Becker & Poliakoff

Yolanda Cash Jackson Leads Miami-Dade Beacon Council Search Committee for New President & CEO

Yolanda Cash Jackson Leads Miami-Dade Beacon Council Search Committee for New President & CEO

The Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the County’s official economic development partnership, announced today that Korn Ferry has been engaged to manage the organization’s search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer.

Korn Ferry, the global organizational consulting firm that helped The Beacon Council hire Michael A. Finney in 2017, will be leading the organization’s nationwide search for a new President and Chief Executive Officer. The firm was selected from a pool of leading executive search firms that were invited to submit proposals when the search process was initiated in May 2022 after Finney’s unexpected passing in April. The search engagement will be led by Charles Ingersoll, Senior Client Partner, Washington, DC, in coordination with Bonnie Crabtree, Senior Client Advisor at Korn Ferry’s Miami office, and Lorraine Lavat, Senior Client Partner, Washington, DC.

“The Search Committee, led by Yolanda Cash Jackson, Beacon’s Chair-Elect and Shareholder at Becker, is confident that partnering with Korn Ferry will allow us to find an experienced economic development professional of the caliber required to lead this organization,” said George Bermudez, 2021-2022 Chair and Senior Vice President, Miami Business Banking Market Executive at Bank of America. “The 2022 Search Committee includes a diverse group of leaders representative of Miami-Dade’s business community, all of whom have a deep understanding of this organization and its mission. Together, we know we will find the right leader to continue championing growth for this community.”

The Beacon Council’s 2022 President and CEO Search Committee members are:

  • Yolanda Cash Jackson, Becker; Search Committee Chair and FY 21-22 Chair-Elect, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • George Bermudez, Bank of America; FY 21-22 Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • Xavier Gonzalez, Cyxtera Technologies; FY 21-22 Secretary, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • Gary Goldfarb, Interport Logistics; Immediate Past Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • Jaret Davis, Greenberg Traurig; FY 16-17 Past Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • Donna Abood, Avison Young; FY 14-15 Past Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • Sheldon Anderson, Grove Bank & Trust; FY 13-14 Past Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council
  • Alexandra Villoch, Baptist Health South Florida; FY 09-10 Past Chair, Miami-Dade Beacon Council

“The Committee appreciates how important it is to find the right person to head this organization, and Korn Ferry is best suited to help us identify that leader,” said Yolanda Cash Jackson, Esq., Search Committee Chair, FY21-22 Chair-Elect, and Shareholder at Becker. “We know firsthand the positive impact that a visionary, experienced leader can have on this community. The Beacon Council is committed to engaging someone that not only understands and values our diverse global community but will champion collaboration and drive long-term inclusive prosperity for Miami-Dade’s residents and businesses.”

The Beacon Council appointed William D. Talbert III as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer in late April until a new leader is confirmed.

The job profile has been posted on both Korn Ferry’s website and on the Miami-Dade Beacon Council’s website.

For more information, visit BeaconCouncil.com.