2016-29297 Reso RESOLUTION NO. 2016-29297
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, CONSENTING TO THE
APPOINTMENT OF ELIZABETH WHEATON AS DIRECTOR OF THE
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT FOR THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
WHEREAS, Elizabeth Wheaton has proven to possess the education,
leadership, and visionary skills needed to lead the City's Environment and Sustainability
Department; and
WHEREAS, the City Manager has appointed Elizabeth Wheaton as the Director
of the Environment and Sustainability Department of the City of Miami Beach; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Article IV, Section 4.02, of the City of Miami Beach
Charter, the City Manager has power to appoint directors of the City departments with
the consent of the Mayor and the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and the City Commission wish to consent to and confirm
the appointment of Elizabeth Wheaton as the Director of the Environment and
Sustainability Department for the City of Miami Beach.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED THAT THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, hereby consent to and
confirm the appointment of Elizabeth Wheaton as the Director of the Environment and
Sustainability Department for the City of Miami Beach.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 29th day of February, 2016.
ATTEST:
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COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution Of The Mayor And The City Commission Of The City Of Miami Beach, Florida, Consenting To The
Appointment Of Elizabeth Wheaton As The Director Of The Environment& Sustainability Department For The City
Of Miami Beach.
Key Intended Outcome Supported:
Maximize efficient delivery of services; strengthen internal controls.
Item Summa /Recommendation:
Pursuant to the requirements of Article IV, Section 4.02 of the City Charter, it is recommended that the Mayor and
the City Commission adopt the attached resolution consenting and confirming Elizabeth Wheaton as the Director of
the Environment&Sustainability Department for the City of Miami Beach.
The appointment of Ms. Wheaton, as the Director will ensure that the newly established Environment &
Sustainability Department supports the overall resiliency efforts of the City of Miami Beach. The Environment and
Sustainability Department will consist of the Sustainability Division to handle internal and external climate change
mitigation efforts, the Environmental Resources Management Division to support the sea level rise adaptation efforts
and environmental compliance, and the Urban Forestry Division to manage the newly created Tree Permitting
Program geared to enhance the City's urban tree canopy.
The Administration recommends adopting the resolution.
Advisory Board Recommendation:
N/A
Financial Information:
Source of Amount Account
Funds: 1 NA NA
2 NA NA
3 NA NA
OBPI Total NA
Financial Impact Summary:
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
1 Sylvia Crespo-Tabak, Human Resources Director
Sign-Offs:
Department Director Assistant City Manager Assistant City Manager City Manager
Sylvia Crespo-Tabak Mark Taxis Susanne Torriente J my L. Morales
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MIAMIBEACH AGENDA ITEM DATE Z'10-1(0
MIAMIBEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
COMM ' SION MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members the Ci Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
4010-11111W
DATE: February 10, 2016
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYO AND THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORID , CONSENTING TO THE APPOINTMENT
OF ELIZABETH WHEATON AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENT &
SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Pursuant to the requirements of Article IV, Section 4.02 of the City Charter, it is
recommended that the Mayor and City Commission adopt the attached resolution
consenting and confirming Elizabeth Wheaton as the Director of the Environment &
Sustainability Department for the City of Miami Beach.
ANALYSIS
Elizabeth holds a Masters in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami's
prestigious Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. After graduation, she
worked as environmental consultant for the engineering firm ATC Associates. She
began her career with the City of Miami Beach's Environmental Division in 2008. She
has continued to seek professional growth and has become both a Leadership Energy
and Environmental Design Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) Accredited
Professional and a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners
(AICP). In her eight years with the City, Elizabeth's leadership has strengthened and
expanded the City's environment and sustainability programs, as well as helped to
position the City as a leader in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Through her
initiative and vision, Elizabeth has helped the City of Miami Beach reach new heights in
environmental sustainability.
Elizabeth Wheaton has been the Assistant Building Director since 2014 overseeing the
Environmental and Sustainability Division. This division focuses on a broad variety of
projects including: beach and dune management, design of the beachwalk system,
coastal permitting, environmental compliance, education and outreach, ecosystem
management, sustainability and urban forestry. Highlights of Elizabeth's tenure include
creating the City's initial Sustainability Plan in 2011 that established a framework for
internal sustainable initiatives and that will inform the new Resiliency Strategy currently
being developed; creating the Comprehensive Dune Management Plan that focuses on
an ecosystem based approach; and, establishing a routine community outreach program
that through more than 65 events in FY 2014/15 reached more than 20,000 residents to
inform them of the City's sustainability efforts including recycling and litter prevention.
