Beautiful Mediterranean ocean view estate set on 6+/- acres. Constructed with superb quality the Main house includes 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 2 half baths, 6 fireplaces, library, master sitting room and stunning patio with panoramic views. Step down the patio to a large sprawling lawn with room to build a swimming pool. Guest House has 1 bedroom, 1bath and kitchenette. Lower level of home still under construction includes, wine storage, game room, family/media room, gym, pool bath with sauna and ample storage.

Offered @ $11,900,000

Contact Suzanne Perkins @ 805.565.8643 or Suzanne@SuzannePerkins.com. Or visit www.SuzannePerkins.com or www.sothebyshomes.com.

Virginia Damianos Premock is Vice President of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, and a Certified Residential Specialist. She was born in Nassau, Bahamas a few years after her father established Damianos Realty in 1945. For the past 60 years the family business, which now spans 3 generations, has been committed to professional real estate service. For the past 24 years Virginia has dedicated herself to the same principles. Having sold many residential properties over the years, Virginia is pleased to count the many unique and interesting people who comprise her international and Bahamian clientele and her network of local professional contacts. The Bahamas is a nation of islands; local clients and clients from all over the world depend on Virginia’s local knowledge to guide them to a location which will fulfill their dream of owning an island home, condominium or property. The Bahamas is a tax haven – international clients trust Virginia to guide them into purchasing a suitable property in order to obtain the Permanent Residence status. This can lead to significant tax advantages in their home country. A select team of agents assist Virginia with repeat business, referrals and website inquiries. Having invested in many properties over the years, Virginia is able to supply her clients and agents with first hand information. Virginia has assisted her brother and President, George Damianos, throughout the company’s growth, with expansion from Nassau, into Lyford Cay, the Abaco Islands, Eleuthera, the Exuma Cays and the partnership with Sotheby’s International Realty throughout the Bahama Islands.

Nick Damianos is a savvy and energetic real estate professional who specializes in working with international buyers. Nick’s intimate knowledge of the Bahama Islands and extensive contacts throughout the business community enable him to provide a smooth transition to foreign purchasers who have never owned a home in the Bahamas before.

Whether the purchaser is looking for a vacation home, investment property or wishes to relocate to the Bahamas permanently, Nick is an expert on guiding his clients through every step of the process. From choosing the right area, schools, lawyers, bankers, insurance companies and maintenance providers, to helping clients through immigration and residency matters and joining country clubs, Nick is a full service provider. To date, he has helped countless international buyers and their families to purchaser properties from $500,000 to over $10,000,000.

George Damianos is President and Managing Broker of Lyford Cay Properties Sotheby’s International Realty and Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty. George has been a Realtor in the Bahamas for over 30 years. George’s knowledge, experience and sales portfolio are unmatched, as he is renowned for professionalism and integrity. Specializing in the sale of private islands, waterfront homes and resort properties.

George joined Damianos Realty in 1972 and quickly made a name for himself as an honest and hard-working professional who prided himself on client satisfaction. Over the decades George has built a loyal following of local and international clientele, having worked with movie stars, celebrities and business moguls from all parts of the globe. George has handled more high-profile sales, than any other realtor in The Bahamas. These sales include Nassau’s landmark hotel The British Colonial Hotel; Paradise Island’s Hurricane Hole Marina and Portside Condominium complex; plus additional private island sales. An intimate knowledge of every aspect of the real estate market, along with detailed comprehension of government regulations, enables George to serve his clients with expertise and proficiency.

George Damianos is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), a member of the American National Association of Realtors (NAR), a member of the Bahamas Real Estate Association (BREA) and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce. He is a licensed appraiser, a Government Appointed Assessor and a founding shareholder of the Bahamas International Stock Exchange. In his free time, George enjoys golf and boating. Sailboat racing was a passion of George’s as a youngster, and he participated in many international regattas. Today George spends his leisure time on his Sportfish cruising and fishing the islands.

