Location
Age
Area of FocusAbout Otis' Work
Otis Pitts Jr. is a community organizer who has helped to develop and implement an economic agenda for the Liberty City area of Miami, Florida.
In the aftermath of the Liberty City disorders in 1980, Pitts set out to develop an economic environment that would improve the quality of goods and services available to the community, increase the level of entrepreneurial activity, and expand job opportunities. Noted for his successful efforts at team and coalition building, he co-founded the Tacolcy Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), whose members included local leaders from government, banks, foundations, and corporations, as well as neighborhood residents. He and TEDC were responsible for developing Edison Plaza, which was the only shopping center in the community, as well as the first multifamily, low-income housing to be built in Liberty City in decades.
Biography
Pitts has been president of Peninsula Developers, Inc. since 1996. He was president of the Tacolcy Economic Development Corporation, and was executive director of the Belafonte Tacolcy Center, Inc. (1974-83). He was also a police officer with the Miami Police Department (1970-74) and taught at the Criminal Justice Institute at Miami-Dade Community College (1973-74).
Pitts received a B.S. (1982) and an M.A. (1984) from Pepperdine University.
Last updated January 1, 2005
Published on August 1, 1990
