Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava Announces New Communications Leadership

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is proud to announce the appointment of Carlos Suarez as Communications Director for the Office of the Mayor. As the CNN correspondent in Miami and an anchor and reporter for major local networks, he covered multiple historic events impacting South Florida, including the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the local response to COVID-19, Hurricane Irma, and the Surfside collapse. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Carlos, a true homegrown talent, to our team,” said Mayor Levine Cava. “His deep knowledge of our community and experience reporting on some of our most defining moments make him exceptionally well-positioned to reach our residents, and ensure that we are communicating effectively about County services, resources, and priorities across Miami-Dade.” 

Born and raised in Miami, Carlos graduated from Florida International University with a degree in Political Science and International Relations and is fully bilingual. Throughout his career in journalism, Carlos reported local news and anchored at WPLG Local 10 and NBC6 before joining CNN covering Florida and the Caribbean for national and international audiences.  

The current Communications Director, Natalia Jaramillo, will transition to a new role overseeing countywide communications alignment and digital engagement strategies within the Communications, Innovation & Technology Department (CITD) – with a focus on streamlining communications efforts across departments to deploy even more efficient, effective campaigns and strengthen the County’s digital platforms and presence.  

“Natalia has been an invaluable leader on my team, and we are excited to see her expertise in communications strategies support efforts across County government,” added Mayor Levine Cava. “Her new role will strengthen coordination and streamline work across departments, expand the County’s digital reach, and continue improving how we communicate with the people we serve.” 

Natalia Jaramillo, veteran communications and bilingual media professional, joined the Office of the Mayor five years ago as Deputy Communications Director and has served as Communications Director since March 2024. She has extensive experience leading communications strategy and bilingual media relations for over 20 years, including over a decade working with local, statewide, and national community organizations in South Florida. Natalia is originally from Colombia and holds a B.A. in Communications from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá and an M.A. in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies – The Hague, The Netherlands. 

Rachel Johnson, who is departing her role as Deputy Chief of Staff overseeing communications this year, will remain in a part-time role as senior communications advisor to the Mayor beginning in 2026.