George Neary | Advisory Board

George Neary is a graduate of St. Anselm College and later studied atthe Columbia Graduate School of Business and The New School for Social Research in New York City.

He volunteered as a teacher with the Peace Corps in St. Vincent, West Indies, and later worked for the agency in Washington, D.C. and New York City. He was a recruiting consultant for Operation Crossroads Africa and recipient of its Outstanding Program Director award. As Director of U.S. Marketing at A.F.S. Intercultural Programs, George continued his involvement in international programs until moving to Miami Beach to become Executive Director of the Miami Design Preservation League in 1991. Seven years later, he accepted the position of Associate Vice Presidentof Cultural Tourism at the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, where he received its Employee of the Year award and worked for twenty-seven years until his recent retirement.

George has also contributed his time, expertise, and leadership skills to diverse organizations in Miami Beach and beyond:

• Board member, National Trust for Historic Preservation

• Board member, Dade Heritage Trust, recipient of the Henrietta Harris Award 

• Trustee, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places

• Board of Governors, Coconut Grove Playhouse

• Chair, Miami Beach Sister CitiesProgram

• Chair, City of Miami Beach Fine Arts Board

• Founding member of the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Committee and the Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival and Parade committee, recipient of the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s President’s Award for Community Service

• Board member, Association of Hospitality and Tourism, named Tourism Professional of 2017

• President, Children’s Cultural Coalition

• Member, Black Archives, MOCA, Bass Museum

• Adjunct Professor, Miami-Dade College.