Photography by Stephen Cridland

It is every designer’s supreme dream—to work with an open budget, playing with the world’s rarest materials and layering with the finest fabrics for high-end projects in the elite world of luxury brands. Carol Williamson has crafted such a career for herself after nearly four decades in the world of design. And while many professionals choose their niche and stick to a strict profile, Williamson has made a point of breaking tradition by creating interior spaces for an array of mediums. She has designed for a number of corporate venues (Nike World Campus) and art institutions (Abraham Lincoln Museum) as well as high-end residential properties.

Her most recent project to garner headlines was onboard a superyacht from our favorite secret agent. Casino Royale, dubbed the queen of many of this season’s boat shows, is 163 feet and the largest ship to date from Christensen Shipyard. The luxury charter yacht was not built for speed, but for a relaxing sojourn on the sea, cruising at 10 knots with a top speed of 17 knots.

After seven years of designing the luxury interiors of various superyachts, Williamson was a natural pick as designer extraordinaire for the project. She had worked with Christensen in the past on several other ships and met owners John and Jeannette Staluppi (of Millennium Yachts fame) through their mutual relationship with the Washington-based shipyard.

The partnership between client and designer was an easy fit from start to finish. Williamson explains that on this particular ship, which included 6,900 square feet of interior space, the owners were very involved. “They were extremely integral to all aspects of the design and really enjoyed doing it,” she says, crediting the entire Bond theme seen throughout the ship to their creative genius. At the aft of the saloon, the roulette wheel, made by master-craftsman Jeff Homchick, sets the tone of Casino Royale. “The owners requested the roulette rather than the traditional compass rose,” says Williamson. “It works wonderfully because it is really dramatic when you first approach,” she says. The effect of the black stone wheel, which is inset with laser-cut, polished stainless steel, is one of her favorite highlights. Also on her showcase list is the collection of Erte artwork that the owners brought onboard. Each piece uses playing card imagery, emphasizing the Bond theme. The flybridge plays host to two stone tabletops, inlaid with an Ace and Jack of spades. Topping off the 007 concentration is the sweeping central staircase, which is fitted with frosted-glass panels, deftly etched with iconic Bond-girl silhouettes. Sapele mahogany, onyx, custom marble, granite, and Italian glass sconces dominate the interiors of the luxury yacht.

Williamson’s credentials for such a project began at the University of Oregon. She started her studies in pure architecture, but soon recognized her passion for interiors. “I realized that I loved the detail and the more intimate relationship with the client,” she says. She went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture, and, in 1984, started her own design firm, Carol Williamson + Associates Limited.
“It has been a very rich existence as a designer,” Williamson says. “I never get bored or stagnant. I’m not known for one type of design or style, and I think that is what keeps it very fresh. Every project teaches me some new aspect of design that I carry with me to the next.”

In 2008, that next project was the 160-foot Primadonna, also from Christensen. She cites the yacht’s skylounge as one of her favorites because of the palettes and the contrast of the dark java-stained, high-gloss furniture, which strikes dramatically against the texture of the chenille that she chose. Jeff Homchick collaborated on this project as well and found a Labradorite stone with brilliant flashes of cobalt blue and teal green. “It looks like the bar is underlit but it’s actually the natural flashes of the iridescent flecks in the stone,” she explains. “We developed the entire palette of the skylounge off of those colors that came out of the Labradorite.”

Williamson describes other design aspects of the yacht. “We went from the very textural chenilles in the saloon to beautiful striped silks on the pillows. And then we did all of the custom furniture in high gloss. We used lots of crystal to reflect light, and the owner loves mother-of-pearl so those accents are also prevalent throughout the yacht.”

Next on the drawing boards for the designer is a 193-foot megayacht by Trinity Yachts that she is working on for a client. “I feel very fortunate. These yachts are like beautiful jewel boxes. I’m so blessed to get to play with the level of materials that I do. From the architectural materials, like the wood and the stone, to the beautiful fine fabrics, to getting to work on custom furniture designs and witness those come to fruition—it’s all so enriching and rewarding.”

