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20130131 CITY MANAGER FINALIST M CeperoMONICA M. CEPERO CAREER SUMMARY During my 20 year career, I have accumulated extensive policy, financial, and budgetary experience at the top state and local government levels as well as in the private sector, all of which have prepared me to effectively lead and manage a thriving community as City Manager. Specifically, I have served as: • an executive level member of county administration for the second largest county in Florida; • the environmental policy advisor and state-wide local government liaison to the Governor of Florida, responsible for state policy development and formation of a $6.5 B budget; • a registered lobbyist on behalf of both the State of Florida as well as in the private sector; • the statewide public affairs and strategic positioning manager for an international engineering firm; and • a senior level municipal analyst, where I participated in the creation and implementation of municipal fiscal and strategic planning. EDUCATION Master of Public Administration; December 1992 Specialization in Local Government Administration The Florida State University; Tallahassee, Florida Bachelor of Science in International Affairs; December 1990 Minors in Business Administration and Political Science The Florida State University; Tallahassee, Florida RELEVANT EXPERIENCE November 2008 — Present Assistant to the County Administrator - Broward County, Florida (Broward County is a full service local government serving nearly 1.8 million residents,31 municipalities, and encompasses 1,220 sq miles (800 sq miles of which is Everglades conservation area). The proposed FY2013 budget includes 5,464 employees, an operating budget of $2.41 B, and a capital and debt service budget of $1.4B), • Responsible for managing the activities of assigned County departments, divisions and offices, as well as exercising administrative control over assigned operations and functions. (Departmental, Division, and Office responsibilities during my tenure includes oversight of: Aviation, Port Everglades (Seaport), Public Works, Transportation, Environment and Growth Management, Finance and Administrative Services, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, Office of Economic and Small Business Development, Parks & Recreation, Libraries Division, Cultural Division, Office of the Medical Examiner, Office of Public Communications, and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Professional Standards). • Responsible for overseeing and conducting high community profile special assignments and projects, (including: Major Aviation projects (Aviation's South Runway Expansion $791M, Terminal 4 Gate Replacement $450M & Terminal Modernization (1-3) $100M), Bank Atlantic Center (Arena) development analyses, the County's Bond financing activity, Sun Life (Miami Dolphin) Stadium improvement analyses, the County's Administrative Policies & Procedures initiative, County Administration's audit review and tracking system, as well as representing the County Administrator at community meetings, and serve as liaison for various municipalities within the County). • Lead County liaison for the Broward County Ethics Commission. • Responsible for assisting in the general management of County government and formation of County Administrator's annual budget recommendations to the County Commission. Monica M. Cepero Resume - Page 2 • Serve as the County Administration point of contact for the Broward County's Emergency Operations Center, serve as a member of the County Administrator's Emergency Command Staff, as well as responsible for the County wide Continuity of Operations Plan (Emergency Management). • Serve as the County Administration liaison for various County -wide audit reviews and reports. • Responsible for exercising considerable independent judgment in determining proper courses of action and developing recommendations for the County Administrator. • Responsible for performing highly complex administrative assignments under the direction of the County Administrator in order to assist the County Commission and other county officials in the management of county government. • Responsible for recommending, formulating and carrying out administrative principles, practices and techniques designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of county governmental services, as well as analyzing and recommending policies and procedures with strategic foresight as to County wide impact. • Responsible for proposing innovative approaches to complex problems with respect to the impact of those decisions County wide. • Share lead responsibility for the weekly County Commission agenda process, responsibility includes review and approval of each agenda item that will be considered by the County Commission. • Responsible for meeting and conferring with individuals and groups to explain, interpret and discuss county policies on a variety of subjects. • Serve on selection committees for County wide procurements (past selection committees have included selection of Countywide master banking services, Underwriting firms, Financial Advising firms, Supervisor of Elections facility selection, private auto tag providers, and Executive Search firm services). • Serve on Executive level recruitment teams (including past nationwide recruitments have included Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Parks & Recreation Director, and Assistant Director for the Office of Economic and Small Business Development). • Responsible for supervising and participating in studies of departmental programs to determine conformity with administrative policy. • Serve in "Acting" capacity for the County Administrator/Deputy County Administrator in their concurrent absences. February 2007 — June 2008 Manager of Strategic Positioning and Public Affairs PBS&J (has since been acquired by Atkins Global); Miami, FL office • Monitored statewide policy and budget development and guided the firm's professional technical staff in offering clients project ideas which encompassed long range state policy