Maurice Cox, Planning Director, City of Detroit
Tonya Allen, President and CEO, The Skillman Foundation
Moderator, Rodrick Miller, President and CEO, DEGC
Rodrick Miller is a results-oriented leader with more than 10 years of experience in economic development, strategic planning, trade and foreign investment, and project finance. He has emerged as one of the foremost economic development leaders in the country, respected globally for his ability to maneuver in extraordinarily complex political and business environments, and craft strategies and structure deals to provide long-term value to communities and investors. His skills as a negotiator, policy expert, and corporate strategist have been honed in more than 10countries.
Currently, Miller is serving as president and CEO of Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC). DEGC is a private, nonprofit corporation devoted exclusively to supporting Detroit’s economic development by providing technical, financial, negotiation, and development assistance to the City and the private sector business community. As CEO of DEGC, Miller is firmly committed to enhancing strategies and programs that are aggressive and effective, thoughtful and focused, and that play to the inherent strengths of the local market.
Previously, Miller served as the founding President and CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), the official economic development organization responsible for ensuring the long-term economic vitality and driving job growth for the City of New Orleans. As the chief economist and thought leader on economic recovery, Miller focused the organization’s efforts on lowering barriers to entry in the marketplace, increasing transparency, and developing strategies for urban economic growth. Results since its founding in 2011 include state legislation allowing for benefit corporations, a policy framework to guide the use of tax incentives in economic development, and the attraction of more than $800 million in new investment and 7,000 new jobs through proactive attraction and expansion of corporate projects in the New Orleans market. In June of 2013, NOLABA launched ProsperityNOLA, the first ever comprehensive economic development plan for the city of New Orleans. Miller led his team in crafting this five-year plan with a keen eye on ensuring the plan would diversify the economy and present economic opportunities for all the citizens of New Orleans.
Prior to that position, Miller served as the Executive Vice
President of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber where he managed day-to-day
operations, developed strategic initiatives, and helped deliver on the firm’s
$20 million capital campaign. Under his leadership, the Baton Rouge market was
ranked the Number One Mid-Market for Deals in 2010 by Site Selection
Magazine.
Before moving to Louisiana, Miller was Vice President of International Economic
Development for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) where he managed
international development activities, which included foreign direct investment
attraction and increasing the region’s international competitiveness. He
crafted the Arizona Global Network, a statewide collaboration of economic
development organizations responsible for marketing the state globally. He also
headed the Strategy Practice where he developed the organization’s action plan
that resulted in delivery of nearly 10,000 jobs in just two years. Before GPEC,
Miller held several positions in the public and private sectors.
Miller holds a
Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government
and a Bachelor of Science degree in international business from St. Augustine’s
College. He also gained a Graduate Diploma in Finance from the Monterrey
Institute of Technology (ITESM) in Mexico while completing a Fulbright
Fellowship. Miller is an intellectually curious professional whose interests
lie at the intersection of economic development, international commerce,
innovation, and community action. A scholar practitioner, he is a sought-after
lecturer and contributes to various publications. He is a term member of the
U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, is a board member of the International
Economic Development Council (IEDC), and served as a fellow of the
International Career Advancement Program at the Aspen Institute. Miller
has received numerous accolades, including Ebony Magazine’s 30 under 30,
Phoenix Business Journal’s Top 40 under Forty, Top 100 Tech Influencers in the
Silicon Bayou, Young Economic Developer of the Year by the IEDC, and numerous
others. He enjoys playing the piano, reading, and spending time with his son.
Miller is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.