Private air travel has gotten its fair share of press attention in recent months. It began when auto industry executives flew comfortably to Washington to discuss a bailout, and it continued, unabated and negative, until President Obama told Citigroup unequivocally that the company would not be taking delivery of the new corporate jet after having received federal bailout funds.

These CEOs’ gross mismanagement of funds (and seemingly intellect—it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know you shouldn’t buy a plane with taxpayers’ money) has cast a shadow over the entire industry. This is not a time when any industry can afford a negative connotation, especially one that is utterly one-sided and misinformed. According to the National Air Transportation Association, since mid-November, personal aviation in America has fallen by more than a third, resulting in corporations being forced to sell their aircraft. But resale prices are crashing as well. The report states that billions of dollars of aircraft values have disappeared, and employment has been slashed at virtually every aviation business in the country.

But private air travel is a business tool that is indispensible for a wide array of industries. James Coyne, president of the NATA, recently penned an impassioned open letter to President Obama beseeching him to stop bashing corporate travel. “Personal aviation is a critical tool for many businesses, even when times are tough and profits are scarce,” he writes, “especially if their competitors are hunkered down and clueless about new opportunities.” He continues:

“Thousands of business leaders across America are as justified to use private aviation as [the president], even if their companies have only a fraction as much red ink on their balance sheets as the federal government has on its. And it’s not just business leaders: presidents, CEOs, and leaders of universities, foundations, associations, unions, hospitals, law firms, and individuals as diverse as Tiger Woods, John Travolta, and Yo-Yo Ma all depends on private aviation as much as you do.”

The letter is not an attack on President Obama’s use of Air Force One, but rather a plea that he stop demonizing those who have the means and the will to take to the skies without the hassles of commercial aviation. For many who are soaring at 30,000 feet, business jets really are for business, not just vessels to take flyers to Milan for couture shopping sprees. These crafts, outfitted with conference rooms and state-of-the-art technologies, allow businessmen to continue to conduct their trade in a secure environment, providing the freedom to travel to and from remote locations with ease, skipping the inconveniences of security lines, runway congestion, and maddening delays. Furthermore, private air travel allows businessmen and women to reach remote airfields not served by commercial travel. With vast expanses of America home to countless industry warehouses and factories that can be hours away from the closest commercial hub, private aircraft allow buyers, manufacturers, clients, and investors to reach these company headquarters with relative ease.

These conveniences certainly come with a hefty price tag. Business jets are known to run owners upwards of $40 million (depending on features) from the get-go, and operation and fuel certainly do not come cheap. While we would be hard-pressed to say that these expenses may translate into a cost-saving measure, when you take into account the conveniences (time is money!), the planes afford busy CEOs a way to continue to do their jobs while on the go.

Take, for example, the ultimate craft for private travel: the Boeing Business Jet, which is pictured on these pages. Boeing recognized that in today’s international market, it is imperative to provide entrepreneurs with both comfortable and productive flying time. Boeing and General Electric formed a joint venture—Boeing Business Jets—in 1996 to produce a BBJ with nearly three times the cabin space of a traditional long-range business jet at a comparable price. GE promptly became BBJ’s first customer, ordering two jets for corporate use.

The BBJ was designed specifically for corporate and VIP applications as a special, high-performance derivative of the Boeing 737-700. The addition of auxiliary fuel tanks provides owners with a range of 6,200 nautical miles versus the 737’s 3,200 nautical miles. This gives the BBJ the ability to fly nonstop from Paris to Los Angeles, New York to Tokyo, London to Buenos Aires, putting the world at the flyer’s fingertips.

The grand and comfortable interior boasts 807 square feet of space, all of which can be customized by the purchaser at any of the company’s completion centers worldwide. The versatility allows owners to create a unique environment tailored to their specific needs and seating requirements, whether it’s for eight or 100 passengers. One layout, fit for 12 passengers, incorporates a full-service galley and crew rest area, a main lounge and private meeting area, and master suite with full-size shower, allowing travelers to reach their destinations rested and ready to take on whatever challenge may lay ahead.