information. • Oversaw and guided the firm's legislative lobbying team, statewide contracts and all related activities. • Served as a liaison and central point of contact to state agency secretaries and various local government clients at the highest levels of the organizations statewide. • Implemented statewide public relations and marketing strategies and programs to maintain and expand the firm's active participation in various business opportunities. January 2000 — January 2007 Policy Coordinator, Executive Office of the Governor; Tallahassee, FL (During the course of my tenure with the Governor 's Office, my role evolved and included a wide array of responsibilities and achievements spanning from the Finance and Economic Analysis oversight of cities in a state offinancial emergency, to development and oversight of all environmental policy and budget initiatives of the state. I have listed some of the key elements of my roles below). • Responsible for the policy and budgetary oversight of over $6.5 B and 12,800 employees within the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the State's five Water Management Districts (South Florida, Southwest Florida, St. Johns River, Suwannee River and the Northwest Florida Water Management Districts), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Florida Department of Citrus. Monica M. Cepero Resume - Page 3 • Served as a liaison between the Governor's Office, elected officials, federal, state and local agencies, specialized industries, and the public. • Served as statewide local government liaison for the Governor. • Served as one of only seven Policy Coordinators for the Governor, responsible for formulation of all statewide policy and budget recommendations. • Responsible for briefing the Governor on a daily basis on all matters related to the environment and agriculture in the state. • Responsible for development, passage and oversight of the Governor's statewide environmental and agricultural policy and budget initiatives. • Served as a member of the Financial Oversight Board for the City of Miami and the City of Opa Locka as well as served as a member of the Revenue Estimating Conference responsible for monitoring all local government financial emergencies statewide. • Served as primary advisor to the Governor for the passage of many significant pieces of legislation including: The Florida Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency Act, the Water Protection and Sustainability Program (which provides priority funding for alternative water supply projects and encourages the establishment of cooperative efforts to meet the state's future water needs), the preservation of nearly 74,000 acres of land by the passage of the Babcock Preservation Act, Workers' Compensation reform (of 2003), and Revision Seven to Article V of the State of Florida Constitution (State funding of courts). • Prepared revenue and economic impact analyses of proposed legislation, on local government and tax policy issues, as well as monitored complex implementation efforts of local government tax sources of revenue. • Made determinations for state approval or denial for waiver of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) local government match for reimbursement of disaster related expenses. May 1992 - January 2000 Senior Management Analyst, Department of Management and Administration (Office of Budget and Policy); City of Tallahassee, Florida (After a series of promotions over the course of my tenure with the City, beginning as a Management Intern with the Office of the City Manager and advancing through various levels of analyst positions in the Office of Budget and Policy, my responsibilities progressively increased and included the following): • During the course of my tenure at the City, I coordinated, developed, and oversaw city-wide fiscal and strategic planning initiatives, budget preparation and administration for each of the 25 municipal departments, which included generating expenditure data base projections, forecasting, analyzing and monitoring daily operations of departmental budgets, as well as conducting analyses and offering consulting services to City departments on management and budgetary best practices. • City-wide Coordinator for Performance Measurement and Reporting. • Project Manager for City-wide Fire Services Charge implementation. • Annexation Team- Lead: Directed annexation team, resulting in a 19% increase in City acreage. • Directed groups as a facilitator throughout the City organization on such issues as performance data benchmarking initiatives, service area accountability efforts, incident review cases, and organizational survey findings resulting in best management practices. • Created and conducted presentations for the City Manager and prepared City Commission agenda items. Monica M. Cepero Resume - Page 4 OTHER Management Style and Abilities — Strategic thinker with a proven track record as a visionary leader; utilize participative management approaches; listen and value Commission, community, and employee views; consensus builder; employ a strong ethics focus in the workforce; encourage a diverse and inclusive workforce and community; ability to balance neighborhood and business community concerns; possess excellent written and oral communication skills; excellent interpersonal skills; solid project management skills; strong budgetary and financial skills; am a prudent steward of public resources; and, a competent fiscal conservative and resourceful leader. Other Language - Spanish PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS, BOARDS & APPOINTMENTS International City/County Management Association (ICMA) member (1991 — 1999, then 2007- Present) • Workplace Diversity Committee member (1996-1999), Chairperson - Subcommittee for research on the effects of Affirmative Action in higher education, Workplace Diversity Scholarship recipient (1992) Florida City/County Management Association, member (1991 — 2002, then 2007 - Present) • Assistant's Committee (1995 - 2000), Assistant's Scholarship recipient (1996) International Hispanic