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The City of Doral has been home to Mayor Christi Fraga and her Cuban-American family for over twenty years. Naturally, when the time came for Christi and her husband, Gabriel Fraga, to decide where they would start a family, Doral was the only option. Today Christi, Gabriel and their 6-year-old son Gabriel Jr. call Doral home. Mayor Fraga earned an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Finance Management and Accounting from Florida International University (FIU). In 2014, she also earned a sixty-hour certificate from the University of Miami’s Good Government Initiative Leaders in Excellence Program, whose content was designed to cultivate ethical and leadership abilities in elected officials. These accomplishments not only contributed to the strong foundation that underscores Christi’s ability to thrive, but also served to inspire her to embark on various entrepreneurial ventures which include several successful businesses based within Doral.
While attaining her education and since the start of her career, Christi envisioned herself as a well-rounded, determined, and passionate business and community leader. Therefore, in 2012, she decided to run a vigorous campaign for an open seat on the Doral City Council. In November of that year, she was elected as the youngest person in the City’s history to serve on the Council. The following year she was appointed by her colleagues to serve as the City’s Vice Mayor, a position she held for three out of the eight years that she served on the Council. While serving as a Doral Council member, Christi continuously went above and beyond what was expected of her, concentrating her efforts on empowering the youth, women, the elderly, and the special needs community. She also undertook strong efforts to improve traffic, education, and small businesses support.
To empower the youth in Doral, Christi spearheaded the creation of the Youth Advisory Board, a group of young civic leaders who advise the City on how to get other young adults involved in government services. She also created the Youth Leadership Award to recognize young civic leaders for their excellence in academics, their leadership, and community service initiatives. To empower women, Christi served for two years as the chair of the Women’s Alliance Group (WAG), which focused on enhancing women’s opportunities in the workplace while also encouraging them to make a difference in their community. She has also raised funds for important community causes such as the Women’s Breast Health Initiative (WBHI), the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and organizations which help the disabled, battle domestic violence, and provide gratuitous healthcare services for the community.
Mayor Fraga has always been passionate about education and creating increased educational opportunities for students. She served in the Miami-Dade County League of Cities (MDCLC) Board of Directors, whose members appointed her to serve on the Miami-Dade County Public School’s Site Planning and Construction Committee (SPCCS) which brought three additional public schools to Doral. Christi established and promoted increased engagement with the members of Parent Teacher and Student Associations (PTSA) at local schools, which led to expansion of City PTSA Grants to fund additional programs to benefit education, the establishment of a City Computer Donation Program to ensure a steady yearly flow of computer equipment to Doral’s schools, and Back to School EXPO conferences for parents and educators that emphasized on providing parents and families with important tools and resources to promote safe, healthy, and supportive educational environments for students. Christi also supported increased opportunities for higher education for students by serving on the Florida International University (FIU) President’s Council, and the creation of a City Executive Internship Program and a direct trolley-route between Doral and FIU which presently makes of 250,000 trips per year and benefits over 4,500 FIU students and families.
Christi’s initiatives also included lowering property taxes for low-income seniors, promoting fiscal responsibility, ethics, and transparency. She has continuously supported the expansion of the City’s parks, which included Legacy and Glades parks, and the Aquatic Facility complex at Doral Central Park which is currently in the construction process. Christi also supports the enhancement of the City’s Police facilities which will increase safety for Doral’s businesses as well as for its residents. She advocates road improvement projects meant to alleviate traffic flows, minimize flooding, and stabilize Doral’s canal banks. She also favors public transportation enhancements that promote the use of trolleys, bikes, and walkability. Christi also supports information technology initiatives that will allow for increased digital citizen engagement and propel the City of Doral into becoming a fully functioning Smart City.
She served as a Miami-Dade School board member, the 4th largest school district in nation, Christi recommended improvements and voted on the oversight of a $7 Billion budget. She participated in the Miami-Dade Value adjustment board, and served as the vice chair to the Facilities committee, she also served as the vice chair to the audit and budget committee. During her time on the school board Christi proposed initiatives that enhanced parent involvement and choice, improved public education, increased special need resources, included financial literacy in schools, and emphasized the importance of mental health and social emotional learning curriculum.
Christi Fraga makes history by being elected City of Doral’s first-ever woman Mayor in December 2022. After a career of more than 10 years in public service and elected leadership, she enters the mayor’s office bringing her experience and passion of working for the community. Mayor Fraga currently serves as a member in the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization. (TPO) Mayor Fraga is determined that her hard work, dedication, and spirit of collaboration will ensure a bright and bold future for the families of Doral and that her stewardship will make a positive impact for years to come.
Mayor Fraga may be contacted via email at Mayor@cityofdoral.com.
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