These Miami leaders and MDC grads are now Hall of Famers, too. See list

Miami Dade College has inducted a new Hall of Fame Class. The members are all MDC alumni who have led the way in business and civic affairs in South Florida and across the world.

Nine people were inducted in the MDC Hall of Fame May 30 at the 23rd awards ceremony, which raises money to fund student scholarships, at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel. They join more than 400 others who have received the honor since 2003.

Meet the new Hall of Famers:

Aviation: Maxine Rodriguez, first officer, American Airlines

Business: Andrew Gonzalez, founder and CEO, Night Owl Cookies

Economic development: Gordon Eric Knowles, president and CEO, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce

Engineering: Jason Quiroga, systems integration engineer, Blue Origin

Entertainment: Lili Estefan, TV host, Univision Network

Entrepreneurship: Felipe Valls, owner, Valls Group Inc.

Financial Services: Manuel J. Escobio, managing director and private wealth advisor, Merrill Private Wealth Management

Nonprofit: Juan Martinez, vice president and chief financial officer and treasurer, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Public Service: Kevin Cabrera, U.S. ambassador to Panama

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 2:47 PM.