One hundred and four BBJ and VIP airplanes are currently in service around the world, in addition to approximately 30 wide-body Boeing jets that are in service to governments and heads of state. The new BBJ 3, which offers 35 percent more interior space than the BBJ and 89 percent more luggage space, is expected to hit the skies later this year.

These crafts allow the owners to conduct business on a global basis. Coyne points out in his letter that many times when CEOs board their private jets they are increasing sales, making investments, evaluating major projects, delivering speeches, building morale, motivating their troops, making new loans, expanding plants, exploring new markets, finding new resources, beating competitors, attracting investors, and saving their companies. These business jets provide the resources to make business happen in America and around the world.

When celebrated British architect Lord Norman Foster announced his plans to design the new fleet of Dassault Falcon 7X jets for the private aviation company, NetJets Europe, the world took notice. What appeared to be a break in the traditional design profile for Foster was actually a perfect partnership between the man who masters designs on the ground and the company renowned for commanding the sky. The Pritzker prize-winning draftsman has a penchant not just for leading the world in breathtaking architectural feats, but for dominating aviation as well. “For very many years I’ve had a tremendous fascination for flight, aircraft, and flying. I have piloted all kinds of aircraft—helicopters, racing sailplanes, microlights, historic aircraft, and jets. I have even flown aerobatics,” Foster explained in an interview with Haute Living. “I am still taken by the romance of flight and I am fortunate to be able to combine that passion with design.”

The architect began to foster his relationship with private aviation years ago, flying as a single pilot to all of his business destinations. But as his popularity and workload grew, so did the distance between the project sites. Aviation regulations became more complex and the density of flying increased. First he transitioned from a piston twin to a small business jet, but eventually it reached a stage where the distances were too great, the aircraft so intricate, and the demands on his time too intense, so he opted for the cabin of the corporate jet instead of the captain’s chair.

This history positioned him as the obvious go-to guru when NetJets Europe began considering the commission assignment for the design of their new fleet. In 2007, they placed the largest order in business aviation history for 33 Falcon 7X business jets. With an investment of $1.5 billion, it is fitting that the private aviation company would seek nothing short of Foster’s brilliant mind to take business aviation to new soaring heights.

Lord Foster, a NetJets customer himself, considered many aspects when crafting his ideas for the project, such as luxury and comfort, but the main goal was to design a business jet that embodied its name and offered corporate travelers an ideal business venue. “The potential of the plane as a workplace—that is most interesting,” asserts Foster. “When you’re with a group and you can use that time effectively, then you have something that is the ultimate luxury.”

He went on to explain that he does a tremendous amount of work on an aircraft with his own team, collaborating on ideas and preparing presentations. “There’s a great advantage in being able to gather around the same table and have a lively group working session—something that the design of this aircraft allows,” he says.

With his own needs in mind, Lord Foster also conducted extensive consultations with crew and flight attendants and those who maintain the aircraft, in order to ensure that no design detail was left to chance. “The area that supports the crew and the cockpit are sensitive to issues of glare so they tend to be darker. We’ve also used materials like sheepskin that are favored by pilots, in terms of comfort,” he says.
The interior cabin space reveals an illuminated gap between the area overhead and the side panels, which lights the top of the aircraft. He explained that while this in itself is not that unusual, the unique design is that it also offers a hand-hold, so in turbulent conditions passengers can walk the length of the fuselage and be sure of support. The aesthetics of the galley were considered so that it only appears to be a kitchen when a meal is being prepared. Otherwise it breaks convention by serving as an entry space.

Carbon fiber is present throughout, which enhances performance, lightness, strength, and durability. Perforated leather and solid leather combine in the features of the furnishings. This delivers the effect of breaking the bulk and improving the aesthetic appeal and comfort levels. Lord Norman Foster and his design team at Foster + Partners created the space with the theme of classic elegance in mind. He explains that they were interested in creating a concept for the aircraft—in terms of its interior and its detailing—that would be timeless. This philosophy led them to employ the serenity of a soft, neutral color palette.

