RODRICK MILLER
PRESIDENT & CEO, MIAMI-DADE BEACON COUNCIL, MIAMI
A public-private partnership, the Beacon Council is the economic development organization for Miami-Dade County. As its president and CEO, Miller is focused on attracting and retaining companies that create high-value jobs and invest in the community. Miller has launched or turned public-private development agencies around in New Orleans, Detroit and Puerto Rico, where he served as CEO of Invest Puerto Rico.
EDUCATION: St. Augustine's University (BS), Harvard University (MPP), Tecnologico de Monterrey (Fulbright Fellow)
FIRST JOB: A salesman at BC Moore’s department store in my hometown, where I became one of the top performers.
DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: If I weren’t in economic development, I’d be a musician — most likely creating Christian music.
MENTEE IMPACT: I once hired a former intern as my executive assistant — against advice. He struggled mightily, and I nearly let him go. But I saw raw promise and shifted him into communications. There, he soared. Years later, he led messaging for a presidential campaign and now advises Fortune 100 clients in D.C., appearing regularly on national news. Mentorship isn’t about perfection — it’s about seeing the future in someone before they see it in themselves.