Network, member (subsidiary of ICMA) (1992 — 2002, then 2007- Present) Hispanic Leadership Network, Charter Member (2012 -Present) Florida State Employee Charitable Campaign (2002 — 2007) appointed by the Governor as Statewide Steering Committee member, Executive Management Team member, and Governor's Office agency coordinator Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Monroe County, Member of the Board of Directors (2007 -Present), served as Co -Chair Policy Committee (2007-2012) SAVE Dade (Safeguarding American Values for Everyone) Member of the Board of Directors (2009 -Present) United Way of Broward County Public Policy Advisory Committee (2011-2012) Superbowl XLIV Host Committee, Member (2010) Sustainable Florida, Collins Center, Member of the Board of Directors (2007-2011), served as Secretary (2010-2011) Women's Fund of Miami -Dade County, Member of the Board of Directors (2007-2010) The Florida Bar Association, Grievance Committee member for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Division 11E, appointee (2007-2010) American Council of Young Political Leaders, appointee (2005), current alumni member Order of Omega National Fraternity Leadership Honorary, appointee (1990), current alumni member Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, member (1987-1990); Chapter Advisor (1995-1999); current alumni member REFERENCES FURNISHED UPON REQUEST Reference Questions Client/Position: City of Miami Beach, City Manager Candidate Name: Monica Cepero Reference Name: How long and in what capacity have you known the candidate? Nicki Grossman, President, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitor's Bureau 100 East Broward Blvd. Suite 200, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301, I have known Monica in a professional capacity as the Assistant to the County Administrator for approximately five years. Monica currently oversees the Convention & Visitor's Bureau as one of her assigned departmental responsibilities. Jeb Bush, Former Governor, State of Florida, Former em .lo er 1200 Anastasia Suite 500, Coral Gables, FL 33134, I have known her since she started working for me when I became Governor. Monica worked in the Office of Policy and Budget. I was pretty engaged in the budget process, so Monica and I worked closely together. She is a very talented lady, and she did a fine job. Bertha Henry, County Administrator, Broward Coun Current em to er 115 S. Andrews Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301, I have known Monica since 1998. She was working for the Governor's office at the time, and I was working for the City of Miami. She was the contact person that I worked with in the Governor's office. Clarence Anthony, President, Anthony Government Solutions 1665 Palm beach LakesBlvd., Suite 520, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, Former employer at PBS&J. Clarence was on the Executive Board of Directors, was a Senior Vice President, and was the Chief Marketing Officer for the firm. He also was the Mayor of South Bay, Florida for 24 years and served as the President of the Florida League of Cities, as well as the National League of Cities. I have known Monica for seven years now. I was her supervisor at PBS&J. Alina Hudak, Deputy Mayor/County Manager Miami -Dade County, Stephen P. Clark Center 111 NW 1st Street, Suite 2910 Miami, FL 33128-1994, She worked with Monica in a variety of capacities related to neighboring county issues, as well as served on the Super Bowl XLIV Host Committee together. I have known Monica as my peer and colleague. We served as representatives on the Super Bowl XLIV Host Committee in 2010. Monica was responsible for Broward County's role in that Super Bowl. Scarlet D. Pigott (former Budget Chief, Environmental Policy Unit, and one of Monica's subordinates in Governor Jeb Bush's office) Currently, Staff Director, Health & Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, The Florida Senate, Suite 201 Th- C .1 1 , h �n r Tallahassee, Florida 32399, I have known Monica since 2003. We worked together in Governor Bush's office, and she became my policy coordinator in the environmental policy unit. I worked for her until the end of Governor Bush's term. How would you characterize Monica's management style? How are her interpersonal skills? Monica directly oversees the Tourist Development Council, and I am the Director of that department. She is a big advocate on behalf of the tourism industty. Her management style is great. She generates great respect from the people she manages. I don't recommend people very often, but I did it happily for her. She works very hard and is very often the last person to leave the office. Her interpersonal skills are terrific. She has a very soothing nature. She takes on issues and gives you the feeling that she is there for you. She wants to be well advised and does not take things for granted. She works tirelessly as an advocate. Her interpersonal skills are great. She is very hands-on. She is not a micro manager. She was not familiar with our environmental policy unit, and she stepped in and quicldy became familiar with our budget process. She was respected for her leadership abilities with the staff and let thetas work independently. I have not observed Monica in a supervisory role. Her interpersonal skills are great. We worked well together and complimented each other. She is an excellent communicator and worked very well with the group. She did a great job at managing the areas she was responsible for on the Super Bowl Host Cominittee. Her interpersonal skills are excellent. She communicates well, written as well as orally. Her management style is collaborative. She is very interested in getting other people's input as a part of the team. She is a good decision maker. She has great interpersonal skills. She is easy to talk to and very business oriented but not abrasive. Her management style is collaborative. Her management style is excellent. She is a team player. She is collegial and can be tough and forceful. The job she had was part of a much larger effort. She actually acquired more management