EDITORIAL: Nominate businesses that deserve to be recognized
This contest is an important part of what we do, and in many ways gets to the heart of a healthy community, with the people themselves selecting the winners.
These are people who visit local businesses regularly and who have benefited firsthand from the good service or amenities the companies provide.
Healthy competition in a community can also foster positive outcomes like individual growth, innovation and a stronger sense of belonging. It encourages collaboration, promotes fair play and can lead to improved services or products.
The nomination round for this year's contest will run through May 12 at www.austindailyherald.com/contests. Then, the top five nominations in each category advance to the voting round, which will be available online May 28 through July 3.
Ballots will be available in the print publication on June 7.
One random participant's name will be drawn from the nomination round and one random participant's name will be drawn from the voting round to each win a one-year digital membership to the Herald.
Winners will be announced July 30.
We urge everyone to take part in this competition to honor those who deserve to be recognized with the Readers' Choice Award.
And share the word with your friends and family. The more who are involved, the better.
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Gas prices in Massachusetts essentially unchanged from last week
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Mayor's budget cuts include Miami-Dade's ‘New Americans' office for immigrants
When she was a Miami-Dade commissioner, Daniella Levine Cava passed legislation that created a county office to help visa holders in the Miami area become U.S. citizens. Now in her second term as mayor, Levine Cava has proposed eliminating the county's Office of New Americans, according to budget documents. This year, Miami-Dade faces a $402 million deficit in the $3.6 billion budget for police, jails, parks and other core services that rely on property taxes for the bulk of their funding. To close that gap, Levine Cava is preparing a package of spending cuts, layoffs and fee increases in the 2026 budget proposal she's expected to unveil Tuesday, according to planning documents the Miami Herald obtained through a public-records request. Documents show Levine Cava planning to defund some of her signature initiatives since taking office in 2020, when the one-time social worker became the county's first Democratic mayor in 16 years under the campaign slogan 'A Mayor Who Cares.' The Office of New Americans loses funding under a broader downsizing of the county's social-services arm. Community Action and Human Services is merging with Juvenile Services, which helps rehabilitate youthful offenders. The budget documents show the two departments are set to lose a combined 62 positions once they meld into the new Community Services Department, out of the roughly 770 positions in the agencies' current budgets. While the New Americans initiative got its start before she became mayor, Levine Cava made it a separate agency within Community Action. Her 2022 budget funded four positions in the office, and that's the staff in the 2025 budget, too. The office's website says its mission is to help legal immigrants complete their path to citizenship, and county records show that staff are expected to process roughly 2,400 requests for assistance this year. The budget documents obtained by the Herald do not show how much money Miami-Dade would save by closing the New Americans office or if Levine Cava has a plan to merge some of the functions into existing county operations. It also shows only a glimpse into the overall plan for the county budget, which is around $13 billion and includes spending plans for Miami International Airport and the water and trash systems. A Levine Cava spokesperson declined to clarify information in the documents the Herald obtained through the Board of County Commissioners, which has been attending budget briefings with the mayor and leaving with summaries of her proposals. In a statement this week, Levine Cava said she's not happy about the cuts she's getting ready to propose ahead of final budget votes by the commission in September. 'We have made difficult choices,' she said. 'We've looked across departments to maximize the value of every taxpayer dollar. … Next week we will propose a budget that continues to deliver on the core services that residents need and deserve.' Among the cuts in the budget planning documents the mayor's staff circulated this week: Eliminating the Office of Innovation and Economic Development, a 17-person office dedicated to growing businesses in Miami-Dade. It's home to the county film office and a Levine Cava initiative aimed at green jobs. Cutting 37 Parks jobs that are currently staffed. The agency has a staff of roughly 2,300 people. Closing the Office of Neighborhood Safety, a Levine Cava initiative aimed at addressing gun violence with community outreach and other approaches aimed at reducing crime. Halting funding for small business 'Mom and Pop' grants, which cost about $1 million a year. Eliminating a county office for immigrants comes as Levine Cava faces criticism from the left for her response to Gov. Ron DeSantis seizing a county airport in the Everglades for construction of a detention camp for federal immigration offenders. Environmental groups are suing Miami-Dade for not trying to use zoning rules to shutter the temporary facility known as 'Alligator Alcatraz.' An immigrant-rights group has been buying billboard space demanding that Levine Cava file suit against DeSantis, who used emergency powers he granted himself in 2023 to mitigate what he maintains is an ongoing crisis related to illegal immigration. On Friday, Levine Cava convened a closed-door meeting with immigrant advocates to try and quell criticism of her. That includes a muted response to officers dragging a woman out of a County Commission meeting before she could speak against a cooperation agreement that Levine Cava authorized between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Miami-Dade jails. Levine Cava maintains that Florida law required her to sign the agreement.
