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The Non-Group was a largely-secretive membership-limited formal grouping of Miami businesspeople that played a significant role in guiding local affairs in Greater Miami for decades. The group consisted of well-connected business elite, and was in the 1970s and 1980s widely regarded as the metro-region’s main power broker, being described as a “shadow government” of the area. The group’s power had somewhat dissipated by the early 1990s, at which time it undertook efforts to demographically diversify its membership and reestablish its dominant influence. The group ultimately disbanded in the early 21st century.

History

In 1971, the Non-Group was formed[1] and began holding monthly meetings.[2] Co-founded and long co-headed by Alvah Chapman Jr. and Harry Hood Bassett, its original membership was twelve businessmen. Chapman and long co-headed the organization together.[3] Its original membership was entirely white and male.[4]

Meetings of the group took place in the form of private dinners for its members, where they would converse and make decisions. There were not committees or staffs for the group, and there were no dues owed by members.[3] For its first decades, the group was the main power broker in Miami affairs.[5] During his mayoralty in the city of Miami, Maurice Ferré (who was previously a member of the Non-Group in the early 1970s) described it as “the shadow government of metropolitan Dade County,” explaining, “the system of government we have creates a vacuum that’s filled by this group. This is the central power in Miami. This is where things are decided.”[4]

As of 1985, the group had 38 members.[2] By 1988, the group had 49 members, but remained mostly Anglo and male. It had only three black members and only two female members.[6] By 1989, the group grew to 52 members.[3] The group was described as “the embodiment of Dade [County] business community.”[7] However, in the next several years it greatly contracted as many members retired, died, or left the group on other terms.[3] By the late 1980s, the group was seeing its power lessen by the late-1980s when other organizations centered upon Hispanic leadership began to wield influence, such as the Latin Builders Association and the Cuban American National Foundation. The appearance of sex and racial exclusion this created (which some Non-Group defenders argued was not by intent of the group itself but rather a mere consequence of overall power dynamics in Miami) had by the late-1980s harmed its ability to build coalitions with the increasingly influential Hispanic population in the city.[6] In the early 1990s, a group of local Hispanic business leaders founded their own grouping modeled off of the Non-Group. This group, dubbed Le Mesa Redonda, presented another hispanic force which countered the previous dominance of the Non-Group in city politics. Four individuals held membership in both the Non-Group and Le Mesa Redonda as of April 1992 (Carlos Arboleya, Luis Botifoli, Arnando Codina, and Raul Masvidal).[8]

In late 1990, Codina and James Batten became the new co-leaders of the group.[3]

In December 1992, the Non-Group expanded from 34 members to 55 by admitting 21 new members, many of whom belonged to demographics previously underrepresented in the group. This was the largest singular expansion the group had ever made to its membership. The new members included nine hispanic members, six black members, and six anglo members. Two of these new members were women. Five of them were also existing members of Le Mesa Redonda. This membership expansion increased the group’s diversity to include a total of twelve hispanic members, nine black members, and four female members.[3]

While still wielding significant influence in the early 1990s, the group saw its power eclipsed by competing organizations.[5]

In 1994, the group made Frank Scruggs Jr. one of its co-chair, marked the first time that an African American had served as a head of the group.[5]

The non-group disbanded in the early 21st century. The group’s power had declined in a changing political landscape, with the closed grouping of connected and monied elite having fallen out-of-place against public sentiments that more favored grassroots activism.[9]

Policies and projects promoted

While many non-group lobbying efforts occurred behind-the-scenes and in-secret, others occurred in public view, or were otherwise reported upon.[2]

