Ms. Adrienne Arsht

Adrienne Arsht is a respected national business leader and hands-on philanthropist whose background and experience allow her to apply business principles and savvy to her non-profit endeavors. 

Arsht was recently named Chairman Emerita of TotalBank, where she served as Chairman of the Board for over 10 years. In November 2007, Arsht sold the bank to Banco Popular Español, the third largest banking group in Spain.  Under her leadership, TotalBank grew to over 14 locations with over $1.4 billion in assets.  During this time, the bank earned a solid reputation for highly personalized service and a strong commitment to the community.

Chairman Emerita of TotalBank
aa@arsht.com

A community-minded power broker, Arsht has taken a leading role promoting artistic, business and civic growth and development in her adopted hometown of Miami. In January of 2008, her commitment to the community and the arts took the form of a $30 million contribution to Miami’s Performing Arts Center.  With this contribution the newly named Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County secured its financial footing and ensured the future of quality cultural programming for future generations.

Arsht serves on various national boards, including: American Ballet Theatre, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Best Buddies International.  In South Florida, Arsht is Secretary of the Performing Arts Center Foundation, Vice Chair of the Concert Association of Florida and Vice Chair of the Miami Business Forum.  She also sits on the board of Amigos For Kids.  Arsht is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a lifetime trustee of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Over the years, Arsht has generously donated funds and resources to numerous organizations.  In 2004, Arsht became the first woman to join the Million Dollar Roundtable of the United Way of Miami-Dade.  In 2005, Arsht announced a $2 million gift to Goucher College, creating the Roxana Cannon Arsht Center for Ethics and Leadership, in honor of her late mother, the first woman judge in Delaware.  In 2006, Arsht announced a $1 million gift to the University of Miami for the creation of the Arsht Ethics Programs at UM.  Most recently, Arsht announced a $750,000 contribution to Best Buddies International for the development of a Delaware chapter, specifically serving Hispanics and African-Americans with mental disabilities. Through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Arsht annually funds five (5), four-year college scholarships.

Arsht has received numerous awards and honors for her life-long contributions to both business and community.  In 2005, the Florida Council on Economic Education inducted Arsht into its Business Hall of Fame. Other awards include: the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Finance for Florida; the Essie Silva Community Builder Award from the United Way; Dade Partners Exemplary Business Leader Award from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools; Shining Star Award by the Arts & Business Council of Miami; and Woman Banker of the Year by the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Villanova Law School, Arsht is a member of the Delaware Bar. She was married to the late Myer Feldman, former counsel to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.