MOSAIC: Five Miami leaders, five moving and hopeful stories about life during Covid-19

Nowhere do South Florida’s diverse personalities shine through more than in the work that they do on a daily basis. This week’s installment of INDULGE’s month-long digital editorial series, MOSAIC, features top names in medicine, real estate, hospitality and more, each offering a peek at their individual at-home experiences. As we cautiously step out to dine at our favorite restaurants, shop at our neighborhood retailers and engage once again in general with local businesses — all of which need our support now more than ever — we keep in mind that for many here in South Florida, the work at home situation is now part of the new normal indefinitely or permanently. For others, as you will see in our coverage, work is home, and time spent at the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic is a part of the everyday routine. The components that bind these leaders together as part of this thoughtful series is the passion they feel for their respective industries, and the love they have towards the community at a time when giving back to it is the meaningful — and hopeful — thing to do.

Highlighted in week 3 of MOSAIC is: Rodney Barreto, president & CEO of Barreto Group, Inc. and chairman of this year’s Miami Super Bowl Host Committee; Nancy Batchelor, realtor for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty and president of The Nancy Batchelor Team; Dr. Tanira Ferreira, Chief Medical Officer at University of Miami Hospital and Clinics; Steven Haas, Executive Director for Centerplate at the Miami Beach Convention Center; and Lauren Macleod. Chief Marketing Officer at For Eyes.

Rodney Barreto, president & CEO of Barreto Group, Inc.

What makes the work you do exciting to you?

I like to think of myself as a conceptual, vision-oriented thinker. Our company develops a vision for a project, and then we find ways to execute it. Recently, we have been focusing on the food, beverage, and entertainment industries. We bought and are re-developing the Red Fish Grill in Matheson Hammock Park into Red Fish by Chef Adrianne, and it has been an incredible journey. We also helped launch The Wharf on Fort Lauderdale with great partners, and we continue to maintain a sizable real estate portfolio. It’s something new and exciting every day.

What have you found to be the biggest challenge regarding the stay-at-home measures?

The stay-at-home orders have been hard on all of us. I’m a very active person, so it has been an adjustment to say the least. But truth be told, I am blessed, and have been able to spend the kind of quality time with my family that would not otherwise have been possible. My daughter Brittney is expecting her second child any day now. Her husband Erik had been sick (we don’t know if it was Covid-19) and so she’s been spending time at our home. My mom recently turned 98! She’s seen almost everything, but this was her first “drive by birthday party” in 98 years!

Describe innovative ways that your business is currently giving back to South Florida?

We launched a campaign called “WHAT IF MIAMI” to help small businesses, particularly restaurants, and to bring a little joy to essential workers.The campaign is run through our title insurance business, Coral Gables Title + Escrow, LLC, and the production is handled by Social Buzz TV, a local social media and content creation company. We’ve partnered with community vendors such as Mojo Donuts, Azucar Ice Cream, and Pucci’s Pizza, each of whom have done an amazing job. Sponsor businesses are able to participate by ordering either 10 pizzas, 100 donuts, or 50 cups of ice cream and we deliver them to essential workers of their choosing. It’s incredible the smiles you get when you deliver 100 donuts! I have also been honored to serve as the Chairman of Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos’ Gimenez’s committee to reopen the marinas and parks. I’ve been humbled by the opportunity to do my part to try and get the community back to some semblance of normalcy.

What kind of changes do you think we will see in terms of the way we socialize post-pandemic, if any?

I think there will be some sweeping changes. Some people may never shake hands again. The Miami *kiss hello* may be history. You’ll see hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere, not just at supermarkets and big box stores. Masks are here to stay, for a while. But humans are resilient, especially Americans. We will adjust, evolve, and thrive.

Nancy Batchelor, realtor for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices EWM Realty and president of The Nancy Batchelor Team

Though these times have been challenging, is there anything that you gave enjoyed during your time being at home?

It was definitely an adjustment to start but once we accustomed to it, Jon and I enjoyed the additional family time with the kids, along with more time at home, boating, BBQ’s, walking the neighborhood and of course, catching up on Netflix favorites. I also joined a local organization, Toastmasters in order to improve my communication and presentation skills both in person and online.

Describe the work you do.

Professionally, I’ve been a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway for the last 20 years, leading the Nancy Batchelor Team comprised of a diverse group of individuals selling Miami’s finest homes and condos. Socially, in collaboration with my husband, Jon Batchelor, we work with the Batchelor Foundation, focused on supporting causes such as South Florida’s children’s needs, education, wildlife, and the environment.

How has the manner in which you communicate with clients shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic hit South Florida?

By definition, real estate is a people business. From the beginning of the outbreak, there was a huge push to check in on all our friends and clients to ensure all is ok and simply offering to help in any way we can. Due to necessity, we’ve had to crank up and expedite the adoption of Matterport virtual property tours, digital marketing and having meetings both with our team & both new and current clients on platforms like ZOOM & Teams. We really made an effort to set the bar for the local real estate industry and lead the pack in order to be the best team in Miami.

What will you remember most about this time at home?

Happiness doesn’t necessarily come from material things like designer clothes, going out to fancy restaurants or trips to expensive stores. You really don’t need so much to be happy. Health is the new wealth.

What do you love about Miami?

Weather and water are by far my favorites. I also love the tropical landscape. Very few things make me happier than seeing the palm trees against the gorgeous backdrop of Biscayne Bay.

Dr. Tanira Ferreira, Chief Medical Officer, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics

From the start of the coronavirus outbreak, medical institutions had to instantly pivot to new ways of dealing with patients. Tell us about the kind of measures taken at University of Miami Hospital and Clinics.

