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Community leader, former Knight Foundation Director and Past OCOG Co-Chair brings his passion for Miami to
community-wide strategic initiative focused on shaping Miami-Dade County’s economic future
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 9, 2020 – The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official public-private economic development partnership, today announced that Matt Haggman has joined the organization as Executive Vice President, One Community One Goal. In this role, Matt leads the efforts of the community-wide strategic initiative focused on shaping Miami-Dade’s economic future. Matt is well-versed in the collaborative platform, having Co-Chaired One Community One Goal (OCOG) with Baptist Health South Florida’s Nelson Lazo and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez from 2015 to 2017.
“I’m thrilled to join The Beacon Council team and embrace the opportunity to work with them on shaping Miami’s economic future via One Community One Goal,” says Matt. “But in addition to thinking about the future, we are confronted with the urgent needs of the present. Namely, assisting small business owners, entrepreneurs and people across our community recover from this economic crisis. I am eager to participate in the work of rebuilding our economy during this very difficult time.”
“We are excited to have Matt join us as the Executive Vice President spearheading One Community One Goal,” says Michael A. Finney, President and CEO, Miami-Dade Beacon Council. “An experienced leader committed to Miami’s long-term growth, Matt brings with him a real understanding of the collaboration, innovation and investment required to maximize OCOG’s positive impact. The present economic climate presents a new set of challenges that we can only address successfully by working together. I am confident that his strategic vision and passion for innovation will prove to be valuable assets as we craft new solutions and pathways for Miami-Dade’s residents and businesses to grow.”
In his previous role as Miami Director at Knight Foundation, Matt created and built the Foundation’s program focused on propelling high-growth entrepreneurs and civic innovators as a way to drive innovation, expand opportunity and stir greater community engagement. Numerous efforts funded and supported under Matt’s leadership are now pillars of Miami’s rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, including Endeavor Miami, The Idea Center at Miami Dade College, eMerge Americas, Center for Black Innovation, 500 Startups Miami, and Babson’s Women Innovating Now Lab.
Prior to joining Knight Foundation, Matt was an award-winning journalist with The Miami Herald and Daily Business Review. Matt covered business, government and investigative stories of local and national importance. Work he led or contributed to resulted in consumer protection reforms in Tallahassee, an overhaul of Miami-Dade County government, and changes to voting systems in Florida. Matt’s awards include the Gerald Loeb Award, the highest honor in business journalism.
Actively involved with numerous organizations across the community, Matt is currently a founding Board Member of Endeavor Miami, a Trustee at New World Symphony and advisor to national non-profit Right to Start. He has been a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters Miami for more than a decade. Several years ago, Matt joined with friends to launch TEDxMiami, which continues today under a new generation of leaders.
Originally from Boston, Matt has called Miami home for almost 20 years, building relationships and investing himself in its growth. Charged with rallying the community around a unified vision to create a better quality of life for Miami-Dade residents, he will work with OCOG’s Academic Leaders Council, local business and community leaders, and the rest of The Beacon Council team to foster the development and expansion of the seven priorities at the core of this collaborative strategy: Physical Infrastructure and Resiliency; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Education and Workforce Development; Business Climate and Policy; Leadership; Economic Development Marketing; and Target Industries. Matt will partner closely with recently announced One Community One Goal Co-Chairs Juan Carlos Liscano, Vice President for Miami, the Caribbean and Latin America, American Airlines; Tony Argiz, Chairman and CEO, MBAF; and Miami-Dade County Mayor-Elect Daniella Levine Cava.
“One Community One Goal is a community-wide effort. It only works if it continues to be of, by and for the community,” says Matt. “As always, the starting point in an effort like this is listening. I look forward to engaging with community leaders, business owners, workers and entrepreneurs across our community as we, together, build an economy that is even more innovative, inclusive and sustainable.”
For Matt Haggman’s bio, please click here; headshot, please click here.
For more on the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, click here.
For more on One Community One Goal, click here.
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About the Miami‐Dade Beacon Council
The Miami‐Dade Beacon Council is the official economic development organization for Miami‐Dade County. Its mission is to increase jobs and investment through marketing Miami as a world-class business destination, helping grow local companies, and shaping Miami-Dade’s economic future. Since 1985, the organization has assisted more than 1,200 businesses to expand in or relocate to Miami-Dade, creating more than 104,000 direct and indirect jobs combined, and driving more than $6.7 billion in new capital investments. A professional staff and volunteer community leaders work together to promote Miami-Dade as a world‐class business community at the forefront of a changing global economy, driving long-term growth and prosperity for the region. For more information, visit: www.beaconcouncil.com.
About One Community One Goal (OCOG)
One Community One Goal is a roadmap for Miami-Dade County’s future economic development success. This initiative provides a collaborative platform that promotes community-wide economic development and prosperity in Miami-Dade County, by driving innovation, leveraging strengths, providing clear thought leadership, and coalescing public and private priorities. One Community One Goal brings together a broad spectrum of Miami-Dade organizations, working to advance the goal of a thriving, inclusive and diverse community.