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06-07-2025
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She's accused of fleecing $3.6 million from Jackson Foundation. Here is what we know
Charmaine Gatlin was on her way to becoming the top executive of Jackson Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of Miami-Dade County's public hospital system. She received high marks on her evaluations as the nonprofit's chief operating officer and was described by her bosses as a 'highly ethical' leader. 'I always do things for the betterment of the foundation,' Gatlin wrote in her 2021 evaluation. Two years later, she said in another evaluation that she was 'refining and enhancing my skills so that I can lead as President/CEO when the time comes.' In late October, Gatlin's rising star imploded. She was put on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation 'related to potential misconduct' got underway. In early November, she was 'terminated for cause' by the Foundation's chairman. Her termination letter, obtained by the Miami Herald, did not elaborate. Her abrupt dismissal led to an FBI probe and a shocking revelation in May: Gatlin, 52, a Foundation executive over the past decade, was arrested on charges of fleecing $3.6 million from her former employer, fabricating fake invoices from vendors and receiving $1 million in kickbacks from them. She used the money to buy Louis Vuitton and Gucci goods, including a Vuitton bag for $4,350, and had a $15,617 rose gold golf cart delivered to her Weston home, court records show. Her alleged defrauding of the Jackson Health Foundation, however, extended well beyond Miami, according to an indictment. It stretched all the way to Atlanta, where an unnamed 'audiovisual company' and a 'co-conspirator' suspected of collaborating with Gatlin submitted $2 million in 'false and fraudulent' invoices to the Foundation for purported services that were instead provided to a civic organization in Georgia's capital, the indictment says. Atlanta connection While the indictment doesn't identify the company or the co-conspirator, the Herald has learned from multiple sources that Gatlin allegedly schemed with Yergan Jones, the CEO of American Sound Design in Atlanta. Public records obtained by the Herald show Jones' company submitted dozens of invoices to the Jackson Health Foundation that Gatlin approved between 2019 and 2024. The indictment alleges the company's invoices were for 'audiovisual services that did not occur' at Jackson Health System or the Foundation. Instead, the Herald has confirmed those services were provided by Jones' company to the civic organization in Atlanta, which is 100 Black Men of America, with chapters nationwide including South Florida. The indictment further alleges that half of the Foundation's $2 million payments to the audiovisual company were 'returned' by the co-conspirator, Jones, to Gatlin's personal bank account. And 'to conceal the kickbacks,' the indictment says, they 'created false invoices making it appear as though Gatlin did 'event management' for the audiovisual company events' at Jackson Health System or the Foundation. Both Gatlin's defense lawyer, David Howard, and Jones' defense lawyer, Hector Flores, declined to comment. Gatlin pleaded not guilty to multiple conspiracy and fraud charges in mid-June in Miami federal court. Jones did not respond to an emailed inquiry by the Herald, and he has not been charged in the case. David Zambrana, president and chief operating officer of Jackson Health System, recently told its governing board that Jackson 'terminated the employees believed to be involved' in Gatlin's alleged scheme. He did not say how many were fired nor did he identify them. Jackson Health System spokesperson Krysten Brenlla declined to provide more details, saying Jackson 'will not be commenting on ongoing criminal proceedings.' In a statement, the 100 Black Men of America said it was not aware of Gatlin's alleged false invoice and payment kickback scheme with Jones and his audiovisual company, including billing the Jackson Health Foundation for services that his firm instead provided to the Atlanta organization. Jones provided those services to the youth mentoring group for its annual conferences between 2019 and 2024 under a different audiovisual company, American Electronic Entertainment, aka, AEE Productions, 100 Black Men of America confirmed. In fact, 100 Black Men of America said it directly paid Jones' company more than $500,000 for his work, but the organization did not provide details of the payments. '100 Black Men of America, Inc. has no knowledge of Ms. Gatlin's alleged receipt of cash payments or fraudulent invoices being submitted by Ms. Gatlin or any other vendors in the indictment involving Jackson Health Foundation,' the organization said in the statement provided to the Herald, adding that 'Gatlin has never been paid by the 100 BMOA as a 'go-between' to then pay vendors for services provided to 100 BMOA.' Gatlin had worked for 100 Black Men of America from 2009 to 2014 before Jackson's Foundation hired her a decade ago. During her tenure at Jackson, she continued to work with the Atlanta organization as an unpaid volunteer. After the Foundation dismissed Gatlin last November, 100 Black Men of America hired her in January as a contractor for its annual conference in 2025 —but fired her in May when the organization said it learned about her indictment. 