Maria Dreyfus-Ulvert takes Dade’s International Trade Consortium to new heights
By Doreen Hemlock
It’s not just Miami-Dade County’s airport and seaport that set records for business in 2022. The county’s International Trade Consortium (ITC) also reached new heights, handling an unprecedented 50-plus incoming delegations looking to buy, sell, or invest in the greater Miami area.
Give credit to Maria Dreyfus-Ulvert, a 15-year veteran at the ITC who’s been leading the office as interim director since August 2021 and then as executive director since October 2022. A former United Nations diplomat and trade commissioner for her homeland of Nicaragua, Dreyfus-Ulvert knows what visitors need to learn about business in Miami, working closely with the region’s economic groups. She also exudes enthusiasm about how cross-border links help people and communities advance together.
“There were weeks we handled three or four incoming delegations,” says Dreyfus-Ulvert, who leads a five-member team. “And not all were from Latin America. Miami is more international than ever.”
Miami-Dade County created the ITC in 2002 to promote the area as a trade hub and global gateway. The office helps incoming missions by setting up agendas and coordinating meetings with leaders of the airport, seaport, Beacon Council, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and other groups. It also organizes Dade delegations overseas, each led by an elected official – though trips were suspended under COVID-19.
The ITC serves as the liaison with consulates and encourages the opening of those diplomatic offices in Miami. “We’re celebrating the addition of Ireland, which brings us to 73, making Miami probably the third-largest consular center in the U.S. after Washing- ton and New York,” says Dreyfus-Ulvert. Her office also manages the county’s Sister Cities program, strengthening links with Dade’s current 33 sisters, including Brazil’s Curitiba and Mexico’s Veracruz. “The program is an opportunity to share best practices,” says Dreyfus-Ulvert, whose office piloted the recent InterAmerican Conference of Mayors and Local Authorities, including leaders from some of its sister cities.
The ITC team was busiest in 2022 receiving overseas visitors, who sometimes found Miami unexpected. “Many delegations are surprised we are open and never fully closed during the pandemic. And they’re impressed with Miami’s development as a tech hub and want to be part of it,” says Dreyfus-Ulvert.
Those delegations engage with numerous local organizations, including some on the ITC board. The World Trade Center Miami (WTCM), for example, often hosts the visitors, explaining Miami’s trade scene and inviting them to the Center’s annual trade shows for food and beverage and air cargo, says WTCM CEO Ivan Barrios. He recognizes Dreyfus-Ulvert for her experience, hard work and team approach.
“Maria knows international trade, local government and Miami well,” says Barrios of his long-time colleague. “She’s a dedicated professional.”
Dreyfus-Ulvert took an early interest in international relations. She grew up in Nicaragua during Cold War hostilities in the 1980s as her father led Nicaragua’s private-sector group and later became foreign minister. Her high school education began in the U.S. and ended in Costa Rica. She studied government at Georgetown University in Washington and later earned her master’s from Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs before representing Nicaragua at the United Nations. It wasn’t until after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York City that she moved to Miami.
For 2023, Dreyfus-Ulvert’s ITC goals include re-launching outbound missions and starting a database to help small businesses go global. She cautions, however, that missions take time to bear fruit. ITC’s 2008 trip to Istanbul, for example, contributed only years later to Turkey starting a trade office, consulate, and direct airline service in Miami. “I look at all these delegations as an investment,” she says.
