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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has announced that the Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), currently under the Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) Department, will become an independent department led by the Chief Resilience Officer Loren Parra.
This strategic reorganization will streamline county functions to improve key services for county residents and businesses, strengthening a commitment to protecting the environment while helping businesses to thrive across the community by making processes and approvals more efficient and customer-friendly.
“My administration is committed to building a more efficient, effective county government, delivering critical services that our businesses and residents rely on faster to save taxpayers time and money,” Mayor Levine Cava said. “At the same time, this reorganization strengthens our overall environmental and resilience planning and coordination by streamlining and aligning environmental regulation directly with resilience leadership, to deliver results for Miami-Dade.”
Parra currently serves as the county’s Chief Resilience Officer overseeing the Office of Environmental Risk and Resilience. In this dual role reporting to the Chief Utilities and Regulatory Services Officer Roy Coley, she will advance the administration’s mission of environmental stewardship and more resilient development – modernizing a critical department that serves so many in the community.
The new standalone department will double down on efforts to streamline the permitting experience, reduce processing times, and provide a more cohesive customer service experience for residents.
Parra has an extensive background in government affairs, advocacy, and public policy, with a strong focus on environmental resilience and community development. Prior to becoming Chief Resilience Officer, she served as Miami-Dade County’s Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer, spearheading critical projects and policy related to the restoration of Florida’s Biscayne Bay.
Through her leadership, the county has increased state and federal lobbying efforts to accelerate solutions to protect Biscayne Bay, including securing $5 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restart the Biscayne Bay Southern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) project. She has helped integrate the county’s siloed work around flood reduction and improved water quality, championing more efficient investments that protect our neighborhoods and public dollars.
“I am honored to take on this new role to better serve our residents, businesses, and environment,” Parra said. “DERM does essential work to protect our environment while ensuring our community can continue to grow and thrive, and I look forward to working with our entire team to deliver faster, more reliable, customer-centered services that bring great projects to completion faster.”
The reorganization will be included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Proposed Budget submitted to the Board of County Commissioners, to be effective Oct. 1 with the start of the new fiscal year.
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