Stanley Arkin
Stanley Arkin’s entire life was dedicated to serving the community - philanthropically and dedicating his time and energy to many causes that were near and dear to his heart. Despite being incredibly busy running one of Miami’s oldest and most prominent construction companies he still made the time to remain very involved in causes that he felt passionate about. Mr. Arkin often said that work was not “the end all, be all,” that life was about so much more and therefore he dedicated himself to community service. Mr. Arkin served the City of Miami Beach as a City Commissioner for four terms and he ran the last two terms completely unopposed. It was clear that voters trusted him, knowing he was truly there to make a difference. Stanley Arkin was the main liaison for developers from out of state who came to South Beach seeing the potential that the area had - and he helped guide them through the process. For more than 20 years, he championed three main passion projects/causes: the University of Miami, (Trustee Emeritus of the Board); Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (Board Chairman); and, in the late 1990s, Arkin got involved in the Performing Arts Center Trust, and played a key role in the construction of what is now known as the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Stan was a lover of the arts, holding season tickets to Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, and attended theater and concert performances all throughout Miami-Dade County. At the age of 60, having had his midlife crisis, he decided that he wanted to learn the flute - much to the dismay of his wife and family with all the off-key playing that they endured while he practiced - but one of the thrills of his life was when he gave a friends and family a private performance in the main auditorium at the Arsht Center before it opened.