15 Jul Revered President of the Earl B. & Loraine H. Miller Foundation in Long Beach to Retire after 28 years
Long Beach – July 15, 2019 – Walter Florie has dedicated 28 years of outstanding leadership to the Miller Foundation in Long Beach (Florie joined the Foundation in 1991 as a Trustee, 1993 as Vice President, 1995 as President, and then in 2000 President/CEO) with a commitment to serving Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller’s vision of “healthy children” in the Greater Long Beach community by actively supporting and generously funding local service organizations. During his tenure, the Foundation has committed over 60 million dollars to Long Beach organizations to grow and advance the health of the whole child in Long Beach.
From its beginning in 1967, the Foundation has maintained its focus on serving children within the Greater Long Beach community. During the years since, the demographics of the community have changed dramatically, and the Foundation, under Mr. Florie’s leadership, has strived to balance the growing needs of the community with the desires of the Millers.
Mr. Florie helped the Foundation celebrate its 50th anniversary, and along with the Board of Trustees, implemented an exciting new strategic plan. This plan diversifies the Foundation’s grant-making efforts beyond their historical grantee base to better serve the most vulnerable neighborhoods of Long Beach. The goal is to provide “children living within these high-need neighborhoods the opportunity to flourish, develop, and reach their full potential.”
Through this plan, Florie and the Board of Trustees also made commitments to support capital improvements within a handful of legacy organizations that were part of founder Loraine Miller’s original vision for the Foundation. Florie and the Board believe these decisions will enable the Foundation to make a greater short-and long-term impact, serving the Miller’s vision and meeting the growing needs of the Long Beach community.
After nearly three decades of leading the Foundation to success, Florie now plans to spend more time with his family and to continue to work on community projects that serve Long Beach. “We have enormous respect, admiration, and gratitude for Walt,” said Ron Arias, Vice President of the Board of Trustees. “The Foundation and Long Beach were very fortunate to have Walt at the helm of the Miller Foundation during this period of extraordinary change. The Board of Trustees is grateful and appreciative of Walt’s sound and effective leadership during his tenure and wishes him well in retirement.”
The Foundation’s Board of Trustees has retained executive search firm Berkhemer Clayton Inc., to assist with the search for Mr. Florie’s successor. “This is not going to be an easy search,” shared Arias. “Walt’s shoes will be hard to fill.” The Foundation expects to have a new President in place before Mr. Florie officially steps down in late December 2019.
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