OREANDA-NEWS. Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez welcomed the President and Board of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce to MIA this week to provide the group with an overview of the County's leading economic engine and discuss partnership opportunities with the Chamber, which represents the interests of minority small businesses in South Florida. The meeting marked the latest installment in MIA's Community Engagement series, an ongoing outreach effort aimed at strengthening the airport's ties to the local community.  

Aside from reviewing the latest developments at the Gateway of the Americas, Gonzalez and the Chamber leadership discussed current and future projects at MIA that present potential work opportunities for the local small businesses that the Chamber represents. MIA is nationally recognized for its small business engagement efforts, and over the past year has awarded nearly USD 7 million in contracts to local tradespeople through its successful 7040 Pilot Program.

Additionally, the airport's Minority Affairs Division holds monthly community outreach meetings open to all local small businesses with an interest in working at MIA. During their meeting with Gonzalez, Miami-Dade Chamber leaders affirmed that they would encourage their member businesses to explore both opportunities, while the Aviation Director pledged MIA's continued support for local small businesses.

"MIA is the economic driver of this community, but that message - and the opportunities that can come with it - doesn't always reach our local small businesspeople," said Gonzalez. "Our goal with these community engagement meetings is to tell our story to local stakeholders and to find areas where we can work together and make them an integral part of our success."