skills in Broward County than she did with our office. She was smart, always prepared and highly respected. She was very easy to get along with. What is her technical experience and knowledge as related to the position? I told her when she wanted to apply for the position in Miami Beach that she will be jumping from a big pan into a hot fire, but I believe she is ready for the transition. She has had experience in many situations that Broward County faces such as airport, seaport, economic development, transportation and many other responsibilities. She is very much trusted by the employees and the rest of the department heads that deal with her. She generated respect from the members of the Super Bowl Host Committee. Her experience with the City of Tallahassee and under Governor Bush's administration is helpful in preparing her for the City Manager position for Miami Beach. She was instrumental in getting the Governor's policies and budget passed. Within the policy unit, I was her budget chief and there were four analysts, and we worked together with the water district and the environmental agencies. Those agencies included the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Wildlife Conservation Commission. She worked with all agencies to help implement the Governor's initiatives in developing his policy and budget. She worked with the members, staff and legislature to bring about a successful outcome. Broward County is a large urban county and if you excel in it, you have the capability of managing any city or county. I don't know much about her background, but I believe she started in state government in Tallahassee with Governor Bush. She has diverse experience with city and county government. She also has many different qualities from her past experience at the state level. From what I know, Monica has a long history of working in local, state and county government which provides her with exceptionally well rounded knowledge of government procedures. Her recent role working with the County Administrator in Broward County has given her the opportunity to work directly with the elected officials and that takes a special talent. She has the ability to understand their goals and that there is a balance. She works with the elected officials on a day—to-day basis. For Broward County, she is the Assistant to the County Administrator, so she works in a full service county government. We have an airport, seaport, convention center, arena and transportation to name a few so it is a full service government, and she works on a variety of projects. She also works closely with the Board of Commissioners. She is the Assistant to the County Administrator in Broward County. Her job in Tallahassee involved working with local and county issues from the perspective of the state government in relation to local districts and city governments. How does she relate with the Council, City or County Manager, or those she reports to? She reports to the County Administrator and the County Commission. The Commissioners are very aware of the role that assistants play. Our County Administrator gives her a lot of responsibility, and she has done very well. She absolutely has great interpersonal skills and is very respectful of other people. She related well when working with the Governor, senior staff and the legislature when making presentations. Monica is highly regarded and well respected. She has an outstanding rapport with the Council and County Administrator. She related well with the Board when we worked together on the Super Bowl Host Committee. As a person that she reported to, she always gave me her opinion when I asked her. She always gave me very honest, direct and transparent input in a respectful way. She was always very well educated and prepared when she provided input in meetings. Monica reports to me directly. There are times when she is assigned to a particular project and many times this involves working directly with the Board members. She relates very well with the Board, and she makes sure they are informed on all the projects. She presents herself very well. She was primarily involved with presentations of the budget to determine whether bills should be signed or vetoed. She is also bilingual and bi-cultural which was an asset. How does she relate with the other Department heads? What about with peers, community groups or the public? She related very well. When working on the Super Bowl Host Committee, she was interacting with the public all the time. She never hesitated to answer questions, and she always had the appropriate answer. She was comfortable in a crowd or one-on-one. She related very well. She was courteous, respectful, very outgoing and always good about getting to know people. I would have to refer back to our Super Bowl experience where there was a large security operation. We all developed good relationships with her. We had never had good relations with Broward County before and this developed into a long term relationship. With her peers, she always recognized that it is important to be a part of a team, and she worked hard to make sure that she played that role as a team member. She worked hard at being able to reach out corporately to different players in the organization to make sure she got all the information she needed. She was very resourceful in working with team members in the organization. Again, she is one of three assistants to the County Administrator. You have to work well, or you would not be effective in this job. This job requires working with departments, agencies and the Board of Commissioners, and she understands the basic fundamentals of the job. I never had a complaint. We had some pretty tough situations where we had to bring bad news to people. There were several unruly districts who did not want to be held accountable. Monica handled it all very well in difficult circumstances. What would you say are Monica's significant accomplishments? Working with the County Governrnent would be her single most significant accomplishment. Everything that she has put her hands on has a successful conclusion.