE (GENE) RODRIGUEZ JORGE L. AND DIANA RODRIGUEZ MARIO RODRIGUEZ MARY LOU RODRIGUEZ ROMAN RODRIGUEZ VICENTE RODRIGUEZ ENRIQUE AND AMANDA ROS FRANK L. ROVIROSA JORGE P. ROVIROSA F. (FRANK) A. ROVIROSA, SR. EMILIO E. AND ISILDA RUIZ SANTIAGO SABLON, JR. MAX SALVADOR CARLO E. SANCHEZ GILBERT LEE SANDLER ALBERTO SANTALÓ ENRIQUE SCHMIDT CHARLES A.(CHUCK) SCHWARZ MANUEL A. SEDANO JOSEPH R. SMITH JORGE A. SOBERON MANUEL SOLA, JR. DAVID SOWERS BILL F. SPOHRER ARTHUR STEPHENSON JULIO SUAREZ HARVEY D. SYKES EDMUNDO TORNER TONY TORRES THOMAS G. TRAVIS JUAN TERRY TRIPPE JOSE A. URRUTIA JUAN S. VAZQUEZ ERIC A. VEGA NILO E. VILLENA, SR. GEORGE W.B. WHITING ARACELI (ANGIE) WRIGHT OLGA N. ZACARIAS BECOME A MEMBER. CLICK HERE TO ENROLL NOW! The Florida Foreign Trade Association (FFTA) is a non-profit trade organization incorporated in July 1985 that represents the most diverse group of individuals and companies in the foreign trade. 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