MIAMI – Aug. 19, 2015 – Jaret L. Davis, Co-Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig's Miami office, has been chosen as Chair-Elect of Miami-Dade County's official economic development organization effective Oct. 1.
The Beacon Council is a public-private partnership whose mission is increasing jobs and investment in Miami-Dade County. It is led by its Board of Directors, including representatives from the public and private sector. Davis will Chair the Board from October 2016-17.
"We are excited about the energy and enthusiasm this new team brings to The Beacon Council,” The Beacon Council President & CEO Larry K. Williams said. “Born and raised in Miami, Jaret is passionate about our community and brings great experience and knowledge to this leadership role."
The Beacon Council announced the selection today, following the recent approval by the organization’s Executive Committee.
"It is a tremendous honor and responsibility to be trusted with the stewardship of an organization that for 30 years has played a pivotal role in the economic growth of Miami-Dade County," said Davis. "I look forward to working with the staff and my fellow board members to map out our goals for the County's future. Together, we will work to help ensure that all Miami-Dade residents and companies, both large and small, can benefit from this exciting momentum that has swept our community."
Beacon Council Chairs serve one-year terms. They are tasked with leading the organization's efforts and prioritizing key issues. Past chairs remain active in the organization and determine which businesses, individuals and organizations are chosen for the annual Beacon Awards honoring local businesses.
"I'm excited to see Jaret as Incoming Chair as I know he will bring fresh ideas, energy and excitement to The Beacon,” said current Chair Donna Abood, Principal and Managing Director at Avison Young.
Davis is the Co-Managing Shareholder for the Miami office of the international law firm of Greenberg, Traurig, P.A., in that role he oversees the approximately 180 attorneys and 200 business staff who are based in the firm's founding office. A Shareholder in the firm's Corporate and Securities Department, Davis focuses his work in the information technology, life science and biotech sectors, where he represents public and private companies, startups, as well as private equity, venture capital and angel investors. Davis served as lead shareholder on a team of more than 40 attorneys, who represented Terremark Worldwide, Inc., a Nasdaq listed provider of IT infrastructure, in connection with its $2 billion acquisition by Verizon Communications, Inc. At that time, the transaction was Verizon's largest since its acquisition of MCI in 2005, ranking as both the largest pairing of a telco and a colocation provider and the largest transaction in the cloud computing space.
Davis' involvement in the Miami-Dade community has touched on economic development primarily through his civic activities in the areas of entrepreneurship, technology and education reform. He currently serves as a Co-Founder and General Counsel to the annual eMerge Americas global technology conference based in Miami, Florida; as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and former Chair of the Technology Committee for Miami Children's Hospital, a global thought-leader within the realm of digital health solutions; and a mentor to several startups and incubators/accelerators housed within Miami-Dade County. Davis has also served in leadership capacities for many organizations committed to education reform and access, including City Year Miami, the SEED School of Miami and the University of Miami. Read more.
About The Beacon Council
The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's official economic development partnership, is a not-for-profit, public-private organization that focuses on job creation and economic growth by coordinating community-wide programs; promoting minority business and urban economic revitalization; providing assistance to local businesses in their expansion efforts; and marketing Greater Miami throughout the world. For more information, visit www.beaconcouncil.com.