Colin Brown named Alliance chair

Council works to diversify economy

JM Family Enterprises’ chairman Colin Brown has been named chairman of the CEO Council for The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward’s public-private economic development partnership.

Brown, 69, replaces Ray Ferrero Jr., who has chaired the CEO Council since it was founded in 2009, the Alliance said Tuesday.

“Colin’s leadership will prove invaluable as we work together to strengthen and diversify Broward County’s economy,” said Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Alliance.

The council is comprised of executives who are the top private sector investors in the Alliance, Broward County’s official public/ private partnership for economic development. The investors provide funding for the Alliance’s national marketing and promotion of Broward County and the Greater Fort Lauderdale region, according to the Alliance.

Ferrero, chancellor of Nova Southeastern University, will serve as chair emeritus of the council. City Furniture president Keith Koenig remains as the council’s vice chair.

Other council members include: Mike Jackson, chairman and CEO of AutoNation; Leo Rodriguez, chairman of Emerson Latin America; Penny Shaffer, South Florida market president for Florida Blue; Matt Caldwell, president and CEO of Florida Panthers; Juliet M. Roulhac, regional manager for corporate external affairs of FPL; Andrew Rosen, president and CEO of Kaplan University; Rita and Rick Case, owners of Rick Case Automotive Group; Andrew J. Bowers, representative of the Seminole Tribe of Florida; Ken Stiles, CEO of Stiles Corp.; Hector A. Ponte, region bank president of Wells Fargo Bank; and Jordan Zimmerman, founder and chairman of Zimmerman advertising agency.

In June, Deerfield Beach-based automotive company JM Family named a new CEO, Brent Burns. He replaced Brown, who remains chairman of the company, which employs 4,200 people, including 1,700 in South Florida.

Brown