The recession had reached its highest point and Miami-Dade County was experiencing double-digit unemployment rates. A plan was needed to increase economic prosperity for all citizens of our community and allow Miami to be a part of the global economy. One Community One Goal was considered as a viable starting point. The program was created and spearheaded by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce years earlier as a platform to diversify our industries with the goal of creating jobs and a sustainable economy regardless of economic cycles.

The Miami-Dade Beacon Council relaunched One Community One Goal with Co-Chairs Alex Villoch, President and Publisher of the Miami Herald Publishing Company, Adolfo Henriques, CEO of Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust and Mayor Carlos Gimenez of Miami-Dade County, leading the way.  

An in-depth community-wide study, made possible with major financial contributions from the Knight Foundation, Wells Fargo, Miami-Dade Beacon Council and other partners, began.  More than 4,100 people participated in the survey that was published in English, Spanish and Creole. Community focus groups and forums were conducted.  Four reports were unveiled, which included a competitive assessment, target industry overview, education asset inventory and strategic recommendations.

The Academic Leaders Council was established to: 1) create an educational ecosystem that aligns with the business community; 2) ensure skilled worker availability for the future; 3) help skill-sets keep pace with business needs. They meet quarterly to focus on preparing students to enter the workforce with the skills needed for high paying jobs.

The Coordinating Council was formed to engage community organizations and to involve them with the implementation of the One Community One Goal recommendations.

The Miami-Dade Beacon Council’s New Leaders Task Force was created to help turn the “brain drain” into a “brain gain” for Miami-Dade County by cultivating a vibrant and growing community of talented young professionals who are vested in Miami-Dade County’s future growth.

More than 100 public presentations were made, in an effort to inform our community about the initiative, by the new co-chairs, George Foyo, EVP & CAO of Baptist Health South Florida and Art Torno, SVP Int’l & Cargo of American Airlines along with Mayor Gimenez. Communities across Miami-Dade County were visited and an unprecedented community collaboration began.

Target Industry Committees, comprising of industry leaders were created to assist with the implementation of economic growth recommendations.

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, CareerSource South Florida, The Knight Foundation and The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau began to use the One Community One Goal strategic plan to enhance their activities.

One Community One Goal was awarded a global “New Skills at Work” grant from the JP Morgan Chase Foundation. Miami-Dade County was only one of nine locations in the United States chosen to participate in this program. The grant allowed the development of the following programs:

An initiative in partnership with Miami Dade College to provide tech training to young adults that lacked the educational achievements, work experiences, and/or skill-levels necessary to secure full-time employment in middle or high-skill jobs.

New partnerships and innovation became the focus of One Community One Goal. Mayor Gimenez was joined by new co-chairs Matt Haggman, Program Director for Miami, Knight Foundation and Nelson Lazo, CEO Doctors Hospital, Baptist Health South Florida. One Community One Goal joined forces with the United Way, the Urban League, Miami Dade County Public Schools and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council to develop the Career Connections initiative. This program brought panels of top business executives from our target industries to meet with high school students in an effort to expose these future leaders to local career pathways.

The One Community One Goal Talent Development Network (TDN) was formally launched in Miami-Dade County. TDN is a unique website that pairs thousands of students with hundreds of employers for paid internships, so students discover opportunities here in their community… and stay here. TDN has received outstanding support from the community and lead sponsors Helios Education Foundation, JPMorgan Chase and the Miami Foundation.

Through the OCOG initiative, academic institutions continued to add, change and adjust classes and curriculum to reflect the new skills needed in the target industries, allowing students entering the workforce to be prepared for local jobs of today and tomorrow.

The industry committees took the initiative to develop opportunities for our community within their respective industries. The Aviation committee organized a global aviation conference in partnership with the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, called the Wings of Change. The conference launched in Miami in 2017 (the first time this event was held in the United States). It will return in 2019.

The One Community One Goal recommendation for updating the Miami Beach Convention Center was enacted upon. The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau has taken the lead on implementing this recommendation as the modernization of the Center becomes a reality.

What’s next for One Community One Goal? It’s continuing on as the roadmap for Miami-Dade County’s future economic development success, with a focus on: 1) Increasing community engagement and inclusiveness 2)Amplifying efforts in the areas of innovation, education and entrepreneurship 3) Driving community-wide priorities and resiliency.