‘An intellectual giant’: Michael A. Finney, CEO of Miami-Dade Beacon Council, dies at 65
Michael A. Finney, a dedicated and energetic champion of economic prosperity during his five-year tenure as CEO of Miami-Dade County’s Beacon Council, died Sunday after suffering a heart attack.
Finney, 65, was stricken on Sunday morning at his Coconut Grove home, Beacon Council Chief Marketing Officer Maria Budet said. He was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he died.
The news of Finney’s sudden death shocked those who knew him as an active and healthy man. He often rode a scooter to work and walked 18 holes as he golfed at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables every weekend. Just last Friday, Finney had flown back to Miami from Israel, where he joined Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and others to promote the county as a global economic hub.
“Miami-Dade County lost a brilliant mind and many of us lost a dear friend,” Levine Cava said in a statement Sunday night. “He spent his career helping communities grow, strengthening their economies, and creating pathways to prosperity for residents believing at his core that everyone deserved the chance to succeed.
“I will especially cherish the memory of our week together in Israel, and the legacy of unwavering dedication he leaves behind,” she said.
George Bermudez, chair of the council’s board of directors, said he was “shocked and profoundly saddened” by Finney’s sudden passing.
“Mike was an inspiring, brilliant, and humble leader whose commitment to this community was unmatched,” he said in a statement. “The entire Beacon Council family — our board of directors, investors, and team — appreciate how lucky we were to have Mike at the helm and are devastated by his loss.”
Though perhaps not well known by the general public, Finney was an important behind-the-scenes player as head of the county’s economic development agency, described on its website as “a public-private partnership” focused on promoting local business growth and expansion.
Since arriving in Miami from his native Michigan, where he served in a variety of economic development roles, Finney was credited with re-energizing the council and bolstering efforts to improve economic equity and inclusivity across Miami-Dade. His tenure coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which initially hit the county’s tourism- and service-oriented economy hard, as well as a subsequent influx of high-profile financial and tech companies.
On its website, the agency says it “helped secure” business expansions in industries such as tech financing, cryptocurrency, financial services, healthcare innovation, aviation, and trade and logistics. From 2020 to 2021, the council claims credit for 32 projects that resulted in nearly 5,000 new jobs at an average salary of $120,000. That was a record for the organization, the council said in a news release announcing Finney’s death.
Under Finney’s watch, companies including SoftBank, tech group Kaseya and consulting firm Slalom announced Miami-Dade office expansions, translating to hundreds of high-paying jobs.
“The key metric is wages,” Finney said in a 2019 Miami Herald story. “By bringing in higher wage jobs, we can have a positive impact on the entire economy.”
Finney also focused on connecting workers in low-income, high unemployment neighborhoods and communities with employers and jobs paying a living wage. The initiative, Miami Community Ventures, was modeled on a successful Michigan program.
“Mike made a huge impact — particularly his focus on ensuring that everyone in our community benefited from economic development,” said Alexandra Villoch, CEO of the Baptist Health South Florida Foundation, and a former chair of the Beacon Council board, on which she still sits. “The creation of Miami Community Ventures was signature Mike, and also creating a mentorship program and helping creating a pathway for helping improve and diversify the talent available for board seats.
“He cared deeply about ensuring that everyone could advance and be included In our community’s business progress,” Villoch, a former Miami Herald publisher, said. “And he did this while being humble and gracious and ensuring everyone had a voice. He had a very inclusive view of economic development — that we really needed.”
Finney, a father of three and husband to Gina, was hired to lead the council in 2017, where he quickly “underwent a trial by fire.” He was appointed leader of a tri-county proposal in response to an expansion bid from Amazon, which promised to attract 50,000 jobs and billions in regional economic largess. The South Florida bid was attractive enough to land the region on Amazon’s shortlist of 20 finalist candidates for what the company described as its second headquarters, though it ultimately fell short.
In an interview in 2020, Finney told the Herald that the process ultimately helped lay the groundwork for ongoing collaboration among Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
In his relatively short tenure, the Michigan native managed to fully ingrain himself within the local community — not just because of his professional skills, but through his affability.
Alfred Sanchez, CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, said Finney was a humble, kind and reserved professional despite his great achievements.
“His leadership will be remembered for a long time, and he will be so sorely missed,” he said.
Miami-Dade loses a ‘gift’
Eric Knowles, CEO of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, said the county has lost a “gift.”
“Mike Finney, although transplanted, lived Miami-Dade each and every day of his life, working to let the world know how great a community we are,” he said. “A giant among men!”
But his stature never stopped him from advocating for the little guy, said Dexter Bridgeman, CEO and founder of MIA Media Group, the publisher of Legacy Magazine.
“I think of Mike as a man who walked with kings, but never lost the common touch,” Bridgeman, a member of the urban task force, noted. “He was that type of guy.”
William “Bill” Diggs, the newly elected executive director of Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust, said Finney was an “intellectual giant.”
“He focused on the underserved communities, reaching back and lifting up those who needed a hand,” he said. “He was connected, a good Black man.”
Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega called Finney “a wonderful friend” to the school.
“Mike advocated tirelessly to shape our economic future, workforce education and grow local businesses,” she said in a statement issued by the college. “His impact will last for years to come.”
Jaret Davis, co-managing shareholder of the Miami office of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, described Finney as a consummate gentlemen, as well as one of the top economic development professionals in the country.
“I think he became one of those beacons, no pun intended, that can bring various aspects of this county together,” he said. “Under Mike’s leadership, he really helped to make the Miami brand grow even stronger.”
Before his role at the council, Finney served then-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder as senior advisor for economic growth and was CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
He held multiple degrees, earning a master of arts in human resources from Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Saginaw Valley State University.
Besides his wife, Gina, Finney is survived by his sons Michael Jr., Marcus and Austin, and his grandchildren.
“For Mike, it was about more than being a Black leader. He represented the entire mosaic of our South Florida community,” Bridgeman said.
Celebration of Finney’s life
Finney’s legacy has left an indelible imprint across the country — from Michigan to Miami.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. April 21 at Hope United Methodist Church, 26275 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield, Michigan. For those in South Florida, the Beacon Council will host an invitation-only homegoing celebration at 11 a.m. April 25 on Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus to commemorate Finney’s life.
Both services will be livestreamed to the general public, said Beacon Council spokeswoman Tere Garcia.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 12:16 AM.
