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Originally born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, Betsy Kaplan moved to Miami, Florida in 1934 where she attended Miami Edison Senior High. She later graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Theater Arts from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She eventually returned to Miami to teach English as a second language at Miami-Dade Community College and served as a member of the Miami-Dade County School Board for 16 years, advocating for the improvement of public school education up until her retirement at the age of 77. She also served as a member of the boards for the following institutions: Actors’ Playhouse and GableStage in Coral Gables; Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network/Safe Schools; WLRN; Miami Children’s Foundation; and Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Some of her notable achievements include winning the Wesleyan College's Distinguished Achievement Award and the Jewish Museum of Florida's Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award.

She passed away in Miami in 2017 at the age of 90.

Lincoln Díaz-Balart was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1954. From 1993 to 2011, he was the U.S. Representative for Florida's 21st congressional district (R), previously serving in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida State Senate from 1986 to 1989 and 1989 to 1992, respectively.

Throughout his congressional tenure, Díaz-Balart was a member of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process and took on leadership positions in the House Republican Policy Committee. In 2010, Díaz-Balart announced his intention to not seek congressional re-election; his brother, Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, ran to replace him as representative for Florida's 21st congressional district and succeeded him in the position until January 2013. After leaving office, Lincoln Díaz-Balart practiced law in Miami. He died in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Henry Melich was born in Czechoslovakia in 1924. He lived in London for a number of years before relocating to the Bahamas in 1954 where he began his extensive work around the archipelago. While based in the Bahamas for the remainder of his life, his work extended to Jamaica, the United States, and England. The book "Island Follies" by Alaistar Gordon highlights Melich's residential work in the Bahamas. His work is a celebration of Bahamian architecture, as well as embracing a neo-historical hybrid of architectural styles. Many of the homes he designed were luxury vacation homes for the elite, notably Prince and Princess Azamat Guirey. Melich completed over 50 projects before his death in 1999.

Joseph Middlebrooks (1941-2022) was an award-winning architect who created his own firm here in Miami, Florida by the name of Joseph Middlebrooks and Associates, Inc. and taught at the University of Miami as Professor of Architecture & Planning from 1970 to 2011. He earned a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University in 1969, a Master of City Planning degree from Yale University in 1970, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Howard University in 1969. He was also the first African-American registered architect in Florida and received many accolades over the years for his work, including the Miami-Dade County Business of the Year Award; The Miami Herald Pacesetters Award; a commendation plaque from the city of Opa-Locka for outstanding design of a state-owned multi-service center located in that city; a commendation plaque from the Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation for the Opa-Locka Historic Train Station and a 2nd place design competition award for the Florida Memorial College Theater. Over the years, his firm specialized in many areas, including: airport/aviation, banking/financial, childcare facilities, classrooms, clubhouses, colleges and universities, community centers, conference centers, cultural facilities, entertainment facilities, food service/cafeteria, government buildings, government offices, hospitals, libraries, and religious facilities.