Miami Beach native Jimmy Morales has been dedicated to both community service and public leadership in his hometown since he was a kid. From captain of the Safety Patrol at Biscayne Elementary to Student Council President at both Nautilus Junior High and Miami Beach Senior High, and even as recently as a few years ago when he served as the Chief Special Master for the City of Miami Beach, Jimmy has always cared about giving back to a city that gave him so much.
Jimmy has been practicing law for 25 years since graduating from Harvard Law School. Upon graduation, Jimmy served as a law clerk for United State District Court Judge Edward B. Davis in the Southern District of Florida. Jimmy then worked as an international corporate attorney at firms in Washington, D.C. and New York before returning to Miami. Currently, Jimmy is a Shareholder and member of the Board of Directors at the law firm of Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., where he specializes in Local Government Law. Among his representations, Jimmy serves as the City Attorney for the City of Doral, General Counsel to the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority, and Special Master for the Town of Surfside.
One of the lessons he learned as a young man on Miami Beach was the importance of public service. Jimmy served as the District 7 Commissioner on the Miami-Dade County Commission from 1996 through 2004. During his tenure on the Board, Jimmy served as Chairman of the Budget and Finance committee as well as Chairman of the Mayor’s Task Force on Efficiency and Competition. He was also the Miami-Dade Liaison to the Miami Downtown Development Authority and the Miami-Dade County League of Cities. After leaving elected office, Jimmy served as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party from 2005- 2007, and was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.
Jimmy also has a long history of community service. He was the recipient of the Miami Herald Silver Knight Award when he graduated Beach High in recognition of his volunteer work. He has served or currently serves in leadership positions with some of the leading organizations in Florida, including the Board of Governors of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Co-chairman of the Board of Trustees (Miami Chapter) for Autism Speaks, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Silver Knight Alumni Legacy Network, Chairman of Heart of a Chef (2010-2012) for the Florida Heart Research Institute, the South Florida National Parks Trust, and the American Red Cross. He has devoted countless hours of volunteer time with these and other organizations to address critical issues in the community. Jimmy met the love of his life, Dori Foster- Morales, at Miami Beach High and they have now been married for 23 years. They have two children: Nora and Peter. In 2004, Jimmy was proud to be elected to the Miami Beach Senior High School Hall of Fame. Miami Beach will always be an important part of his personal and professional life.
