As we start a new series of features in which we will highlight the valuable women who are part of our LGBT local and national organizations, some you may know and others you will get to know. Allow me to introduce you to lovely Lisette Garcia, the Director of Programming and External Affairs at the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) since December 2021.
A native to Miami, Lisette brings over 25 years of business development, marketing, management and external affairs experience to MDGLCC. In the 90’s, Lisette worked at Sony Latin as Marketing and Promotions Manager on Lincoln Road. From there, she decided to move to Boston to finish her education. She attended Simmons University and graduated with a Bachelors in Management. She lived in Boston for over 11 years and while there worked with three start ups, one of which was as a co-founder of the first Gay Wedding Planning business in the state and the other was co-founder of Color Magazine, an all-inclusive publication. In 2010, Lisette moved back home to be closer to her family and continued her journey with start ups that included car2go and Lime. She has an advocacy heart for all things LGBTQ that revolve around equity and inclusion that also encompasses her love for transportation equity.
Do you have any female LGBT icons who have left a mark on you and/or motivated you to be part of an LGBT organization?
All women that have paved the way before me are iconic. Within my circle of friends, I have been motivated by several women such as Marta Neira, who encouraged, motivated, and taught me to be involved in the LGBT community.
How did the opportunity to be part of MDGLCC come about for you? Was it something you looked for or did it find you?
The opportunity found me via a good friend of mine. I am here thanks to her and to Steve’s willingness to accept me as part of the MDGLCC team.
What did you see as your biggest challenges, especially after COVID?
I was not around during Covid so I can’t really say. However, I can share that I experienced shifts in how people network in general and how important it is to be connected in person. Safety first, we always provide masks and opportunities for virtual events to ease people into a full in person networking programming experience.
Throughout the years, do you think women’s needs within our community have changed, if any, in every or any aspect?
Yes, I believe they have in a way. We need places where younger women can find their voice and I believe there are organizations that cater to them well, but there are those that are older that are looking for ways to gather in a more intimate setting/environment. Either way, the changes exist as women and women-identified people in general are looking for one another to create a network of support. I believe this is a positive change but one that we need to foster more opportunities for and believe MDGLCC has a platform to help in this arena.
How big is the women’s base of members and/or supporters at MDGLCC?
We have a wide array of member organizations and representatives at MDGLCC. We don’t obtain demographic information from our members but can share that our membership base of organizations and their representatives are 60% allied and 40% LGBTQ with a wide array of gender identities.
With the whole “all-inclusive” term, do you see the women-oriented programs at LGBT organizations staying for much longer?
I hope women-oriented programs stay around as they are needed but perhaps what you might be referring to is the shift that is occurring with folx in our communities becoming more fluid and less siloed in their humanness. Either way, I do believe that there are those that will be leading the way to create opportunities for women to always have a place in our communities. I remain hopeful.
What’s ahead for the Women’s Empowerment Council at MDGLCC?
We are planning more curated experiences such as art gallery/museum tours, classes (such as dance, cooking, archery, golf), quarterly Women’s Dine Out series and some social mixers. Our Chair, Lexi Goza, and Co-Chair, Jessica Stadelmann, are working alongside us to make sure we create a robust and empowering 2024 programming calendar…so stay tuned!
Learn more: GayBizMiami.com.
