Michael Finney

At the time of his death, Mike was the president and chief executive officer of the Miami Dade Beacon Council in Miami, Florida. The not‐for-profit public‐private partnership focused on job creation and economic growth by engaging local, national, and international audiences. In this role, he helped secure business expansions in the tech, finance, cryptocurrency, health care innovation, aviation, trade and logistics areas. Under Michael’s leadership, development efforts generated over 1 billion dollars of annual economic impact. 

 

Prior to relocating to Florida to join the Miami Dade Beacon Council in 2017, Mike was active in economic development in Michigan. In 2015, he founded Community Ventures Resources, Inc., a social impact consulting business to assist communities in developing and executing pathways out of poverty for those who were disconnected from employment resources. As an intermittent lecturer at the University of Michigan, he inspired students in the Stephen Ross School of Business to tackle these and future disparities.

 

In 2015, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder tapped Mike to serve as senior adviser for economic growth for the State of Michigan, following Mike's tenure as president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (2011-2015). At the MEDC, Mike and his team changed the economic development landscape by adding 300,000 jobs, raising $13.5 billion in new investments, revitalizing exportation programs, assisting urban communities with home mortgages and insurance affordability. 

 

Michael established two start-up organizations and served as their president/CEO. At Ann Arbor Spark, he turned the region into Michigan’s Silicon Valley-esque hub. At the Greater Rochester Enterprise, Finney built a successful organization that attracted numerous businesses to the upstate New York region. Early roles that developed Mike's business knowledge included vice president of emerging business sectors for the State of Michigan, senior vice president/general manager for Thompson Aerospace, assistant city manager for the City of Saginaw, admission representative at Saginaw Valley State University, sales manager at the JC Penney Corporation, and as an accountant for Deloitte & Touche.

 

His journey of excellence found initial footing when he was awarded a football scholarship to Saginaw Valley State College (now Saginaw Valley State University), where he was a member of the college’s first football team. At SVSU, Mike was a charter member and president of Iota Epsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and served as president of the Student Association (1978-1979). He was awarded the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award, served as commencement speaker for the class of 2010 and served on several boards. He credits SVSU for providing support and mentorship that assisted in launching his career. Michael received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Saginaw Valley State College and a master's degree in human resources from Central Michigan University.