This past year, during the City's Centennial events, Elizabeth and her team helped to
organize and execute a one day Community Resiliency Summit with more than 400
attendees. Distinguished speakers included Al Roker from NBC Today Show, Ken
City Commission Memorandum
Consenting and Confirming Environment&Sustainability Director
February 10, 2016
Page 2 of 3
Berlin, President and CEO at Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, as well as members of
the business community and academia including representatives from the Harvard
Graduate School of Design, University of Miami, and Florida International University.
Elizabeth has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the City's
sea level rise and climate change initiatives. Under her leadership, the City is developing
the MB Rising Above brand to highlight the City's holistic approach toward resiliency,
which includes creating a logo, establishing a social media presence and launching the
website www.mbrisingabove.com. The newly created Environment & Sustainability
Department will continue to develop this program and will be the central clearinghouse
for the City's comprehensive resiliency efforts. -
Since 2012, Elizabeth has represented the City of Miami Beach on the staff steering
committee of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact, which is working to
develop policies to mitigate the causes of climate change and adapt to its anticipated
consequences. As the staff steering committee member, Elizabeth has led the formation
of Miami-Dade County's Municipal Working Group to connect neighboring municipalities
to regional climate change mitigation and adaptation planning efforts. In 2014, the
Compact held their 6th Annual Summit in Miami Beach. The 2.5 day conference featured
top speakers from around the world and drew a record number of attendees, further
accentuating the City's regional climate adaptation leadership.
Elizabeth also serves as the staff liaison for the City's partnership with Florida
International University Sea Level Rise Working Group. This initiative has created eight
sub-groups that are looking at the various challenges relating to climate change to
promote a collaborative approach to finding viable solutions. In April 2015, together with
FIU she organized and executed "The Rising Sea: A Sea Level Rise Teach-In". The
event drew more than 50 attendees and on the day of the event 300+ watched via live
stream or on MBTV. As part of this partnership, she will be representing the City at the
Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network's (UREx SRN) All Hands
Meeting in Phoenix later this month. The UREx SRN focuses on integrating social,
ecological, and technical systems to support urban infrastructure decisions in the face of
climate uncertainty.
Elizabeth has strong working relationships with local, state and national government
agencies including Miami-Dade County Division of Economic Resources, Florida
Department of Environmental Protection, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Association. These connections keep projects on schedule and ensure that the City's
needs are met. For example, Elizabeth coordinates closely with U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to ensure continued re-nourishment of our beaches, including the next large-
scale project slated to begin in the summer of 2016. She has also leveraged these
connections in inter-agency collaborations that have resulted in innovative, nature-based
solutions, such as the implementation of living shorelines in seawall projects.
Elizabeth has also nurtured strong relationships with the community. She serves as the
staff liaison for internal and external committees and boards. Elizabeth supports the
Sustainability & Resiliency Committee, Sustainability Committee, the Mayor's Blue
Ribbon Panel on Flooding and Sea Level Rise, and the Marine Authority and Waterfront
Protection Committee. To solidify synergies between the business community and the
City, Elizabeth serves as a member of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce
Sustainability Business Council and the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association
City Commission Memorandum
Consenting and Confirming Environment&Sustainability Director
February 10,2016
Page 3 of 3
Sustainability Hospitality Council. Through these engagement efforts programs such as
the City's new anti-litter campaign will have greater dissemination communitywide.
As a long-time resident of Miami Beach, Elizabeth is dedicated to shaping the
environmental sustainability of the community she calls home. In 2014, Elizabeth was
selected as a member of the Class VIII Miami Fellow's leadership program with the
Miami Foundation. The Miami Fellows program is designed to engage a new generation
of leaders in building a Greater Miami. Elizabeth's leadership capacity and commitment
to Miami Beach and the larger community benefit the residents, businesses and visitors
and drive the enhancement of our City's natural resources and long term holistic
resiliency.
CONCLUSION
Her appointment as Director will ensure that the newly established Environment &
Sustainability Department supports the overall resiliency efforts of the City of Miami
Beach. I am pleased and proud to elevate the division to full department status and to
recognize and promote Elizabeth Wheaton as its first director.
Pursuant to the requirements of Article IV, Section 4.02, of the City Charter, it is
recommended that the Mayor and City Commission adopt the resolution consenting and
confirming Elizabeth Wheaton as the Director of the Environment & Sustainability
Department for the City of Miami Beach.
SC-T/JMT/SMT/ESW
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