Jimmy Morales was appointed Chief Operating Officer for Miami-Dade County by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in December 2020. In this role, he oversees key county departments, including Aviation, Seaport, Transportation and Public Works, and Housing and Community Development. Under his leadership, his departments have launched major initiatives, including a $1.7 billion Water and Sewer improvement program, a $9 billion capital improvement program at the Miami International Airport, and he successfully led the negotiation of the $117 million naming rights agreement at the Kaseya Center. He played a key role in the county’s rescue and recovery response in the Surfside Building Collapse and is currently leading the efforts to expand public transportation in Miami-Dade County. He chairs the Mayor’s Infrastructure Group, which has secured over $1 billion in grant funding for County projects.Before joining Miami-Dade County, Morales served as the City Manager of Miami Beach for eight years, where he led significant projects, including a $620 million Convention Center renovation, and oversaw the city’s response to crises, including Hurricane Irma and COVID-19. His public service career also includes roles as City Attorney for the Cities of Doral and Marathon. He also served as the Commissioner for District 7 on the Miami-Dade County Commission. Morales graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School and Harvard College. He was recently named the 2024 Public Administrator of the Year by the South Florida Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and received the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Builder’s Association of South Florida.