On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Miami Beach Planning Director Thomas Mooney and Preservation Chief Deborah Tackett spoke at the Jewish Museum of Florida for the 16th World Congress on Art Deco lecture series.
In their lecture, Mooney and Tackett discuss the adaptive resiliency strategies applied to Miami Beach’s Historic Art Deco District.
They share their joint efforts expanding upon the district and one of the biggest challenges in the area – climate change and sea level rise.
Thomas Mooney received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, with an area of specialization in Urban and Regional Planning, from Florida International University. Mooney started his public sector career with the City of North Miami Beach in 1989 as a Management Intern and finished as an Assistant City Planner.
In 1993 he joined the City of Miami Beach as a Senior Planner, overseeing the Design Review and Historic Preservation functions of the Planning Department. Mr. Mooney was promoted to Principal Planner, Design and Preservation Manager, and eventually, Acting Planning & Zoning Manager, while taking on progressively more responsible roles in the overall administration of the Department.
In January 2014, he was appointed Director of the City of Miami Beach Planning Department, the position he holds today. Mr. Mooney is a Certified Professional Planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mooney currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the FIU Graduate School of Public Administration.
He has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Gold Coast Section of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association and he has also served as the Southeast Representative of the Urban Design and Preservation Division of the National American Planning Association.
Locally, Mooney serves on the Board of the Crystal Academy Primary School and Therapy Center for Children with intellectual disabilities. Mr. Mooney has served on the Board of Directors of Dade Heritage Trust, the Tropical Pioneers of the Historical Museum of South Florida (now History Miami), and the Florida Philharmonic Maestro Society of Dade County.
He is a graduate of the Miami Design Preservation League Tour Guide Academy and is a certified Historic District Tour Guide. Mr. Mooney is an avid cyclist and competitive triathlete.
Debbie Tackett is the Historic Preservation and Architecture Officer for the City of Miami Beach with over 20 years of experience in both the private and public sectors, she has extensive knowledge of the principles, methods, and practices of historic preservation, planning, urban design, architecture, and public administration.
During her time with the City, Ms. Tackett has been responsible for overseeing the survey, research, and historic designation of six local historic districts, three National Register historic districts, and numerous historic sites and single-family homes.
Additionally, she has successfully guided major new development projects within all fourteen of the City’s local historic districts while preserving their special historic character. She holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami.
The 16th World Congress on Art Deco was made possible with the support of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, the State of Florida, the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies, and the Art Deco Society of the Palm Beaches.
