Michael A. Finney
President & CEO, Miami-Dade Beacon Council, Miami
The Beacon Council, a public-private partnership, is the economic development organization for Miami-Dade County. It employs 24. During the pandemic, the council launched a small-business accelerator and a web portal to aggregate grants, loans and support services available to Miami-Dade-based companies. Finney has experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has been president and CEO since 2017.
| EDUCATION | Saginaw Valley State University (BBA), Central Michigan University (MA) |
| WOULD CHANGE about Florida | Opportunity for economic equity for all residents. Far too many residents struggle financially. |
| ADMIRES | Virginia Jacko, president and CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. Virginia has an amazing track record of providing high-quality services to the blind and visually impaired while also expanding facilities to meet the growing demand for services. |
| READING | Sunni & the Birthday Bash, by Sonya Coleman (my niece), Illustrated by Inez Goodman (my sister); Money, the True Story of a Made-Up Thing, by Jacob Goldstein |