MIAMI, Fla. – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the county’s official public-private economic development partnership, names Rodrick Miller president and chief executive officer. One of the nation’s foremost economic development leaders, Miller brings decades of experience and a commitment to inclusive, sustainable development to one of the fastest growing, most diverse business destinations in the world: Miami.

Miller is a seasoned economic developer known for his deep expertise in urban recovery, trade and foreign investment, strategic planning, and project finance. Respected globally for his ability to maneuver complex political and business environments, Miller’s ability to craft strategies and structure deals that provide longterm value to communities and investors makes him an ideal leader for development efforts in Miami.

Most recently, Miller served as chief executive officer of Invest Puerto Rico, joining the organization in 2019 and building a world-class team to lead its mission of attracting business and investment to the island. He joined InvestPR after leading Ascendant Global, an economic development firm focused on providing bold growth solutions to help economies sustain themselves and gain jobs and private investment. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the public-private partnership charged with leading the economic revitalization of the city of Detroit. Miller also served as the founding president and CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance, the official economic development organization for the City of New Orleans.

Appointed in May 2022 after the untimely passing of Beacon Council President and CEO Michael A. Finney, the eight-member Search Committee – led by Yolanda Cash Jackson, chair of The Beacon Council and shareholder at Becker – selected global organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry to lead the search. The firm partnered closely with the Search Committee on an exhaustive seven-month search of the national economic development community, attracting best-in-class applicants for the organization’s leadership position; Miller rose to the top.

"We are excited to welcome Rod Miller to The Beacon Council," said Jackson, chair of both the Search Committee and Beacon’s Board of Directors. "A world-class economic developer, Rod’s understanding of diverse, international markets and the importance of intentionally inclusive, sustainable development make him the right leader for this organization at this time in Miami-Dade’s growth. Beacon has an incredible team of best-in-class professionals that have outperformed year after year, even when faced with unforeseen challenges. Rod’s energy and strategic vision for what we can build together – for, by, and with Miami – is infectious. We are confident he will be embraced by this community and help to drive our shared mission forward."

“I am thrilled to join one of the most well-respected economic development organizations in the country and lead it into its next phase of growth,” said Miller.

“Miami-Dade County is a dynamic global community that thrives on diversity and is unabashedly entrepreneurial at its core. We are at a unique inflection point that allows us to drive long-term growth by capitalizing on the incredible momentum and inbound investments of the last few years. Applying sustainable, inclusive development strategies will not only drive transformational change for our economy – it will position Miami as a model for others. At the forefront of my priorities, however, is to immerse myself in the community, to listen to, learn from and engage with the diverse stakeholders who work with us to shape Miami’s economic future.”