Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez has appointed Lara De Souza-Hamwey as director of Parks and Recreation effective Jan. 23, and John Heffernan as deputy director of the Office of Communications who joined the City of Miami on Jan. 28.
“Lara has proven that she can successfully lead our Parks and Recreation Department and John is someone whose work ethic and skills will allow us to continue the job of informing our stakeholders,” Gonzales said. “These two professionals embody our continued efforts to attract and promote people who will help serve and transform our community.
“We are committed to providing the best services to our residents and Ms. De Souza-Hamwey and Mr. Heffernan’s talent and leadership will help us do just that through our Parks and Recreation and Communications Department,” the manager added.
Lara de Souza-Hamwey is the first woman to be appointed director of Parks and Recreation in the City of Miami in more than three decades. She has been a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department for the past 15 years and has served as deputy director since 2013.
Under her direction, the Miami Parks and Recreation Department was accredited for the very first time in 2011 by the National Parks and Recreation Association (NPRA) and achieved its subsequent accreditation renewal in 2016.
As deputy director, she managed the annual budget of $47 million and has overseen significant technological improvements for Parks and Recreation, including the implementation of an enterprise tool for asset management and work orders named Cartegraph.
Heffernan has worked at national public affairs firm Kivvit since 2015, providing communications counsel and support to a variety of clients, including nonprofits, government agencies and businesses. Prior to that, he served as communications manager at the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, promoting airport services and business developments, and supporting the department’s federal advocacy efforts.
Congratulations to Lara De Sousa as new head of the City’s Parks and Recreation department. It’s about time a Director is promoted from within the department. As a former member of several boards/committees, I am personally familiar with her expertise and professionalism. We’re lucky to have her.