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About Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa
Rebeca Sosa has served on the Miami-Dade County Commission as District 6 commissioner since June 2001. She has been re-elected three times - most recently in 2010 without opposition - to represent the communities of City of Miami, Coral Gables, West Miami, Hialeah and Miami Springs. On November 20, 2012, she was elected by her colleagues as Chairwoman of the County Commission where she will serve a two-year term.
Chairwoman Sosa was born in Camaguey, Cuba. She received her Bachelor Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Puerto Rico; and a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from Saint Thomas University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She holds certifications in both elementary education and as an instructor for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Chairwoman Sosa has been an educator for more than 30 years and is currently a teacher-trainer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Prior to joining Miami-Dade County, Chairwoman Sosa served as mayor of the City of West Miami from 1994 to 2001 where her leadership resulted in the city's recovery from a 52% budget deficit, thus removing it from the State Governor's Emergency list. During her tenure, she was able to secure more than $5 million in grants for capital improvement projects for the City as well as improving its drainage and parks systems.
Chairwoman Sosa has been happily married to her husband, Armando, for the past 36 years. She is the proud mother of Armando, Jr. and Veronica, and grandmother to Alexander.
Leadership
Chairwoman Sosa served as Chair of Miami-Dade County Economic Development and Social Services Committee responsible for providing oversight and guidance to those departments and agencies charged with the economic development and revitalization of this community and crafting an atmosphere that promotes public / private partnerships while alluring businesses to Miami-Dade County.
Chairwoman Sosa served as Chair of the Miami-Dade County Performance and Efficiency Committee. She was tasked with identifying inefficiencies in how departments run and to improve any processes for better service for residents.
Chairwoman Sosa served as Chair of the State Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee, which has oversight over all aspects of the County's State legislative agenda.
Chairwoman Sosa served as Vice-Chair of the Health and Public Safety Committee, which oversees matters relating to the health, protection and safety of County residents. She is also a member of the Airport and Tourism and Budget and Finance Committees as well as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Chairwoman Sosa served as Chair of the Procurement Management Policy Subcommittee where she accomplished many positive initiatives including, but not limited to: the development of procedures to ensure that County Departments monitor contracts within their jurisdiction; mandatory ethics training for all procurement department employees; the development of a standard process for evaluating the work of construction contractors and consultants during and after a project completion and the inclusion of a tracking system that will red-flag any company that has not lived up to its contractual obligations.
Chairwoman Sosa served as chair the Community Outreach, Safety & Healthcare Administration (COSHA) Committee and was a member of the Regional Transportation Committee and the Internal Management & Fiscal Responsibility Committee.
Accomplishments
Since serving on the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, Chairwoman Sosa has achieved the following:
Spearheaded the start of direct flights between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain in a joint effort with government officials from the Canary Islands and AirEurope. This has resulted in four additional flights between Miami International Airport (MIA) and Madrid, Spain.
Appointed to the South Florida Regional Planning Council whose mission is to identify the long-term challenges and opportunities facing Southeast Florida and assist the region's leaders in developing and implementing creative strategies that result in more prosperous and equitable communities, a healthier and cleaner environment, and a more vibrant economy.
Presented checks totaling $6.151 million from the District 6 General Obligation Bonds towards the construction of multi-purpose facilities in the Cities of Miami, Miami Springs, and West Miami.
Has been a leading force in working towards prevention of elder abuse and neglect. She sponsored a resolution authorizing the County Manager to form what would become the Elder Abuse Task Force to make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on issues addressing the detection and prevention of elder abuse and/or neglect in Assisted Living Facilities, nursing homes, convalescent homes, or other facilities that house or care for the elderly in Miami-Dade County.
Presented with the “Government & Law” award during the 21st Annual In the Company of Women Award Ceremony for her proven leadership, creativity and vision in addressing community issues in Miami-Dade County.
Sponsored Legislation
The State Board of education is requiring the FCAT scores of English Language Learners (ELL) and students with disabilities to be counted before these students have achieved certain basic competencies. In order to prevent this from happening and to level the playing field, Commissioner Sosa sponsored a resolution urging the State Board of Education to adopt the recommendations of the Education Commissioner’s Task Force. #121303
Resolution urging the Florida Legislature to enact comprehensive Assisted Living Facility legislation during the 2013 session to protect the elderly and other vulnerable populations that reside in such facilities. File #121830
Resolution urging Congress and the federal government to increase funding for the Head Start and Early Head Start program to reduce the number of children on the waiting list. File #121831
Resolution urging the Federal Government to pass the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2012, which allows certain disabled veterans to qualify for additional federal housing benefits. File # 121800
Resolution supporting the completion of a Project Implementation Report (PIR) which addresses key obstacles to freshwater flows and implement meaningful ecological and economic benefits by restoring the Everglades. File #121703
Resolution directing the Mayor to review the February 2006 recommendations of the Elder Abuse Task Force and to advise on what has been implemented from those recommendations within the County, and by the Florida legislature and other State of Florida administrative departments. File #121690
Resolution directing the Mayor to conduct an educational campaign to inform the public of the County’s current regulations against the dumping or blowing of grass clippings and other yard trash onto roads, drains, gutters and sidewalks. In addition to affecting the attractiveness, public health, safety and welfare of residents, some of the dumping creates a public nuisance by clogging or slowing drains. File #121564
Resolution urging the Florida Legislature to ban texting while driving. Just in 2011 there were 25,000 distraction accidents in Florida, with more than 8,200 of them in Miami-Dade, which may include drivers who were texting at the moment of the accident. File # 121522
Resolution urging the Florida Legislature to reinstate “for cause” absentee ballot requirements that were in place prior to 1997. File #121726
Resolution urging the Florida Legislature to pass the Urban Job Creation Investment Act or similar economic development legislation which would create incentives for businesses to invest. File # 122033
Miami-Dade County’s water and sewer infrastructure is deteriorated and vulnerable to failure and it is in its best interest to accelerate the repair and replacement of the necessary improvements. Therefore, Commissioner Sosa sponsored a resolution urging the Mayor to identify additional sources of available funds to fund a portion of these improvements in order to not solely rely on our resident's pockets. File# 122286
Concerned with human trafficking as a form of modern day slavery forcing victims to work against their will, Commissioner Sosa sponsored a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation that would reauthorize and strengthen the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. File# 122137
Miami International Airport is the County’s principal economic engine serving cargo companies and millions of visitors each year. As the federal government continues to increase inspections and security, the airport will need additional sufficient staff to continue serving visitors and clients. In order to remain as a world leading international airport, Commissioner Sosa sponsored a resolution urging the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to provide more U.S. Customs & Border Protection staffing at Miami International Airport. File# 122145
Complete archive of sponsored legislation
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All rights reserved.
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