Commissioner Katy Sorenson, representing District 8  since 1994, has been an outspoken advocate for her community and all of Miami-Dade County. Commissioner Sorenson has worked diligently to enhance the quality of life for South Miami-Dade through wise economic and growth management policies, crime prevention initiatives, and protection of the region’s environmental resources. She has also been a staunch advocate for human rights, a champion of regional cooperation, a leader in child welfare issues, and a promoter of the arts.

Commissioner Sorenson is the Chairwoman of the Budget, Planning, and Sustainability Committee, Vice Chair of the State Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee, and is a member of the Housing & Community Development, Recreation, Culture & Tourism, and Transit, Infrastructure & Roads committees of the Board of County Commissioners.  

Commissioner Sorenson is the Chair of the Mayor's Sustainability Task Force and serves on the Mayor's Mortgage Fraud Task Force.

In addition, Commissioner Sorenson serves on the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC), is the Co-chair of the FAC Urban Caucus, and is Vice-chair of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee.  She has also been appointed by the Secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs as a member of the State's Mobility Fee Stakeholders Policy Committee.

Commissioner Sorenson served on the South Florida Regional Planning Council  from 1994 to 2006, served as Secretary of the organization and was elected Treasurer in 2006.  She was reappointed to the Regional Planning Council in 2009.

Commissioner Sorenson was the Vice Chair of the Board of County Commissioners from 2002 through 2004.  In 2004, she was selected to attend Harvard University's Senior Executive Program in State and Local Government.

Legislative Highlights
Commissioner Sorenson can claim a number of legislative victories over the years.  Most recently, the Commissioner led the effort to hold the urban development boundary in place.  She advocated for investment in the current urban area through smart growth and infrastructure improvements instead.

She sponsored legislation creating sustainable building mandates for government projects and incentives for private developers seeking to "go green."  She has passed legislation to position Miami-Dade as an eager market for solar energy technology and has worked County agencies to reduce gasoline consumption through fuel efficiency and biofuel use.
 
She championed the inclusion of “sexual orientation” to the County’s anti-discrimination laws and successfully defended these equal treatment provisions against attempts at repeal.

She also defeated a plan to convert the Homestead Air Reserve Base into a commercial airport. The airport plan would have endangered  Everglades and Biscayne National Parks along with the tourism economy of the entire County.  Commissioner Sorenson has been a strong advocate for the appropriate redevelopment of the base and has focused on providing a vision for sustainable growth for the County.

Recognizing that access to parks and recreational facilities is a major factor in reducing crime and improving the “livability” of neighborhoods, Commissioner Sorenson sponsored and passed the Safe Neighborhoods Parks  bond issue to improve access and amenities at County parks and recreational facilities.

Learn more about Commissioner Sorenson's accomplishments.

Public Service
Prior to serving as a County Commissioner, she was the executive director of the California Women Lawyers Bar Association and a legislative aide to Illinois State Senator Dawn Clark Netsch. She also worked as a political consultant.

Personal
Katy Sorenson was born in Chicago in 1955, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sorenson received a Bachelor’s and Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin (1977, 1980). In 2004, she was selected to attend Harvard University’s Senior Executive Program in State and Local Government. She lives in the Village of Pinecrest, is married to Janis Dzelzkalns, M.D., and they are the parents of Emma and Arnie.