Bio: Stephanie Silvestre is Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits – the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol – and is responsible for Global Demand Planning, Fulfillment, Logistics and Supply Chain Analytics enterprise wide. Ultimately – her team’s responsibility is to make sure your favorite drink is always in stock wherever you may find yourself. They source Wine & Spirits from over 30 countries across 6 continents, shipping to 40 SGWS US based Distribution Centers & are the 53rd largest importer in the United States. Prior to this role Stephanie led the team responsible for launching the Industry’s 1st Regional Distribution Center in Northern California. Her career began at General Electric as part of the Operations Management Leadership Program in a variety of warehouse production roles, then on to Global Sourcing positions throughout Asia, Canada in Europe. She is an Industrial Engineering graduate from Purdue University and currently resides in Miami. She is a wife and mother to two small children under the age of 3.

Bio: Mr. David Fernandez, CEO of Integrated Cooling Solutions and a member of our ACAE board advisory committee. David Fernandez is a Georgia Tech grad with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Since 2000, David worked as a New System Sales Account Manager for South Florida Trane handling key accounts including mechanical contractors, mechanical engineers, property managers and building owners. In 2007, David became a registered PE in the State of Florida with a Mechanical discipline and specialization in HVAC and the Sales Manager for the South Region of Trane-Miami. David has taught industry-wide classes specializing in Psychrometrics, chiller plant design and environmental impact of HVAC systems. David has served as President of the local ASHRAE Chapter, as well as the Board of Governors. David is also actively involved in several industry related organizations such as the USGBC, Association of Cuban Engineers, Latin Builder’s Association and Mechanical Contractor’s Association, among others. He also recently received LEED accreditation.  Since co-founding ICS as its CEO in 2009, David has helped grow the company to over 35 employees, representing over 25 HVAC manufacturers in 3 territories throughout Florida. 

Bio: Robert E. Sanchez is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leading commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions company. With historical ties to the Association of Cuban- American engineers, his legacy and service to the organization cannot be overstated. Over the course of nearly 30 years at Ryder, Mr. Sanchez has held many executive leadership positions including president and chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO), president of Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), chief information officer (CIO), SVP of Transportation Management within Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), and VP of Asset Management. A seasoned executive with strategic and operational insight, Robert is also Former Chairman for the Scholarship Foundation of ACAE and Member of Wharton Alumni Association, in addition to being on the board of 8 other companies.

Bio:Peter J. Iglesias, P.E. was appointed as the City Manager of Coral Gables in 2018 and served as Assistant City Manager prior to his appointment. He has more than 35-years of management experience in both the private and public sectors and serves on the American Society of Civil Engineers Wind Tunnel Testing Standards Committee 49.

Bio: Five years after graduating from the University of Miami, Raul Velarde focuses on Business Development and Sustainability efforts for Turner Construction’s South Florida office. Joining the construction industry with a background in environmental engineering, Raul has had an unorthodox career path focused on people, wellness, and adaptability.

Bio: Helena Solo-Gabriele is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Miami and Associate Dean for Research for the College of Engineering. She also assimilates information centrally within the College on its graduate programs housed within five departments. In addition to her own research program that focuses on environmental engineering aspects of how contaminants move in the environment and their potential exposures to humans, she facilitates and tracks the research activities within each of the respective Departments of the College. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Cuban- American Engineers.

Bio: Mr. Martinez serves as Chairman and CEO of Game Changer Tec LLC and SIVOTEC Analytics. During his 32-year tenure with IBM, Martinez was Vice President of Global Business Services and the Senior Location Executive for IBM South Florida. He was the Consulting Profession Leader for IBM Americas. An international entrepreneur, he has led numerous high impact initiatives in high technology, business consulting, healthcare, and education.