(Black PR Wire) MIAMI BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®) widely recognized as one of America’s favorite gourmet gatherings, today announced a partnership with Dr. Lisa Davis, PHD that will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion at the Festival. This initiative is part of the Festival’s commitment to address the gaps in underrepresentation and inequity across the hospitality industry and to advance diversity and inclusion across the board. The partnership comes on the heels of the groundbreaking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alliance between Festival host Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Festival beneficiary, the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) led by endowed DEI professor, Brian Barker.

A former councilwoman and Vice Mayor of Miami Gardens, Dr. Lisa Davis, brings over 25 years of experience to this role having previously founded the Miami Gardens Wine & Food Experience, Sweet Freak Bakers Competition and currently serving the community in several leadership roles. Dr. Davis has received several prestigious awards and honors from various organizations including the President Barack Obama's 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award and also served as 2nd VP of the Florida Black Caucus of Elected Officials and the VP of the Miami-Dade Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials during her political career. In her role with the Festival, Dr. Davis will be responsible for enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion awareness through further diversifying the talent pool, customer base and the Festival’s marketing and media partnerships.

“As a Festival, it is our goal to serve as a valuable platform that celebrates the diverse restaurant and bar community in South Florida while raising critical funds for the students at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management,” said Lee Brian Schrager, Festival Founder & Director. “Diversity and inclusivity make each of us better individually, but also collectively, as an organization, and we are committed to action and know that Dr. Davis and her team will help us move the needle forward when it comes to representation.”

"It is an honor to be joining this great Festival," said Dr. Lisa Davis. "I am excited and look forward to working with fellow industry leaders to open the door and create opportunities for everyone and to ensure that we leverage the Festival’s expansive platform to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the community.”

To date, SOBEWFF® has raised more than $31.8 million for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU which graduates more undergraduate Black, Hispanic and international students than any other hospitality school in the country.

To coordinate interviews with Dr. Lisa Davis or to learn more about the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alliance at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, please email Andrea Moreno at andrea.moreno@sgws.com.