The board of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust recently voted unanimously to bring Hilda Fernandez home.
Fernandez first served as executive director of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust from July 1997 to January 2003. Upon leaving that post Fernandez served on the Homeless Trust Board as the mayor’s designee, and most recently as the representative for the Miami-Dade League of Cities. She stepped down from that seat in early May.
“This is a fantastic day for the Miami- Dade County Homeless Trust,” said board chair Ron Book.
“Hilda was a fantastic executive director. That means she walks in ready to go. She knows our organization; she understands our mission. She is one of the key people who helped frame our vision,” he added.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be coming back as the executive director of this great organization,” Fernandez said. “When you look at how all this came about, how all the pieces of the puzzle came together, I have no doubt that this was meant to be.
“I look forward to helping the Trust board and staff, our service providers and our private sector partners in continuing to do fantastic things for the community. I truly believe that together we will end homelessness in Miami-Dade.”
The executive director position became available when David Raymond submitted his resignation in April.
“One of my biggest concerns when I announced my resignation was the question of who would fill my role,” Raymond said. “I can’t think of a better person than Hilda Fernandez. Hilda is brilliant. She is capable. It is immensely comforting to me to know that the Homeless Trust is in great hands.”
Raymond then added with a smile, “And I’m not just saying that because Hilda is the person who originally hired me to the Homeless Trust.”
Fernandez left her post as assistant city manager of Miami Beach on July 23. Before leaving the county in 2005, she also served as a senior advisor to the mayor, executive director of the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust, and as the county’s communications director.
For more information regarding the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, visit www.miamidade.gov/homeless/