While NetJets Europe originally intended to commission Lord Foster for the interior space only, it soon became apparent that his expertise would be paramount for the entire external livery for the dedicated European fleet.

As the first project of its kind between a world-renowned architect and a private aviation company, the magnitude of this creative genius is documented in the aptly titled book, Horizons, which was unveiled during Basel World. In addition to the photographs from illustrious travel photographers like Lalla Essaydi and Ellen Kooi, the exquisite volume also contains an insert featuring Foster’s sketches from throughout the design process, including his notes on color scheme proposals, details of the exterior band, his plans for separating the interior spaces according to function, and details of the cabin and cockpit materials.

NetJets Euope’s investment in inventory and interior design of the fastest Falcon ever built has paid off so far with rave reviews and piqued public interest in private aviation.

Photography by Craig Denis

As far as charity galas go, the competition to outdo each other is fiercer than that of beauty pageant lore. Five-star venues, celebrity chef catering, and promises of appearances from A-list superstars are a must in order to impress the guests who have seen it, heard it, and done it all before. Flowers and decorations must be over the top, centerpieces should shock, and the evening’s entertainment has to captivate an audience that is accustomed to having their every whim fulfilled. Any philanthropic ball worth mentioning on a society page includes an auction, whether silent, live, or both. Up for grabs can be anything from extravagant vacation packages to the South of France, to new Rolls-Royces, to Cartier jewels, to priceless art. Everything is designed to keep the town talking until the next event, which during the height of the charity season (typically from late September through April or May) could be as soon as the following evening.

While the measure of a successful gala can be calculated in a number of ways, (attendance numbers, ticket sales, and reviews from fellow gala girls) the dollar signs at the end of the day are the true gauge of victory—not just in the total amount raised, but the grand sum sent to charity.

As Lea Black, gala hostess extraordinaire, points out, for many of the over-the-top charity functions, the expense of producing such events can be exorbitant, leaving little left over for the charity of choice. “It’s really not hard to put on a big gala and a big party if you’re willing to just pay for everything. Pretty much anyone can do that,” explains the Texas native who has made a name for herself in South Florida as a powerhouse fundraiser for Bay Point Schools. “What distinguishes our charity event from the others is that we commit 100 percent of the ticket sales and the profit from the auction items directly to Bay Point Schools and the Consequences Program. We get everything donated, sponsored, and underwritten, so we have zero expenses.”

The nation first got to know Lea in 1991, not as a philanthropist, but as a juror in the trial of William Kennedy Smith. At the time she was a businesswoman running her own cosmetics company. Her future husband, Roy Black, was the attorney representing the defendant accused of rape. While legal codes of conduct prevented juror and lawyer from personally meeting during the Palm Beach trial, months later, a coincidental meeting in Miami marked the beginning of their storybook romance. They married in 1995 and have been doing their part to make a difference in the lives of troubled teenage boys ever since.

Bay Point Schools is an alternative boarding school in Miami for 14- to-18-year-old boys who have been in trouble with the law. The award-winning staff provides education, therapy, and vocational training in an effort to rehabilitate the young men. The program boasts astounding success; more than 90 percent of Bay Point graduates never commit another crime and the State of Florida’s Juvenile Justice Accountability Board rated it as one of the best programs of its kind. The Consequences Program, founded by Engin Yesil and Lea, is a proactive intervention program designed to redirect troubled teens before they find themselves in trouble.

It is a fitting charity of choice for the Blacks, considering their passion for fighting injustice. Roy’s fame as a criminal defense attorney spans decades and he has represented a variety of celebrity names like Rush Limbaugh, Marv Albert, Kelsey Grammer, Mary Hart, Peter Max, and Dennis Rodman. His most recent client is Indianapolis 500 racecar champion Helio Castroneves, who is facing charges from the federal government for tax evasion. Roy is the go-to-attorney for television networks seeking on-air commentators—he regularly appears on NBC’s Today Show to review high profile cases. Though his status as a celebrity lawyer for criminal defense has skyrocketed, his passion to fight for what is right remains grounded. “I’ve always had a great affinity for people in our society who have no power, no money, no connections, and little education. They don’t get a fair break from the system and are often viewed and treated as some type of underclass, less-than citizen,” says Roy.

