Maritza Marrero

Maritza started her career in the Hospitality industry in 1981 as a travel agent.  Through out the years she worked for Club Med Resorts, Continental Airlines, Amadeus and she owned and operated a travel agency. Her interest in the industry started after she went on a student exchange trip to Europe right after college.  Maritza managed an agency and was a partner in a travel agency. In that capacity she managed a staff, coordinated marketing events, obtained ARC, IATA and CLIA certifications, and negotiated contracts with suppliers.  She also worked in Amadeus (a global information system) in their sales and training departments.  As a trainer, she traveled through out the United States and Central America training travel agents.  As a sales manager she met with owners of agencies and negotiated new contracts.  In 1998 Maritza came to Miami Dade College to start a new phase of her career in education.  In addition to teaching Maritza is the Hospitality Student Association advisor. Maritza has a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University.

Isabel L. Fernandez

Isabel is currently an advisor and adjunct faculty at Miami Dade College.  She also is the coordinator of an eight-month work/study program for students from China.  Isabel has over 10 years of management experience in the hospitality industry and over 14 years of experience in marketing and event planning in the financial industry.  Isabel has owned her own consulting firm and most recently was a restaurant owner.  She is involved in the community through volunteerism with United WAG (an animal advocacy group), the March of Dimes and the Miami Coalition for the Homeless.  Isabel is a graduate of FIU with both a Master of Science in Hotel and Food Service Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration.  Isabel appears in the documentary “Café con Leche”, is a public speaker and her work has been published in various magazines.