|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Following a national and local search, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava recently announced the appointment of Roy Coley as the new director of the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department (WASD).
As director of the largest water and sewer utility in the Southeastern United States, Coley will oversee the department responsible for delivering high-quality clean water and wastewater services to nearly 2.3 million residents and thousands of visitors annually.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Roy to this critical role overseeing the work of our Water and Sewer Department, which is at the center of our public and environmental health,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Roy brings 20-plus years of excellence in water operations to the county, including the startup and operations of high-quality drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, capital improvement plan implementation, septic to sewer conversion, and more.
“In his tenure with the City of Miami Beach Roy also helped spearhead globally recognized sea level rise adaptation projects and efforts to reduce pollution and protect Biscayne Bay.
He is a forward-thinking leader who will ensure that WASD not only continues to meet the highest water quality standards, but develops water systems better prepared to withstand the impacts of climate change and sea level rise,” the mayor added.
“Delivering excellent customer service to residents and creating an environment for WASD employees to do their best work in serving the community is at the core of the work of the department director,” said Jimmy Morales, chief operations officer for the county. “Roy has extensive experience in developing programs to help employees earn new skills and certifications and in negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and he will bring his commitment to elevating the customer and employee experience to his work as director.
Along with the Mayor, I want to thank and recognize Josenrique Cueto, who has stepped up and done an outstanding job as interim director for the last several months.”
Coley responded, “I am humbled to be entrusted with leading an organization that has so much impact on our future. In South Florida we enjoy some of the best quality drinking water in the world. I’m proud to lead the team that delivers high-quality drinking water to so many, while at the same time working to ensure we are leading the way as innovators to reuse water, preserve our natural resources, and prepare for sea level rise.”
Roy Coley joins the county from the City of Miami Beach where he served as director of the Public Works Department since 2015. In that role he managed the team responsible for all the design, permitting, construction, operation and maintenance of the city’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems and led climate change adaptation and resilience efforts within the department.
Prior to joining the city, he served for a decade as the manager of operations for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, leading the team that executed septic tank to sewer conversion and pioneering a new drinking water quality management technique. He came to South Florida from Falkville, AL where he served as town superintendent (town manager), and holds his Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and MBA from Saint Leo University.
