Florida—South

Saludos de Miami! After hosting three faculty speakers during the first half of 2003, we took the summer off with the exception of a Cubs-Marlin game and our monthly dinners. Before Hector Galindo ’94 traded the peninsula for the isthmus (translation: he moved to Panama), he established a Yahoo newsgroup for us named KACSF. Sign up to integrate yourself in the South Florida Kellogg community.

Pubbing in the Miami Design District: (L to R) Rodrigo Ocampo ’87, Diane Gómez ’03, Jose Prado ’95, Dennis Wellert ’98, Kristin Barbieri ’97, Patricio Hernandez ’97, Vladimir Barbieri ’97, Rodolfo Novarini ’03, Claudine Coto ’03, Willy Kotas ’86 and Julio Torres ’94

In September we held an organizational meeting at Picadilly Garden in the heart of Miami’s Design District. Willy Kotas chronicled the recent history of the KACSF as well as the joint events the club has held with the local Northwestern University Club and 17 other associated clubs that make up the MBA Federation of South Florida. The 11 participating Kellogg alums (including recent graduated arrivals Claudine Coto ’03, Diane Gómez ’03 and Rodolfo Novarini ’03) brainstormed on the future organization of our club as well as future events.

The KACSF continues to plan monthly “Not Necessarily Networking” dinners with Northwestern and University of Chicago alumni. The purpose of these events is to meet and interact with Chicagoland friends at varying locations throughout South Florida. In recent months we have experienced Thai, Asturian, Italian and Brazilian cuisine, all within our tropical confines. These dinners take place the second Tuesday of every month.

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs held its 14th Annual National Conference and Career Expo Nov. 6-8 at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center. Kellogg’s Hispanic Business Student Association (www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/student/club/hispanic) hosted its second-annual networking happy hour Nov. 7 at the Bimini Boat Yard. Northwestern University Professor of Law Larry Marshall, legal director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, spoke Nov. 11 on “The Innocence Revolution.” As part of his work with the university’s legal clinic, Marshall represents criminal defendants in courts of appeals throughout the country and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He has received numerous awards from bar associations and community groups for his various pro bono activities. His talk was sponsored by the Northwestern University Club of South Florida. The KACSF is also working to bring in a faculty speaker from Evanston.

One final note: Jose Prado ’95 is coming out of “event planning retirement” and has volunteered to plan our holiday get-together. Don’t miss this party!