WEG COO, Marielena Villamil, to receive the Dr. Mario Villarroel International Leadership Award

September 27, 2005 -

Miami, FL (September 26th, 2005) -- The American Red Cross of Greater Miami & The Keys is pleased to announce Marielena Villamil as the first recipient of the Dr. Mario Villarroel International Leadership Award at the Venezuelan Business Club (VBC) Second Annual Gala on Saturday, October 1st at 7:00 PM at the JW Marriott in Miami.

Marielena Villamil is a skilled community leader who provides counsel to the American Red Cross on strategic alliances and affairs and has made a personal commitment to continue building the Chapter's critical diverse and business relationships. In her first year as a member of the Board of Directors, Marielena accepted the responsibility of chairing the Chapter's Latin American & Caribbean Initiatives Committee. This committee offers the Red Cross its most significant opportunity in years to connect the Greater Miami & The Keys Chapter with a unique multi-cultural constituency.

The Dr. Mario Villarroel International Leadership Award was established by the Latin American and Caribbean Leadership Committee of the American Red Cross of Greater Miami and the Keys to annually recognize a person or organization who has provided significant leadership in strengthening Red Cross services in and to the internationally diverse communities of Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties in Florida.

The award is named in honor of Dr. Mario Villarroel as a symbol of his proven leadership. As an International Red Cross president in the Americas, Villarroel demonstrated the truest sense of the International Red Cross Movement and its Fundamental Principles. His ten year term as president of the Federation serves as the role model for everyone in the Movement to follow. While Dr. Villarroel resides in his native Venezuela, he has family in Miami and frequently visits the area providing influential leadership for Red Cross within the Greater Miami community.

Tickets for this year's event will be $100 per person for VBC members and $150 for non-members. For more information, contact Edson Pires, at (305) 644-1200, ext. 108 or at danovitzg@usa.redcross.org.

The American Red Cross is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organization, which provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies.