ACAMS South Florida Chapter: Second Annual Awards Ceremony

The ACAMS South Florida Chapter board members from left to right: Alek Dvoskin, Vanessa Diaz, Nicholas Schumann, Jocelyn Baez, Daniella Trinchet, Oscar Enriquez, Yamil Haidar, Gustavo Acevedo, Sissy Oliver, Gabriel Caballero, Naomi Cabrera, Alejandro Sardinas and Henry (Hank) Hernandez.

On January 23, 2025, the ACAMS South Florida Chapter held its Second Annual Awards Ceremony and honored local colleagues for making significant contributions to the anti-financial crime (AFC) community. Industry leaders, compliance experts and law enforcement (LE) officials gathered in Ocean Bank’s beautiful Miami offices to acknowledge the efforts of individuals and organizations dedicated to combating financial crime. The ceremony also highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts between financial institutions and LE agencies.

**(Left to right): Awards ceremony co-sponsor Kaufman Rossin was represented by Victoria Tercilla, Ada Cohen, Oscar Enriquez, Daniel Fals and Yanelis Perez.**

Award winners included:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Miami Field Office was presented with the Law Enforcement Impact Award for their outstanding work in combating financial crime. Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri received the award on behalf of the Miami Field Office. Veltri has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the fight against fraud, public corruption and terrorism.
The Law Enforcement Impact Award was awarded to FBI Miami for their outstanding work in combating financial crime. The award was presented by board member James Stultz (left) to Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri.
Juan Antonio (Tony) Gonzalez was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize his more than 20 years as a leader and LE professional in South Florida. Gonzalez’s career began in 1991 at the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office and later at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. He has held significant roles, including at the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, and has received numerous awards for his work. Gonzalez is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a respected lecturer.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Juan Antonio (Tony) Gonzalez of the Department of Justice (right) for his dedication to fighting financial crime. The award was presented by board member Henry (Hank) Hernandez.
Linda Mallory was presented with the Excellence in Anti-Financial Crime Award to recognize her dedication, leadership and contributions that have set the standard in the industry. Mallory has more than 20 years of experience in the AFC space and currently serves as the senior vice president and head of BSA at Ocean Bank, where she has built compliance programs that are both innovative and effective.
The Excellence in Anti-Financial Crime Award was awarded to Linda Mallory of Ocean Bank for her over 20 years of experience in the AFC space. The award was presented by board member Alejandro Sardinas.
Amerant Bank was presented with the Member Organization of the Year Award, which recognized the organization’s active participation in chapter events and commitment to AFC learning. Eduardo Solorzano, corporate BSA/AML officer, accepted the award on behalf of the bank.
Member Organization of the Year was awarded to Amerant Bank for overall event participation. The award was presented by board member Oscar Enriquez (left) to Eduardo Solorzano, corporate Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) officer at Amerant Bank.
Vanessa Diaz received the Chapter Member of the Year Award for her exceptional dedication, commitment and positive impact on our organization and the South Florida financial crime-fighting community. Diaz currently serves as the director of AML and Financial Crime Prevention for Securitize Markets LLC.
Chapter Member of the Year was awarded to Vanessa Diaz (left) for overall event participation. The award was presented by board member Jocelyn Baez.
Recent chapter board members Natalia Mollica (Amerant Bank), Nicholas Schumann (HSBC) and Jay Fisher (USAA) were presented with the Board Member Service Award, which recognizes volunteer contributions made by board members to the chapter and the broader South Florida AFC community.
(Left to right): Chapter Board Member Service Awards were awarded to Natalia Mollica, Jay Fisher and Nicholas Schumann for being outgoing chapter board members. The awards were presented by board members Gustavo Acevedo, Sissy Oliver and Alek Dvoskin, respectively.

During the event, chapter board co-chair Alek Dvoskin of CashApp delivered opening remarks which highlighted South Florida’s challenges during 2024 and celebrated the achievements of the financial crime-fighting community. The event concluded with closing remarks by board member Alex Sardinas of Ocean Bank, who thanked the attendees and sponsors, and congratulated the award recipients, emphasizing the importance of their work in the fight against financial crime. Attendees of the event were encouraged to continue looking forward to all future events hosted by the ACAMS South Florida Chapter.