The birth of his sympathy for the afflicted began in high school when his family moved from Stanford, Connecticut, to Kingston, Jamaica. He attended one of the top schools on the island, which was based on the English prep school model. In what Roy describes as an attempt to humiliate the new, white, American student, his spiteful teacher called him to the board, day after day, to do math problems using British currency, of which he had no knowledge. “He got tremendous pleasure out of torturing me over that, and it’s where I really got a sense of what it’s like to be treated as an underling and to be humiliated by someone in authority,” he says.

That sense of injustice led him to law school at the University of Miami and then to five years as a public defender. Though today his client list includes only those with hefty bank accounts, he credits his work with Bay Point Schools as a way to keep alive the spirit of wanting to help people who don’t have the resources to help themselves, particularly troubled teenagers.

“The two things that cause crime are lack of education and lack of opportunity,” he says. His voice rises and the trial lawyer within emerges with a passionate argument regarding rehabilitating the youth of America. “Why are we putting kids who are 12- to 16-years-old in jail?” he cries forcefully, citing his favorite phrase, that correctional institutions do not correct, they only teach and enhance criminal behavior. “You know, these are young kids that we can change. We shouldn’t be giving up on them because there is still time to change them and teach them how to be. Put them in school. Let’s give them an education,” he rests.

As a loyal and loving husband, he credits all of the hard fundraising work for Bay Point Schools to his wife. “She is extremely high energy and can motivate people. She is the backbone of this whole effort. If she weren’t there it would fall apart and dribble away to nothing, I can assure you.”

The main fundraiser to which Lea devotes her time and energy is the Black’s Annual Gala, which has raised more than $10 million for Bay Point Schools since its inception more than 13 years ago. It is the primary funding source for the operational costs of the school. This year’s affair is so grand that it had to be split into two events. Themed The Power of Hope, the pre-party will take place on April 4 at Canyon Ranch, while the main gala will be on April 18 at Eden Roc. Celebrity headliners include Lil Wayne, Patti Labelle, Pamela Anderson, Heather McDonald, and JenCarlos Canela. Guests have been instructed to be camera-ready, as Univision will be filming the event, and as in years past, it is expected to sell out, with a waiting list.

In separate conversations with both Roy and Lea, each emphasizes the fact that the entire affair has been 100 percent underwritten and sponsored, translating to zero expenses. “If I’m going to work this hard to raise money for charity and ask my friends to put up their money, I want to make sure that the charity actually gets the money,” Lea says. “It’s a huge amount of work. That’s the point of why this gala and charity are so special. It’s easy to pick up the phone and hire the florist; it’s much harder to call around and get 20 flower companies to donate flowers. It’s easy to pick up the phone and hire talent; it’s much harder to get them to come in for free.”

Roy reiterates the dedication that his wife has for her cause. “It’s not an easy charity. You know, my wife took on something that is quite difficult because it’s not easy to raise money for juvenile delinquents. It’s not an easy sell,” he says, “but we can promise anyone who gets involved that their money is going directly to educating and straightening out these kids.”

From fashion on Fifth Avenue to real estate on Ocean Drive, Jessica Goldman Srebnick has defined herself as a visionary leader. Her family company, Goldman Properties, has been an integral force in the revival of classic districts like Soho and South Beach. In March, she earned a key to Miami-Dade County as one of the masterminds behind the most-attended YPO-WPO Global Leadership Conferences in history. Here she shares her journey with Haute Living readers.

Haute Living Revitalizing real estate—and neighborhoods—is in your blood. Tell us about your experiences growing up in Soho and South Beach before they were considered chic.

Jessica Goldman Srebnick I was eight years old when my Dad, Tony Goldman, invested in our first of 16 properties in Soho. Back then, it was a manufacturing district that was known only to the factory workers, artists, and gallery owners and some friendly and not-so-friendly vagrants. We opened the Greene Street Café in 1979 and life was fun and unorthodox, living over the store.

