About Us
Rosario Kennedy
Rosario Kennedy, the first Hispanic woman elected to the Miami City Commission, served from 1985 to 1989. She also has had a successful career in commercial real estate as Vice President of Terremark, Inc., real estate developers and investors.
She is a founder of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of South Florida; past chair of the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers; past chair and founder of United Against Crime, an organization which, through private donations, raised money to buy non-budgeted equipment for the Police Department; also served on the Board of the Carrolton School and Switchboard of Miami; past member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center; member of the University of Miami Society of University
Founders; served as Honorary Chairperson of the Miami Film Festival for 18 years, and as an honorary member of the University of Miami Golden Key National Honor Society.
She served as a delegate to the 1983 State Democratic Convention and the 1984 National Democratic Convention.
While Governor, Bob Graham appointed her to the State of Florida Hospital Cost Containment Board, which controls what hospitals charge their patients. Under her leadership as chairperson, the projected rate of increase for a hospital stay was reduced for the first time. She was appointed by Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter to the State of Florida Joint Underwriting Association. She was chosen the first Cuban-American chairperson of the Dade County Commission on the Status of Women. She also has served on the Governor’s and Mayor’s Task Force on Prison Sites and the City of Miami Civil
Service Board. Governor Chiles appointed her to the Health and Human Services Board, where she was elected Chairperson by her peers. Mayor Steve Clark appointed her Co-Chairperson of the Host Committee for the 1995 National Conference of Mayors.
She was selected by Mundo Latino, an international publication, “Florida Business Woman of The Year”. She is the recipient of Miami’s “Global Citizen’s Award”; the Women in Communications “Community Headliner Award”; the Y.W.C.A.’s “Urban Woman of the Year” Award; the Coalition of the Hispanic American Women’s “Woman of the Year” Award; the Latin Business and Professional Women’s Club “Woman of the Year” Award; the Miami Arts Exchange’s “Maxi Award”, the Latin Builders Association’s “Woman of the Year” Award; The Chron’s & Colitis
Foundation’s “Woman of Distinction” Award; The American Cancer Society’s “Most Dynamic Woman of 1995” Award and the Dade County Coalition of Women’s History, “Women of Impact” Award. She has been inducted as a Dame of Malta and in the City of Miami’s “Miami Centennial ‘96 Women’s Hall of Fame”; nominated to the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame and is listed in Who’s Who and Why of Successful Florida Women, Who’s Who and Why in the Latin Community, and Who’s Who among Hispanic Americans, “Quien es Quien”; Julia’s Granddaughters; Miami, The Magic City; and a chapter in the book, Miami, The City of the Future, “The Americanization of Rosario”.
Click here to see a full listing of Rosario's Affiliations and Awards.
Among the many projects she championed on the City Commission were the redevelopment of the Mildred and Claude Pepper Bayfront Park; the creation of the Scattered Affordable Housing Program; the procurement of set-asides for minority and women contractors. She was instrumental in the State Legislature to include mammograms as part of health insurance coverage and she demolished over 400 abandoned houses used for crack, even mounting a bulldozer to make her point. The program is nationally known as “Rosario’s Crack Attack”.
In June 1989, she resigned her Commission seat to seek the Democratic nomination for the 18th Congressional District.
Now, as a private citizen, she is actively involved in the community. She is the President of Rosario Kennedy & Associates, Corp., a governmental consulting firm.
Associates
Jill E. Jennings, a Miami native, has been with the firm since 2001. Her 25 year career encompasses business ownership, special event management, campaign management, and government experience as Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Miami's Community Revitalization Agency (CRA) and as a Commissioner's Legislative Aide. Her creativity and ability to "get the job done" make her a tremendous asset to the team.
Doug Brown, a Political Sciences and Public Affairs graduate of the University of Miami, has 30 years of business management and leadership experience in the construction industry. His expertise in business analysis and cost reduction are invaluable in the development of proposals or bids.
Christine Morales, LEED® AP, is a Miami native fluent in English, Spanish, and French, with over 11 years of responsible government experience. She most recently held the position of City of Miami Building Assistant Director, where, among her achievements, she became one of the City's first and few LEED Accredited Professionals. Acclaimed for her work
as the Wynwood/Edgewater as well as Upper Eastside NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Teams) Administrator, she honed her community outreach skills while serving as NET Assistant Director. Chris' land use and community expertise is focused on art and entertainment related ventures, community outreach, sustainable products/projects and habitat restoration/urban farming.
Government Relations Specialists
