Some mornings test whether an institution can govern itself under pressure. On November 6, 2024, a senior North Miami Beach official was arrested on grave felony charges. The charges are allegations. They are unproven, and still before the court. What the city could control was its own response. North Miami Beach was already a PCG client, and within fifteen minutes of the call that morning, PCG was in the room at City Hall and stayed to guide every decision that followed.

A matter of public record

The facts below are drawn from Miami police, the Miami-Dade State Attorney, and the criminal court docket. They are set down here as the public record, not as findings of guilt.

The arrestMiami Police · Nov 6, 2024
David Scott, Deputy City Manager, was arrested and charged with 15 felony counts of possession of material showing sexual performance by a child. The investigation began in 2023.
The city’s action
The same day, City Manager Mario Diaz terminated Scott after receiving and reviewing the Miami Police arrest report.
CourtNov 7, 2024
Bond was set at $18,000, with Level-3 house arrest, GPS monitoring, no contact with minors, and internet and travel restrictions.
Continuity
An interim deputy city manager was installed. Investigators did not seek city equipment; only Scott’s personal electronics were seized.
Status
Scott pleaded not guilty in December 2024. The matter remains pending, with a jury trial set for September 8, 2026. He is presumed innocent.

Fifteen minutes

Response clock · November 6

15

minutes on scene

North Miami Beach was already a PCG client under a contract that included crisis communications. The morning of the arrest, the City Manager called PCG. The team was on scene at City Hall within a quarter hour.

  1. 7:00 a.m., Nov 6City Manager Mario Diaz calls Evan Ross of PCG.
  2. Within 15 minutesPCG is on scene, guiding the internal process.
  3. Morning into early afternoonThe team prepares. By the time the first outlet reaches out, the city’s statement is ready.
  4. The one variableThe arrest report, which the City Manager would review before acting on David Scott.
  5. AfternoonThe story surfaces publicly. It is believed to have come from outside the city.

The room

The decision was made by the people who had to live with it, in one room, the morning of the arrest.

  • Mario DiazCity Manager
  • Marlene MonestimeChief of Staff
  • Juan PinillosPolice Chief
  • Stuart NicholsDeputy Chief
  • NMB DetectiveJoint task force
  • Babette FriedmanHR Director
  • Joe GellerCity Attorney
  • Jennifer TornaCommunications Mgr
  • Evan RossPCG

PCG recommended terminating David Scott. In the room, the recommendation was supported by most, but not all. City Manager Mario Diaz took PCG’s advice, and acted the same day.

Terminating a colleague, one many considered a friend, is never easy. But the charges were grave and the city’s duty was clear. The recommendation was not unanimous. The team held to it. Judgment under that kind of pressure is the work.

One voice

Spokesperson protocol

One voice on the record.

Nine in the room · one on the record

The city briefed its staff and limited who could speak for North Miami Beach to a single person: Evan Ross of PCG. In the coverage that followed, only his name and title appeared. The firm’s did not. One voice meant one set of facts, and no contradictions to chase.

City statement · cooperation

“Although the city has not been asked to provide any assistance or information, we will fully cooperate with and expedite any requests made of North Miami Beach.”

A holding line that commits without speculating.

City statement · termination

“After receiving and reviewing the arrest report from Miami PD, City Manager Mario Diaz has terminated the employment of David Scott.”

Paired with the action itself, the same day.

The discipline went further than the statement. At an afternoon meeting of department directors, at PCG’s direction, City Manager Mario Diaz asked every director to refrain from speaking to the press about David Scott, and to ask their staff to do the same. The city had nothing to hide. But every additional voice would have tied David Scott more tightly to North Miami Beach, and the goal was the opposite: to keep the man and the institution apart.

Two waves, then the city kept working

Coverage over the week

Relative coverage volume · illustrative of the shape, not a precise metric

The city kept functioning throughout: an interim deputy manager in place, services uninterrupted. Coverage ran in two waves, then decayed. The response did not silence the story, and it was never meant to. It removed the drivers of a prolonged one: silence, indecision, contradiction, and doubt about whether the institution could hold.

  • Local 10 · EN/ES
  • WLRN
  • Miami Herald
  • WSVN
  • CBS Miami
  • El Nuevo Herald · ES
  • NBC6
  • Miami Times
  • Florida Politics

The discipline, in order

Nothing here was improvised. The response followed a sequence any organization can learn from.

  1. Acknowledge quickly.Define the organization’s posture before speculation fills the gap.
  2. Cooperate without speculating.Support investigators and promise prompt assistance. Claim nothing about evidence you do not control.
  3. Pair the statement with action.Once the facts are confirmed, act visibly. The termination showed the city responding, not adjudicating.
  4. Separate the person from the institution.Use precise language and decisive governance so the accused no longer speaks or acts for the organization.
  5. Demonstrate continuity.Name interim leadership and confirm operations continue, so people see control, not disruption.
  6. Let a resolved question stay resolved.Hold consistent facts and avoid commentary that reopens a question already answered.
The city, not the crisis.

The response moved North Miami Beach from the subject of the story to the institution answering it. That separation kept the alleged conduct attached to David Scott, and kept the city able to do its work.

On the record

“
That was one of the toughest days I’ve faced as a City Manager. Emotions were high, but Evan Ross (PCG) brought a calm, objective perspective that helped me step back, focus on the facts, and make the decisions that were in the best interest of North Miami Beach. His counsel and the collaborative approach he brought to the room helped us navigate an incredibly difficult situation with professionalism and sound judgment. From the first phone call at 7:00 a.m. until we left after the 6:00 p.m. news cycle, we worked side by side through every decision involving HR, the Police Department, our Commissioners, our employees, and the public. That experience was a masterclass in how crisis leadership and communications should be handled.
Mario DiazCity Manager · City of North Miami Beach
“
In law enforcement, our daily work puts us in the center of crisis situations. This one hit home, and our team had to come together to handle it. PCG proved quickly that their recommendations were spot on, bringing the story to a quick conclusion, ensuring public confidence in city operations, and creating a clear separation between the accusations and the city.
Juan PinillosPolice Chief · City of North Miami Beach
“
As a communications professional, this was the first major crisis I was a part of handling. Watching PCG work and being part of a team that worked seamlessly together taught me lessons I’ll carry with me throughout my career. That day taught me more than I ever learned in a classroom. The key takeaways: Protect the city. Tell the truth. Keep it short and simple.
Jennifer TornaCommunications Manager · City of North Miami Beach

A matter still before the courtDavid Scott has pleaded not guilty. The criminal matter remains pending, with a jury trial set for September 8, 2026. Nothing in this case study should be read as a finding of guilt. The allegations are for law enforcement and the courts to resolve, and Mr. Scott is presumed innocent.