“Welcome to Daniella Delivers!” That phrase at the top of Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava’s homepage says it all. And is precisely why we endorse Daniella in her re-election to serve the people of Miami-Dade County District-8.
Miami’s Community Newspapers fully supports Daniella is her August 2018 run, not only because she has clearly delivered for the people of her district, but because she works hard to make County government more accountable, she brings resources to our area, and always focuses on critical issues that make the entire community more livable.
Daniella was first elected in 2014 to District 8, which encompasses Cutler Bay, Homestead, unincorporated areas of South Dade including Redland, Falls, Princeton, parts of Naranja, Leisure City, parts of West Kendall, and Palmetto Bay.
In the last few years, Daniella’s office has served as a caring and effective resource to residents, small businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations that share our vision of exploring opportunities for South Dade.
Since her election, the commissioner has focused on delivering for her district on a wide range of issues: Fighting for a fair share for South Dade, expanding economic opportunity, championing parks and the environment, improving transit options,
and, of course, hosting the annual South Dade Solutions Summit.
We’re also very impressed with the progress she’s made as District 8’s Commissioner by bringing a real focus to this important area of the county through the recently launched effort, “South Dade: More to Explore.”
Born in New York City and raised across North and South America, her family stressed giving back and working to create equal opportunity. Daniella got her bachelor’s degree in psychology with honors from Yale University and graduate degrees in law and social work from Columbia University. She then came to South Florida in 1980, where she and her husband Robert raised two children.
The Commissioner has long served as an advocate for South Florida residents and communities. She has served special needs children and immigrants at Legal Services of Greater Miami and with the Department for Children and Families. She also founded Catalyst Miami (formerly called Human Services Coalition of Dade County), to help low- and middle-income families improve their standard of living through service and advocacy.
The list of her community accomplishments is stunning, with highlights that include service to the Florida Bar Committee on Legal Needs of Children and to the boards of League of Women Voters, Orange Bowl Foundation and Florida Association of Counties. She’s won awards from the Commission on Ethics and the Red Cross, as well as from the National Council of Jewish Women, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, and the Deering Foundation, among many others.
At the county level, the commissioner currently sits on the following committees: Housing and Social Services, Parks and Cultural Affairs (as Vice-Chair), and Public Safety and Health. She also serves as a member of the Transportation Planning Organization, and on the executive board of the South Florida Regional Planning Organization.
Daniella can be credited with increasing the County police force by 80 officers with more than half that number being placed in districts which serve South Dade. She also broke ground on a new Fire Rescue station and opened another. She secured over $30 million in funds for infrastructure projects in Homestead, Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.
She also convened a tri-city Traffic Solutions Summit to develop and implement a realistic local plan, including reducing bus travel times by synchronizing traffic lights on US 1, allowing city trolleys to use the South Dade Transit Way, and advocating for extension of MetroRail to Florida City. Her “Dead Serious” bicycle and pedestrian safety initiative aims to reduce accidents and injuries.
Daniella advocates for protection of our parks, animals, and the environment; and strives to increase accountability and reducing waste in government; while making real efforts at growing our economy and opportunity.
We are confident, when Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava is re-elected, she will continue to earn the voters’ trust and deliver on even more promises for residents and businesses over the next few years.
