Miami-Dade County Mayor Announces New Leadership within her Policy Team

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced changes today within her policy team at the Office of the Mayor, effective February 26th, 2024. 

After the passing of the former Director of Policy Sean McCrackine, Deputy Director of Policy Jorge Damian de la Paz will assume the role of Director of Policy for the Office of the Mayor. Samantha Jacob, Resilience Policy Manager for the Miami-Dade Office of Resilience, will now take on the role of Deputy Director of Policy for the Office of the Mayor. 

“Jorge and Samantha have shown their proven expertise and leadership in policy areas ranging from affordable housing to resilience,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “They are both well qualified to ensure our County’s policy decisions continue to be transparent, and people focused. Sean was a close mentor to both Jorge and Samantha, and I am confident in their ability to fill these critical roles to implement policies that continue to build a resilient and future ready Miami-Dade.” 

Since joining the Mayor’s Office in 2021, Jorge has helped to spearhead various policy efforts, including the HOMES Plan, Eviction Diversion Pilot Program, Tenants’ Bill of Rights ordinance, Condo Special Assessment Program, Community Associations Registry, and the implementation of the Driver License Suspension Task Force recommendations. Jorge has a background in affordable housing, planning, and community development. Before joining the County, he oversaw affordable housing initiatives at the University of Miami’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement and created online tools focused on regional housing issues. Previously, Jorge also served as a policy analyst at Miami Homes for All where he managed successful advocacy efforts at the city and county levels.  

Samantha Jacob is an attorney specializing in Environmental and Land Use Law and Public Policy. Prior to joining Mayor Levine Cava’s policy team, Jacob worked on policy, legislation, and projects in the legislative and administrative branches of county government since 2015. She has participated in and led various initiatives in the county relating to clean energy, tree canopy coverage, electrical infrastructure hardening, and the creation of the Miami-Dade Tenants’ Bill of Rights and Office of Housing Advocacy. Jacob brings extensive experience in intergovernmental communications and shaping policy frameworks into actionable items.