  • “Decade of Progress” bond issue (1972): Supported the successful “yes” campaign for the $553 million “Decade of Progress” bond referendum in 1972. The bond-issue raised revenue for public facility projects (including zoo, library, and hospital projects). Non-Group member Harper Sibley Jr. was the chief fundraiser for the “yes” campaign.[2]
  • Miami MetroZoo relocation: campaigned in support of the successful effort to replace the previous zoo location with a new relocated facility[3]
  • Metrorail construction (late-1970s): campaigned in support of construction of ,[3] including the successful “yes” campaign for the 1978 referendum. The referendum was heavily contested, with approval only narrowly passing. Non-Group member William Colson convinced other Non-Group members to raise funds for the “yes” campaign[2]
  • Repairs to damaged areas of Liberty City after the 1980 Miami riots: Non-Group members Frank Borman, Chapman, Colson unsuccessfully lobbied then-governor Bob Graham and the Florida Legislature for the passage a penny sales tax to fund the repair of areas damaged by the riots. After losing this battle, Chapman and fellow Non-Group member Charles I. Babcock Jr. (a construction magnate) enacted a plan which originated in the Non-Group, raising $7 million of private donations to create a loan fund which aided small black-owned businesses with funding repairs.[2]
  • Crime reduction and immigration enforcement (1980s):
  • County business license fee increase to fund a local symphony and economic development (1985): the Non-Group successfully lobbied the Metro Commission to double license fees on 100,000 businesses in Dade County in order to raise revenue to fund a local symphony orchestra and economic development projects. The proposal to establish a symphony (which resulted in the New World Symphony) had originated beyond the Non-Group, but gained the Non-Group’s support. Members of the Non-Group urged commissioners to approve the tax increase. Companies and organizations led by Non-Group members (including the Miami Herald, Knight-Ridder, Knight Foundation, Ryder System) contributed $1 million in private donations towards a symphony that were instrumental in convincing the county commissioners to approve the tax increase.[2]
  • Lobbied for action to combat I-95 robberies (1988): lobbied Governor Bob Graham to develop a plan to address a spree of robberies on Interstate 95[10]
  • Promoted re-investment efforts in black neighborhoods of Miami (1992)[11]

Members

Individuals that at one time were members of the Non-Group included:

References

  1. ^ a b Dugger, Celia A. (February 5, 1990). “Toppled from the Tower”. The Miami Herald. pp. 1A and 8A.:
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Dugger, Celia W. (September 3, 1985). “The 38 Who Run Miami”. The Miami Herald. pp. 8B and 9B.:
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Satterfield, David (December 19, 1992). “Miami Leaders’ Group Diversifies, Increases Its Membership To 55”. The Miami Herald. p. 2B. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c Dugger, Celia W. (September 1, 1985). “The 38 Who Secretly Guide Dade”. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e Balmaseda, Liz (April 16, 1994). “Non-Group’s Appointment Far From Democracy”. The Miami Herald. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay “New Rivals Challenge Old Guard”. The Miami Herald. February 1, 1988. p. 10A. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Dugger, Celia W. (March 27, 1989). “Black Leaders Sketch Plans For Reforms”. The Miami Herald. p. 5B. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c Goldfars, Carl (April 29, 1992). ““Hispanic Non-Group” Wields Influence; Informal Panel Addresses Issues of Community”. Newspapers.com. The Miami Herald. p. 10A.
  9. ^ Soto, Javier Alberto (May 5, 2016). “A ‘New Power’ Emerges In Greater Miami”. The Miami Foundation. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  10. ^ “In Dade, Political Leadership Is Risky”. The Miami Herald. February 4, 1988. p. 307. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ “Non-Group, Others: Focus In Inner City”. The Miami Herald. May 16, 1992. p. 4B. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Saatterfield, David (December 19, 1992). “New Members Expand Non-Group Diversity”. The Miami Herald. p. 2B. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ “David Blumberg, Noted Miami Developer”. Sun Sentinel. January 9, 1998. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  14. ^ “Armando M. Codina”. H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame – All Winners: Armando M. Codina. NSUworks.NOVA.edu. January 1, 1995. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  15. ^ a b “Miami banker Raul Masvidal, once one of the city’s most powerful Cuban Americans, dies at 82”. Yahoo News Canada. The Miami Herald. May 25, 2024. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  16. ^ Lederman, Daniel (August 27, 2020). “Miami’s meltdown: Nicholas Griffin presents ‘The Year of Dangerous Days’“. FIU News. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  17. ^ “R. Goode, Executive, Philanthropist”. Sun Sentinel. July 16, 2005. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  18. ^ Kidwell, David (March 13, 1992). “2 Civic Leaders Urge Stierheim’s Ouster; Pair of Non-Group Members Unhappy Over Tourist Chief’s Tenure”. The Miami Herald. p. 2B. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ “Hank Mayer, S. Florida Publicist”. Sun Sentinel. March 11, 1999. Retrieved April 16, 2026.