The board of directors of Junior Achievement of Greater Miami has announced the unanimous appointment of Ken Wiggins as its new chair. Outgoing chair Troy Templeton will transition to chair emeritus, effective immediately.

Templeton, chair emeritus at Trivest Partners and founder of the Templeton Family Foundation, will continue to support JA Miami’s mission as chair emeritus. He will lend his expertise, honed over 50 years of involvement with Junior Achievement, to the organization’s ongoing work to teach Miami students about money — how to earn it, save it, share it, and spend it.

Wiggins, a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and leader of the firm’s Miami office, has devoted more than a decade of service to JA Miami. He first joined as the Stock Market Challenge Committee chair for the Young Professionals Network and has since served as a board member, Chair of the Governance Committee, and chair of the Events Committee, where he championed flagship events such as the Stock Market Challenge — now entering its 11th year — and the JA Invitational, JA’s premier golf tournament and fundraiser.

“Junior Achievement of Greater Miami sets the standard for empowering young people in our community,” Wiggins said. “It has been my privilege to witness firsthand the transformative results delivered by JA Miami’s programs. As chair, my focus will be on expanding our reach, deepening our partnerships, and ensuring that every student has access to the skills and experiences necessary for lifelong success. I am honored to lead this exceptional board into a new era of growth and innovation.

“Miami is entering a period of unprecedented opportunity for both philanthropic impact and business leadership. JA Miami is uniquely positioned to inspire and equip the next generation. I look forward to working with our dedicated team, partners, and volunteers as we advance our mission,” Wiggins added.

“We’re thrilled that Ken is stepping up as our new board chair,” said Lourdes de la Mata Little, JA Miami president and CEO. “He’s been a tremendous advocate for our mission to teach the one thing we all wish we learned about in school — money. He will help Miami public school students build confidence, capability, and choice before their paths are set.”

De la Mata Little also expressed gratitude for outgoing chair Templeton’s years of dedicated service.

“I want to extend heartfelt appreciation to Troy for everything he’s done for JA Miami in his six years as chair, and his longstanding commitment as a board member. Ken will have enormous shoes to fill, but we’re excited to get to work.”

Templeton led massive growth at JA Miami, including a major leadership change in 2024 from Catherine Haga, who led the organization for 35 years, to de la Mata Little’s current appointment as CEO. Their shared vision includes making sure JA is the leader in teaching financial literacy to all Miami-Dade students, to develop and equip the workforce so that today’s students can continue to live, work, and play in Miami.

Several new board members were welcomed at the meeting, including Eddie Dominguez, managing senior vice president of marketing at City National Bank, and George Pita, who recently retired as executive vice president and chief financial officer of MasTec Inc.

“With Ken’s new role and the addition of our new members, we’re building a high-functioning, high-engagement group to steer us into a new era,” de la Mata Little said. “We’re laying a foundation that will position JA Miami for scale and growth over the next few years.”

JA Miami has ambitious plans for the coming fiscal year, including launching JA Finance Park Miami, expanding the JA Student-Managed Investment Fund (a unique program developed in partnership with Trivest Partners), growing the JA Entrepreneurial Mindset mentorship cohort, expanding the flagship JA Rising Women mentoring event, and aiming for another record-breaking year with the JA Company Program, which led the United States with 70 student-run companies in 2026.

For more information from Junior Achievement of Greater Miami, contact Annmarie Pisano at annmarie@pisanoslater.com.

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