When I was 15, my dad fell in love with South Beach. It was 1985, and South Beach was considered “Heaven’s Waiting Room.” No banks would finance such an at-risk neighborhood of dilapidated buildings and crack houses. We bought a property a month for 18 months. The photograph of the future had been taken and we would spend the next decade enhancing the American Riviera to what it has become today. Living in these neighborhoods showed me that anything is possible with hard work, vision, passion, and commitment.

HL Goldman Properties has been the innovative lead of some of the most historic restorations in Miami. What was the first “big” project that captured your heart?

JGS In 1997, after five years as the associate fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue, I joined our family business and moved to Miami to open The Hotel and Wish Restaurant. With Todd Oldham as the designer, we were the first hotel to ever be designed by an American fashion icon. The project was an integration of creativity, a deep sense of place, solid value, and genuine hospitality. This project not only captured my heart, it was the beginning of my love affair with Miami.

HL What was the original inspiration behind The Hotel, and what continues to drive the motivation to keep it fresh and relevant?

JGS The original inspirations were all of the elements that make Miami a one-of-a-kind destination: the sun, the sea, and the sand. It was about vibrant colors and textures, comfort and sophistication. When we opened there was not much competition. Today, competition makes you stronger. We are building 20 additional rooms for The Hotel, which are coming on-line this year. In addition we are developing Goldman Hospitality, a new division of the company that is dedicated to managing hotel properties in distress.

HL What was your motivation to first get involved with the Young Presidents’ Organization?

JGS In 2002, the founder of Pollo Tropical, Larry Harris, introduced me to YPO, the organization of worldwide presidents of public and private companies, who are under the age of 44, have at least 50 employees, and $8 million in revenues. They were looking for strong women in leadership positions in the community. YPO’s purpose: to create better leaders through education and idea exchange. Today the organization has close to 17,000 members worldwide. My motivation was the opportunity to be a part of a group of peers facing similar challenges as young leaders, learning from the best practices of one another, having my own personal board of advisors, and being exposed to a worldwide support network. After seven years in the organization I can truly say that I am a better, stronger leader.

HL You recently served as a co-chair for YPO-WPO Global Leadership Conference. Can you tell us more about the conference, and about your role in co-chairing it?

JGS For more than 2,300 YPO and WPO (World President Organization) members and spouses, the Global Leadership Conference offered an opportunity to gain knowledge, training, and inspiration for the year ahead. The 10th annual GLC, held at Miami’s Fontainebleau Hotel, broke attendance records, making it the largest gathering of YPO and WPO members ever. With 77 countries represented, members and spouses convened for workshops, networking, and best-practice sharing. Along with my co-chairs Neal Sherman and Leonard Abess, and hundreds of staff and volunteers, we set out to do two things: inspire the next generation of leaders so they can return to all the corners of the earth and do their part to shape a better world, and give the attendees a strong sense of Miami.

HL What was the most memorable moment of the event?

JGS Our members were hungry for hope and inspiration at a deeply challenging time in the history of our planet. We had world-class speakers like Grammy award-winning artist Wyclef Jean, who, as a goodwill ambassador to Haiti, raises awareness about the poverty plaguing his homeland, or former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, who started his career as a truck driver for Coca-Cola and went on to become the president of the country. Then there was Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, who taught us the power of tapping into the unlimited energy and possibility of the human imagination. Or George Feldenkreis, a Cuban immigrant who came to the United States with $700 searching for the American Dream, and built Perry Ellis International into one of the world’s largest apparel companies. There was Aimee Mullins, a double amputee at the age of one who became a world-record-holding paralympian who shared with us what it takes to be a champion.

HL As a result of the conference’s success, which generated millions of dollars for Miami, you received a key to Miami-Dade County. Describe the impact of such an honor.

JGS Chairing a conference of this magnitude and caliber has certainly been my greatest professional achievement to date. Receiving the key to the county was the icing on the cake.

