Jeff Oris is one of the new faces at the City of Miami Beach. Oris brings over 25 years of experience working with governments both as an employee and as a private consultant to the City. Jeff takes over as the Director of the Economic Development Division of the Tourism, Culture and Economic Development Department. This newly revamped position is responsible for all aspects of business attraction and retention, diversifying the economic base of the city, and enhancing the overall livability of the city.
Oris brings knowledge to the City gained while pursuing his degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University along with experience gained while in his previous positions such as Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Margate, Florida and Community Development Director for Martin County, Florida. Prior to joining the City of Miami Beach, Oris also spent a number of years as a consultant to various governmental agencies across the state and the country providing expertise in economic development, redevelopment, housing and market analysis. He also served as the President of the Florida Redevelopment Association.
All of Jeff’s knowledge and experience is being immediately put to use at the city. The Economic Development Division of the City has wasted no time since Oris’ arrival in organizing new efforts to revitalize the city. The Division has begun a new program designed to assist businesses seeking to locate or refurbish their buildings. The Division will work to assist any business trying to navigate the development and building process in the City. Recognizing that the most difficult obstacle for businesses in the process is clear communication with government officials, the economic development division will sit with business owners or their representatives as well as other City officials to insure that everyone is on the same page in an effort to save time and money.
Oris is also preparing the Economic Development Division to lead the charge in creating an Economic Development and Revitalization Strategic Plan for the North Beach district of the City. This master plan for the area will be designed to address all areas of concern for North Beach from economic incentives to street and sidewalk upgrades to activities, programs and rehabilitation of the area parks. The plan will rely heavily on public input through a series of workshops with residents, business owners and property owners, as well as numerous meeting with local associations and other organizations. This effort will be underway no later than February, 2014 and the resulting plan is expected to become a template for efforts in other areas of the city and as well as potentially beginning a city-wide economic development strategy.
