"Integration destroyed the black business community, period."

In May, Gordon “Eric” Knowles became the fourth president the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce has had in its 40-year history.

He brings broad experience in the public and private sectors to the post: After a brief stint as the director of marketing in the Caribbean for American Airlines, he had various roles with the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, including senior director of guest services and community relations and the senior director of government affairs. He also has worked for both the Coconut Grove Local Development Corporation and the Coconut Grove Family and Youth Intervention Center on affordable housing and development projects.

Read more at the Miami Herald.