I am a pulmonary and critical care specialist. So that means that I have been intricately involved with pandemic preparedness at the hospital. We had to entirely modify our methods of dealing with patient care including how we approach appropriate screening, isolation (when needed), and the safety of the health care providers.

Preparation was and continues to be a priority in a situation that involves the constant flow of patients. The purpose of the first phase of modifications was to create a safe environment for the patients and employees, preparing for a potential surge that involved creating additional beds and ICU capacity, always matching the number of beds with patients to physicians who could cover them.

With all the elective procedures suspended, we created those additional beds and transformed existing units into “COVID units,” which require a negative pressure system where air gets pulled from the rooms directly to the outside environment, preventing the spread of infection to other areas.

Have those measures evolved since March?

We are now in the recovery phase. We screen every patient who comes to any clinic and continue to test every patient admitted to the hospital for a surgery, enforcing all safety measures. We want to encourage patients to see their doctors and to come to the ER, if needed. Patients who are sick at home and afraid to come in should know that it is extremely safe to come to the hospital.

Is the concept of staying at home even a reality for you?

Honestly, I have been so busy at the hospital that I look forward to days when I can stay home with my loved one. I live by the water and that makes my home also my sanctuary. The connection with water keeps my mind at peace.

What would you like to see happen once stay-at-home restrictions are lifted?

People being respectful of themselves and others, knowing that the pandemic is not over and for them to adhere to guidelines such as wearing masks, physical distancing and practicing hand hygiene.

Steven Haas, Executive Director of Centerplate at the Miami Beach Convention Center

As Executive Director for Centerplate at the Miami Beach Convention Center, your job description must have seen some changes in the past months. Have you shifted to working at home?

Since the Center is now a Covid-19 hospital and a testing center I have not been at home, but instead at work each day with my team helping to serve the US Army, National Guard, doctors and nurses with what they need. We are extremely grateful at this time and happy to say that the hospital has never had one patient, thank God.

Have you been involved in giving back to the community some way?

We are producing at this time 10,000 meals per day to feed the first responders and those who can’t afford a meal. In addition, my company, Centerplate has partnered with several committees apart from the convention center, focusing on the restaurant industry of which I have been involved with most of my adult life. As someone who has owned and operated some of South Florida’s top restaurants and as the creator of the Miami Spice program, I feel it is my duty to protect the industry and serve as a liason between the City and the restaurateurs.

Has this made you even more passionate about the work you do?

No matter what one goes through, everything creates some sort of opportunity. I am so proud to be working with and guiding some of the best restaurants into the future with innovative ideas that will benefit the entire community. So, yes.

Who or what has been your greatest source of inspiration or joy during this time? My dear sister, Ilene. She has gone through more than anyone can imagine and continues to fight to stay strong. I love her with all my heart and soul.

As a native Miami Beach resident, what still inspires you about the city? Every time I drive over one of our causeways, I never get tired of the sheer beauty of my beloved city. I’ve watched the population grow and watched the city being built into a spectacular mecca, with culture and diversity, compared to the tiny town in which I grew up in.

Lauren Macleod, Chief Marketing Officer at For Eyes

Tell us about the work you do.

I’m the Chief Marketing Officer at For Eyes. We are an optical retailer that specializes in delivering high-quality eyewear for an incredibly reasonable price. Our company is part of GrandVision, a huge global conglomerate, but we are relatively small with just over 120 stores in the U.S. I’ve spent much of my career in startups or innovation in larger companies, so this has been a great fit and I love being part of building something. We have a strong presence in South Florida, with more than 15 stores, our headquarters and our Hialeah lab in the area. I am responsible for all of our marketing and digital activities, which is both great fun and incredibly challenging (especially now).

How have you been coping with the stay-at-home measures we have been living through?

On the one hand, I am acutely aware of how lucky I am to have a career that lets me work from home and a husband who runs his own business and can do the same. We used to live in London and New York and I can’t imagine trying to do this from there. We have space for the kids to play, a pool where they can burn energy and room where we can all independently do our work. On the other hand, the reality of being in the house day in, day out is definitely challenging. I have two young boys that want to run and play and see their friends. Even with the difficulty, though, I am lucky to be extremely busy. So I haven’t had much time to dwell in existential dread. I haven’t written a screenplay or the next great novel, but I have been able to spend some real quality time with the boys. They’re young enough that they still really want to hang out with us. That part has been a gift (when they aren’t punching each other).

How is For Eyes impacting the community?

For optical retail, our impact on the community is pretty profound – it’s really about helping people see. Coronavirus or not, people need to be able to see. At For Eyes, we quickly built capabilities we didn’t have before. We became a shipping center, we activated people around the country to create additional call center support to help people get their prescriptions; and we put patients in touch with doctors to get their needs met. Historically, our business has really been 100% about our physical locations and we have had to learn to support the communities we are in remotely. Now that we have reopened, we are doing all that we can to ensure that our customers feel safe taking care of their eye care in person too. And we’ve built the foundations of a digital business that will allow us to continue to transform.

Is there a mantra that you have found to be helpful?

There is a saying from my favorite Peloton instructor that I am thinking of often these days. “No Challenge, No Change.” There is a lot of life right now that feels hard. I think it is during these difficult periods that we experience the most growth. I am so tired some days, but I also feel really good about a lot of the things I am doing. My kids are still learning. They feel safe and happy and loved. My work is hard, but we are doing big things fast. And my husband and I are keeping it all together without family nearby to support us. I am pretty proud of all that we’ve been able to keep afloat. It doesn’t always look pretty, but that’s OK.

This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 7:00 AM.