This week, the Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) highlights another distinguished leadership laureate who will be celebrated at the 2026 CMEx Leadership Awards and Fundraiser on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, at Loews Coral Gables Hotel in the Miami area.
Russell Benford, vice president of government relations for the Americas for Royal Caribbean Group, brings more than two decades of public-sector leadership to his role overseeing the company’s government relations across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Before joining Royal Caribbean, Benford served as deputy mayor of Miami-Dade County. His extensive career in government also includes leadership roles as city manager of North Miami, city administrator of West Park, Florida, and village manager of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Benford is actively involved with several civic and community organizations, including Achieve Miami, The Bahamas Feeding Network, Jackson Health Foundation, the Orange Bowl Committee and Port Everglades Association.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was named a Woodrow Wilson Public Policy and International Studies Fellow.
The event is powered by Platinum Sponsor, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.
Major sponsors include The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, Carnival Corporation, Marketplace Excellence Corporation, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
Additional sponsors supporting the cause include Coco Palm (St. Lucia), Fond Doux Eco Resort (St. Lucia), Ladera Resort (St. Lucia), Mount Cinnamon Beach & Wellness Resort (Grenada), GRUPO PUNTACANA (The Westin Puntacana Resort), Tropical Attractions, and Vanessa James Media.
Proceeds support educational programs, youth development initiatives and professional training designed to empower the next generation of Caribbean tourism and media leaders.
For more details visit cmexmedia.org.
