Miami-Dade County Mayor announces upcoming changes to senior staff in her office

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced today upcoming changes within the senior staff at the Office of the Mayor. 

Chief of Staff in the Mayor’s office Johanna Cervone, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff Rachel Johnson, will be departing the County in October 2025. Following Johanna’s departure, Christopher Hudtwalcker, currently the Director of Innovation at PortMiami, will take on the role of Chief of Staff. 

“I am deeply grateful to Johanna and Rachel for their extraordinary leadership and partnership over the past five years,” said Mayor Levine Cava. “Johanna has been the backbone of our administration — a brilliant strategist and steady hand who helped translate vision into action across every corner of our government and seamlessly navigate our greatest challenges. Rachel has been equally indispensable, helping to drive strategy, build support for major legislative initiatives, and guide our administration’s communications with clarity and purpose. Together, they helped shape a government that is more responsive, transparent, and effective. Their contributions will have a lasting impact."

I am also thrilled to welcome Christopher to the team, and I look forward to continuing to get big things done for Miami-Dade and build an even more innovative, agile County government in my second term with Christopher as Chief of Staff.” 

Johanna has served as Chief of Staff since November 2020, overseeing the implementation of the Mayor’s strategic vision, driving execution on key policy priorities, and leading key functions of the office including policy and legislation, engagement, intergovernmental affairs, scheduling, operations, resident services, and communications.

Rachel also joined the administration at its start, first as Communications Director and then as Deputy Chief of Staff. In that role, she led strategic communications, coordinated cross-departmental initiatives, supported policy development, and worked closely with County leadership and external partners to advance the Mayor’s agenda.

Christopher joined the Port team in 2022. In his roles first as Senior Strategy and Innovation Officer and later Director of Innovation for PortMiami, Christopher led the creation of the Port’s new Office of Innovation, developed and managed innovation and new technology projects, led special projects, and successfully secured millions of dollars in grant funding. He previously worked as Director of Policy and Legislation for Commissioner Eileen Higgins, serving as part of the Commissioner’s senior leadership team and assisting in the passage of over 100 pieces of legislation. Prior to joining the County he served in the Florida Legislature as a Chief Legislative Aide in both the State Senate and State House of Representatives. Christopher holds his Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Central Florida.