'We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and will continue to do so until this matter is concluded,' the organization said. Atlanta lawyer Ronald Freeman, who represents Jones' company, AEE Productions, which provided services to 100 Black Men of America, said it was not the audiovisual company referenced in the Gatlin indictment. In a statement, he said: 'We remain confident that the legal process will fairly and accurately determine the facts.' Fraud and money laundering charges Gatlin, a University of Florida graduate with a bachelor's degree in French, was arrested on May 21 in a town near Savannah where she now lives. The indictment, filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young, charged her with a single count of conspiring with other individuals to commit wire fraud, 26 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering. If convicted, the charges carry sentences that could send her to prison for years. Gatlin is accused of authorizing Jackson Health Foundation funds to pay not only Jones' audiovisual company in Atlanta but also a store that sold designer goods and an event planning company in South Florida that created videos, a website and other services for a family member's softball team in Broward County, the indictment says. She's also accused of using the Foundation's money to buy school supplies that were delivered to a church in Riceboro, Georgia, where she lives with her husband. After her arrest, Gatlin was granted a $30,000 bond. Court records show that one of the conditions of her bond was not to contact four contractors, including Jones, who 'were paid' by the Jackson Health Foundation based on 'purported invoices for goods and services approved by' Gatlin, according to the indictment. Trail of 'false' invoices By far, Gatlin's dealings with Jones dominated her alleged criminal activity, the Herald has learned from sources and court records. Jones' company, American Sound Design, submitted about 40 invoices to the Foundation that Gatlin approved between 2019 and 2024 for services that his firm says were provided to the Jackson Health Foundation, according to financial documents obtained by the Herald through a public records request. But Jones is better known as the president of AEE Productions, which on its website claims to have done business for major corporations, such as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines and Walmart, along with NASCAR and 100 Black Men of America. The Jackson Health Foundation was also one of its clients, according to a testimonial by Gatlin, the Foundation's former COO. 'Working with AEE Productions is always an exciting time for me. They listen to my ideas and help me create 'the wow' that I am looking for during each event,' reads an online testimonial by Gatlin on AEE Productions' website. 'I have been working with Yergan and his team for over 15 years and each event is better than the last one.' In the aftermath of her arrest, AEE's website is no longer active. Financial records obtained by the Herald show the Jackson Health Foundation received millions of dollars worth of invoices ranging from $5,900 to $81,500 each from Jones' company. American Sound Design claimed in those bills that it provided lighting, sound, staging and production management services for events at Jackson Health System or the Foundation, the invoices show. But the Gatlin indictment says that Jones' company, though not identified by name, never provided any of these services. And it's unclear from the indictment how many of these events hosted by the Foundation even took place. One American Sound Design invoice for $5,900 was billed to the Jackson Health Foundation for services that Jones' company purportedly provided at the Foundation's annual 'Guardian Angel' luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne in November 2018. The event, which featured a runway fashion show and a performance by Grammy-nominated recording artist Flo-Rida, raised over $500,000 to support the pediatric neurosurgery program at Holtz Children Hospital, part of Jackson Health System. The Herald has confirmed the event happened. But the indictment says Jones' company provided no services. Another American Sound Design invoice for $30,250 was billed to the Foundation for a 'back-to-school block party' that was held at Gibson Charter School in the Overtown Youth Center in August 2019. Academica, which operates the charter school, did not respond to the Herald's attempts to verify if Jones' company provided services for the event. 'Future CEO' Gatlin, who was described as 'future CEO' in one of her earlier evaluations, managed the Jackson Health Foundation's day-to-day operations while it transitioned several years ago into its current leadership structure, where the president's job was split between Gatlin and co-president and chief development officer Flavia Llizo. In 2023, Gatlin had an 'extensive discussion' with Ana Milton and David Coulson, members of the Foundation's volunteer board, and was given a salary increase and bonus, according to her most recent evaluation. The Foundation's executive committee approved the raise. Gatlin's yearly salary as the Foundation's chief operating officer rose to about $300,000 in 2024. When Gatlin was put on administrative paid leave last fall, Llizo became the Foundation's CEO. Caution label for foundation After Gatlin's firing and the subsequent scandal, the Jackson Health Foundation now has a 'Proceed with Caution' label on the website of Charity Navigator, a nonprofit that rates U.S. charities on a variety of measures, including stability, efficiency and sustainability to help people with their donation decisions. The charity rater references Miami Herald and South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting as the reason for the warning. The month-long investigation and subsequent firing of Gatlin in November came after Jackson Health System discovered a 'misappropriation of funds' while 'restructuring' the Foundation's leadership last year to develop stronger oversight and accountability, according to Zambrana, president and COO of Jackson Health System. Zambrana told the Public Health Trust during its May 28 meeting that the health system had 'fully cooperated' with the investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office. New safeguards, including additional 'financial controls and administrative oversight,' are now in place over the Foundation and Jackson has 'terminated the employees believed to be involved,' he said. 'The allegations of money stolen from the public's health system are egregious, and we are all still reeling from the profound breach of trust and the impact it has on our team, our community and the many people who support Jackson,' Zambrana said, noting that 'integrity is non-negotiable.' 'We will not allow this incident to jeopardize its reputation or its momentum.'
