South Florida developer nominated to be Biden’s ambassador to Belgium

President Joe Biden nominated Coral Gables real estate mogul Michael Adler as the new U.S. ambassador to Belgium, one of two ambassadorship nominations of major Democratic fundraisers announced Wednesday.

Adler, the chairman and CEO of South Florida-based Adler Group Inc., has been a Democratic donor for over a decade and was the national finance chairman of Biden’s 2008 presidential campaign.

In 2019, ahead of the Democratic presidential preference primary, Adler hosted a private fundraiser for Biden at the Gables Club, where then-candidate Biden warned the crowd of about 200 people that re-electing former President Donald Trump would be the “end of NATO.”

Talks of Adler’s potential nomination to be Biden’s Ambassador to Belgium were first reported by the Washington Post earlier this year.

“The relationship between the United States and Belgium is one of good friends and NATO allies. If confirmed to this important role, I will work hard to further strengthen the strong ties between our governments and our peoples as we continue to cooperate on the full range of global challenges,” Adler said in a statement to the Herald.

“My sincere gratitude to President Biden for his trust in nominating me for this position, and if confirmed I look forward to serving my country as the ambassador to Belgium,” he added.

NATO’s headquarters and many important European Union offices are located in Brussels.

The appointment of an ambassador is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Adler, who has served as president of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, was reportedly eyeing the ambassadorship to Israel where he hoped to strengthen the relationship between both countries, according to an interview he gave the Jewish publication The Forward. But he said he would be willing to serve wherever the administration believed he could best serve.

“I feel I have a résumé that goes far beyond being a political contributor,” he told The Forward at the time.

Adler Group Inc. is one of the largest real estate development companies in South Florida. Adler, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami, currently sits on the board of trustees of Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he previously served as chairman.

Among the nominations announced Wednesday are other Biden allies, including Georgia state Rep. Calvin Smyre nominated to be U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic and Biden ally Erik Ramanathan to be U.S. ambassador to Sweden.

McClatchy DC staff writer Bryan Lowry contributed to this story.