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MIAMI, FL (August 26, 2025) – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official public-private economic development partnership, is proud to announce that together withOpportunity Miami, a Beacon Council Foundation-driven platform that helps catalyze the Miami of 2040, has been named a Bronze honoree of the 2025 Excellence In Economic Development Awards presented by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The recognition spotlights the creation of the Academic Leaders Council (ALC), a groundbreaking collaboration between Miami’s largest educational institutions and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, within the “Postsecondary Education Partnership” category. The awards will be presented at the upcoming Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan, on September 14-17.
“We are both humbled and honored to be recognized by the International Economic Development Council. Too many cities talk about talent. We are building it.,” said Rodrick T. Miller, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council. “The Academic Leaders Council is Miami’s blueprint for closing the skills gap, growing the middle class, and competing globally. This recognition is well-earned and highlights what make The Beacon Council and Opportunity Miami unique—and it is just the beginning.”
The ALC: the ‘Blueprint’ In Action ─ and Impact
The Academic Leaders Council (ALC), housed in Opportunity Miami, is comprised of the presidents of Barry University, Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Miami Dade College, St. Thomas University, the University of Miami, and the Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The Council meets quarterly to discuss challenges and opportunities within Miami-Dade’s educational environment and talent pipeline. It also hosts two public events a year to engage industry leaders and the broader community. Its goal is to serve as a stage where the major institutions can collaborate towards ensuring Miami continues to have a robust talent pipeline that is responsive to industry needs—and the evolving economy. Since its formation in 2022, the ALC has published a series of essays that capture the importance of the next-generation workforce and are brought together in a single volume collection.
Acknowledging the IEDC recognition for creating a practical and replicable model that other regions can adopt, Miller added, “The ALC stands out as a national model for collaboration, setting aside competition for enrollment, ranking, and research to align around a shared vision. By convening leaders, engaging the community, and delivering measurable action, this initiative is transforming how Miami is preparing its students for tomorrow’s economy.”
Miami has invested in laying the groundwork for a talent-driven economy. In addition to the ALC, the region has received public and private funding to build a tool that answers the call of industry that demands not just more labor, but labor with deeper, more adaptable skillsets. Talent Bridge is a visionary program of The Beacon Council Foundation being developed to meet this moment. Once completed, it will provide turnkey access to real-time workforce data through a data-driven portal, stronger industry-academia alignment, and expanded employment pathways for an inclusive, future-ready economy.
For more details on the award win, the ALC, and the work Opportunity Miami and The Beacon Council are doing together, click here.
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About the Miami-Dade Beacon Council
The Miami-Dade Beacon Council is the County’s official economic development partnership, focused on driving a more sustainable, inclusive, and competitive economy for Greater Miami. Since 1985, The Beacon Council has attracted more than 160,000 new jobs and $8.4 billion in investments to the region. For more information, visit The Beacon Council’s website.
About Opportunity Miami
Opportunity Miami is an initiative of the Beacon Council Foundation, a Florida-based 501(c)3 nonprofit created exclusively for charitable and educational purposes dedicated to the growth and prosperity of Miami-Dade County. It stands on the shoulders of One Community One Goal, the initiative founded in the 1990s by civic leader Jay Malina and re-launched in 2012 by The Beacon Council, that focused on identifying the key economic issues and proposing steps to address them.
About IEDC
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,300 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members engage in the full range of economic development practices. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in various settings, including local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org
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Laina Kawass
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