The Junior League of Miami announced its officers and board members for the 2018-2019 League year. Deborah Koch will take on the position as the new president of the Miami chapter. The organization was founded 92 years ago, which is run by volunteers and headquartered in Coral Gables, FL.

“It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of 91 amazing leaders who have accomplished so much for the League and our community,” said Koch. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board and the wonderful members that make Junior League of Miami such a powerful force in the community.”

Over the course of last 90 years, the Junior League of Miami has developed strong female civic leaders that have then taken on numerous projects, which have helped shaped the greater Miami area. This year, the women of the Junior League of Miami, under the leadership of Koch, will continue this momentum. The League has a number of high priority initiatives lined up for the up-coming year. The newest projects include the launch of two highly-anticipated collaborations. This year the women of the 100% volunteer-run organization will work with the Riverside House, for women transitioning out of incarceration, and DIBIA Dream/Honeyshine, where they will be working with talented high school women on the STEAM curriculum.

In addition to Koch, Carla Crossno will serve as President-elect and Laura Van Gorden will serve as the Executive Vice President of the board. The three women will lead the new officers and board and are part of the new succession team.

Koch has been with the League since 2008. She grew up in Hollywood and graduated from the University of Florida. She is the Vice President of Marketing at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Miami. Koch has taken on several leadership roles within Junior League including heading the executive management team as Executive Vice President, serving as Vice President of Community, Co-Chairing the Breakthrough Miami community project, Co-Chairing the Miami Magic fundraiser, and chairing the Love2Shop fundraiser.

Crossno has been a member since 2009 and has served a number of roles with the League. She was the Chair of the 2016 Designer Showhouse and the Vice President of Development in 2016-2017. In 2017-2018 she served as Executive Vice President/COO. Crossno graduated from the University of Alabama and is the founder of the company Hatched, a strategy, marketing and engagement consultancy firm.

Van Gorden has been with the League since 2013. Last year, Van Gorden was the Vice President of Planning. She graduated from Florida International University and is currently the Senior Vice President at Rialto Capital Advisors.

To see the full list of new members click here: http://www.jlmiami.org/about/leadership/

About the Junior League of Miami

The Junior League of Miami, founded in 1926, is an organization of approximately 1,000 women sharing a common vision to empower Miami’s women, children, and families to conquer tomorrow’s challenges and to build a united community. The mission of the Junior League of Miami is to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women and improve communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League concentrates its resources to make a significant impact on our community. This year, in addition to providing $150,000 in direct funding, another $600,000 in volunteer hours will be dedicated to the community for projects that address families at risk. For more information, visit www.jlmiami.org.