Retired bank officer, airline agent wins MIA Volunteer of the Year Heberto Gonzalez honored for five years, 2,300 hours of service at airport

Heberto Gonzalez, who has donated more than 2,300 hours of his time over the last five years to assisting passengers at Miami International Airport – an average of 1.26 hours every calendar day - was named MIA Volunteer Ambassador of the Year at the airport’s annual Volunteer Ambassador Recognition Gala on April 12. For three years in a row, Gonzalez has been the volunteer with the most hours donated annually.

In appreciation of his service, Gonzalez received two tickets from American Airlines, which are good for travel anywhere in the continental U.S., the Caribbean, Canada or Mexico. The gala event was held in advance of National Volunteerism Week, which began on April 15.

Before retiring and volunteering at MIA, Gonzalez spent 35 years as an executive with a major U.S. banking and investment firm, as well as 10 years as a passenger service agent for a South American airline.

Gonzalez usually volunteers at MIA three days a week at the busy third floor connection between the MIA people mover, the moving walkways and the entrance to Concourse D. It’s not uncommon to find Gonzalez guiding a passenger to MIA’s Metrorail or Tri-Rail station at the Miami Intermodal Center, where he’s been known to walk passengers through the process of buying a ticket and staying with them until they have boarded the right train.

MIA’s 80 Volunteer Ambassadors, who range in age from 18 to 85, represent more than 22 countries and speak 18 languages. To learn more about the MIA Volunteer Ambassador Program, go to http://www.miami-airport.com/customer-service.asp.