North Miami commissioners approve budgets, sponsorship push for third annual Nomi Women Wellness Summit

Chairwoman Naomi Esther Blameer and the North Miami Commission for Women on Aug. 20 approved a series of budget items and operational steps to stage the third annual Nomi Women Wellness Summit, setting spending limits and asking commissioners and staff to secure sponsors and vendor paperwork before the event.

The vote covered decor, catering, photography, entertainment and awards. Chairwoman Naomi Esther Blameer moved the primary budget motions and commissioners approved each item; several commissioners urged fundraising and vendor confirmations so the event does not draw on city funds beyond the approved line items.

The commission approved a decor budget in the range of $2,800 to $3,000, not to exceed $3,000. Blameer then proposed a catering budget of $2,300 with authority not to exceed $2,500; that motion passed 5–0. The commission also authorized hiring a photographer at a cost not to exceed $400 and set a combined live‑streaming/photography sponsor target of $800–$1,000 to avoid paying for streaming out of the commission’s limited funds.

“We need a minimum of three sponsors at a thousand dollars,” said Dr. Etienne, emphasizing sponsorship as the way to cover expected additional costs. Commissioners identified prospective sponsors including the North Miami Chamber of Commerce and the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce and asked staff to send sponsor letters immediately.

On programming and logistics, the board approved a photographer and a DJ, asked staff to obtain quotes so vendors can register with the city vendor portal, and directed staff to confirm the Scott Galvin Center will provide in‑house audio so the commission can avoid extra audiovisual costs. Commissioners agreed to begin advertising for the event with a boosted social media post (city post boost not to exceed $400) and to open registration at an initial target of 50 seats, with plans to scale upward if confirmed attendance justifies it.

Awards and honorees were also finalized. The commission named four honorees and set a budget of $350 per award, not to exceed $400 total, so recipients receive a higher‑quality award than prior years. Commissioners agreed that certificates of appreciation for keynote and panelists would be prepared by staff.

Commissioners discussed vendor fees and table policies. The board instructed staff to offer educational nonprofit tables at $100 and for‑profit vendor tables at $150, and to reserve tables for sponsors. For vendors to be paid by the city, commissioners stressed vendors must register as city vendors promptly; staff said vendor registration generally takes about 48 hours.

Directives to staff included producing a consolidated line‑item budget for all approved extras, distributing invitation letters to honorees, speakers and local institutions by the next business day, and circulating final vendor quotes for photography, streaming and entertainment. Commissioners set a protocol: sponsor commitments must include name, address and logo so comms can acknowledge sponsors on promotional material.

The commission closed the segment by reiterating the fundraising target needed to keep the event within budget and by tasking commissioners to help secure sponsors and in‑kind donations. The board recorded multiple formal votes to authorize the line items and gave staff direction to finalize vendor contracts and publicity materials.