The City of Miami, known as the “Gateway to the Americas” is the second largest municipality in the State of Florida. It is also among the poorest cities of its size in the country. Only an estimated 69 percent of its citizens are in possession of a high school diploma, and only 23.6 percent go on to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher education degree. Miami is one of three cities to have taken part in the Chief Service Officer Leadership Initiative. Through this program, the city installed a Chief Service Officer who developed the first citywide service plan. This plan engages with citizens to address challenges with educational attainment through use of the Cities of Service Graduation Coaches Blueprint and the city’s Education Success initiative.
Miami has been a member of the Cities of Service coalition since 2010, when Mayor Tomás Regalado signed the Declaration of Service.
Mayor Francis Suarez
Francis X. Suarez serves the City of Miami as Mayor, working diligently to raise the standards of the community where he was born and raised. His priorities include affordable housing, tackling the poverty pandemic and, as a corollary, reducing crime. He currently also serves as Vice-Chair of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization, tasked with approving federally required plans and transportation policies, and as President of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities.
Chief Service Officer Raul Hernandez
In Miami, Chief Service Officer Raul Hernandez coordinates local volunteer initiatives and synchronizes these efforts with the city’s strategic plan to support the mayor’s vision to improve education indicators. Hernandez aims to enhance volunteer participation by enlisting community partners that can create enthusiasm within their constituencies, identify resources, and engage the community at large.