HL What is next for Jessica Goldman Srebnick?

JGS Enjoy this amazing journey with my prince of a husband Scott and our three beautiful sons…and reach for the stars…the possibilities are endless!

Since 1999, Vanessa Andrews has been one of the top-producing, certified luxury realtors in the country. Her road to real estate stardom included many diverse avenues such as acting, modeling, and film production.

Born into a family of film producers, directors, and authors, it should come as no surprise that Vanessa is blessed with the “Midas touch” when it comes to her own career. Her grandfather, Kurt Neumann, produced and directed such Hollywood classics as the original version of The Fly and some of the best-loved Tarzan movies. Her mother, Lynn V. Andrews, is a lecturer and New York Times best selling author of 23 books and her father, Kurt Neumann, Jr. was the former head of feature films at Warner Bros. Studios. As a Beverly Hills native, her California roots, business, and travels introduced her to some of the world’s most luxurious properties. Her unique background also provided ample opportunity to meet and interact with Hollywood’s elite, leading her to cultivate many lasting friendships in the industry and beyond.

Vanessa’s career had a natural progression into the business world after she completed a degree in marketing. Her passion for real estate ignited after she was inspired by a close family friend, flamboyant Beverly Hills realtor and former actress, the late Elaine Young, who specialized in promoting luxury real estate on television. Shortly after graduating college and starting two companies, fate changed her direction again in the form of her husband-to-be, a handsome Texas investment banker, real estate developer and former Anheuser-Busch distributor, who—in her own words—“stole her heart.” The newlyweds moved back to his hometown of Dallas-Fort Worth, where they continue to live happily today.

Like her colleague, company owner Marilyn Hoffman, who pioneered the luxury real estate market in Texas, Vanessa has had a lifelong love of beautiful things, including spectacular show horses. A devoted equestrian since her youth, she has competed at the national level and met her future business partner at one such competition more than 10 years ago. Complementing each other’s strengths, these dynamic and very different ladies discovered that sharing their passion for luxury real estate, business, and philanthropy, as well as their beloved show horses, made for a fantastic and highly successful business team. Their business acumen includes equal parts superior unique marketing skills and savvy understanding of finance. Today, Hoffman International Properties continues to break records in the sale of select ultra-luxury properties while remaining small and specialized to maximize the benefit to its clients.

In Texas, they say everything is bigger, including the real estate market, which statistically has remained positive through the world’s economic downturn. Even while prices spiked on the East and West Coasts, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has maintained relative steady sales, thanks in part to the location, workforce, and value that the region has to offer. For example, just an hour from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Vanessa just listed a beautiful 1,200-acre ranch estate with an 8,500-plus-square-foot luxury home and pool on a hill with grand horse facilities, guesthouse and a 100-plus-acre private lake for less than $4 million dollars.

One can find Vanessa and Marilyn promoting their exclusive real estate listings by sponsorships and exhibits at such world-class events as the Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl, Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, major golf tournaments, elite classic car shows, and major charity events such as The Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills, the Best Buddies Gala in the Hamptons and Washington area, and fundraisaers held at Mar-A-Lago. This month Hoffman International Properties is sponsoring the Cameo Ball in Scottsdale and the Diffa Gala in Dallas.

Vanessa explains that the social aspect is part of the process. “Whether it’s a fabulous horse show, a special fundraiser, or running errands, we work very hard for our clients,” she says. “We’re always ‘on,’ and having fun doing it. What’s the use if you cannot also enjoy yourself and help others while you’re at it?” Her keen eye for luxury properties and her savvy business sense have earned her accolades and recognition in the United States and beyond. Numerous publications and others have solicited her real estate expertise for a number of national and international segments. Recently, her career has come full-circle, as Vanessa is once again in front of the camera. This time, the only character she is interested in playing is that of a successful luxury real estate agent on ABC and HDNet’s luxury home shows.

Vanessa Andrews / Marilyn Hoffman
972.816.3014 / 214.674.3961
www.MagnificentProperties.com