Legacy 2016 Miami: 25 Most Powerful Women Issue

14BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO MIAMI HERALD MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016 New Miami Gardens Top Cop Poised to Usher in Safer City By Zach Rinkins Antonio Brooklen Miami Gardens Police Chief According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Miami Gardens is home to more than 112,000 residents and occupies nearly 20 square miles of area. As the new Miami Gardens police chief, Antonio Brooklen is responsible for protecting each resident and every inch of that territory. The newly minted top cop brings passion and experience to his expanded responsibilities. “We will be accountable for our actions. We will be responsible in our dealings. We will continue to be proactive when it comes to communicating with our residents,” Brooklen declared. “Law enforcement is about being active participants in our community. Our residents will see us as members of the community. Not just as enforcers of the law.” The Miami Gardens-native brings more than two decades of experience to his role. Brooklen joined the Miami-Gardens Police Department (MGPD) in 2007. During his tenure with the city, he served on the departmental transition team; led the Operations Bureau; was promoted to assistant chief, and most recently appointed interim chief. He is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., The Miami Kiwanis Club, the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, and a host of law enforcement oriented organizations. His professional and civic experiences are guiding him as he hopes to shape an inclusive workforce. “We are recruiting people from the community to ensure that we have oﬃcers who truly care about what happens here in this city,” Brooklen revealed. “We want to be viewed as professional and caring law enforcement oﬃcials, who have done the work to create a safe place for our residents to live, work, play and raise a family.” Protecting Miami-Dade County’s third largest city is no easy feat. The hometown oﬃcer is inviting all residents to help make Miami Gardens a safer community. “One of the things I ask residents to help us do is to get our children under control. We need our parents to be parents. We want to see our children be successful,” he disclosed. “Residents have a duty to report crimes when they see them. While we want to be everywhere, we can’t. We rely on residents to be our eyes and ears. We have to move away from the mentality of ‘we don’t snitch.’ In order to keep our community safe, it takes all of us, working together.” Chief Brooklen shared his four keys for success with Legacy Miami Magazine. Power: “We are all born with a certain degree of power. The key to success is discovering that innate power and using it daily to deal with whatever challenges come your way, without abusing or taking it for granted.” Passion: “The most important thing is being passionate about what you’re doing and always giving it your all. This key is critical for building relationships and trust in our communities.” Talent: “There are those individuals who are intimidated by really smart, talented people. Surrounding yourself with great talent is the key to success. A true leader develops a team and does not divide the family.” Failure: “Failure is the key to success, because, each mistake teaches us something. If you are afraid to fail, you will never have a chance to succeed.” For more information, log on to www.MiamiGardensPolice.org ARTS & CULTURE By Asanyah Davidson Miami’s New World Symphony Fellows Make a Diﬀerence Sean Maree, New World Symphony Fellow with Miami Northwestern Senior High Basoon Players Engrossed is the ﬁrst word that comes to mind when witnessing the mentorship of Sean Maree, A New World Symphony Fellow, with the 5 bassoon players at Miami Northwestern Senior High (MNWSH). We’ve all heard about the many budget shortfalls in education that have led to the arts being cut by schools. The eﬀort to ﬁnd outside help to support the maintenance and growth of music programs is ongoing for those who know involvement in music at a young age is tantamount to giving a booster shot to a student’s academic future. Sean sits in a circle and converses with his young mentees about perfecting their playing. He teaches them not only how to play, but also how to practice. “It’s better to practice a scale slowly and get each note right, than to rush it.” Before the hour is up each student will work on perfecting each note, whether through a simple change in hand position or an improved breathing technique. In another room, Masha Popova stands in front of a semi-circle of 8 girls. When Masha Popova, New World Symphony Fellow assisting Miami Northwestern Senior High ﬂute student asked what they think about the Fellows coming in to teach and mentor them, one young woman responds, “She teaches us things I didn’t pay attention to, like how to hold your ﬂute, or line it up the right way and how to put air in your jaw so you get a fuller note.” All the girls say that being in the band makes them more motivated to keep up their good grades. “It’s makes you more focused, the way you have to pay attention to the music when you play it, it’s the same way you have to pay attention to your school work.” Miami native and Music Director at MNWSH, Chad Norton, has watched his Chad Norton, Miami Northwestern Senior High Music Director program grow from a few dozen to 140 students in 6 years. He’s seen ﬁrsthand what music can do for his students “It gives them perspective on a lot of things, it takes them outside of what they know. A lot of these kids won’t travel outside of Miami or their neighborhood, but when they go and see individuals who are successful at music, doi

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