LTC 093-2017 Environment & Sustainability Acting DirectorMIAMI',
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl,gov
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
Tel: 305-673-7010 , Fax: 305-673-7782
NO. LTC # 093-2017
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: February 14, 2017
SUBJECT: Environment & Sustainability Acting Director
I am pleased to advise that I am appointing Margarita Wells, Environmental Resources Manager to
serve as the Acting Environment & Sustainability Director. As you know, Director Elizabeth
Wheaton has been tapped to serve as the Mayor's Chief of Staff until the end of his term.
Ms. Wells has been working with the City for nearly five years. She is currently the Environmental
Resources Manager where she coordinates the City's National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit program and leads environmental permitting and compliance efforts,
including for the on-going stormwater infrastructure upgrades. She also guides the City's natural
resource management efforts and spearheaded the in-house development of Miami Beach's
beachfront management plan update, as well as the first ever dune management plan approved by
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in August 2016.
Ms. Wells holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marine Affairs and Policy, French Literature, and
International Studies from the University of Miami and a Master's Degree in Marine Affairs and
Policy from the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She
has served for two years on the Board of Directors and is currently Chair of the American Society
of Civil Engineer's Environmental and Water Resources Institute's Miami-Dade Chapter. Please
find attached her resume.
I am confident that Ms. Wells will rise into this new role seamlessly and will bring her passion for
environmental protection and management to managing the department.
Please join me in wishing both Betsy and Margarita success in these exciting assignments.
Attachment: Margarita Wells Resume
JLM/SMT/ESW
Margarita Wells
kruyffm@yahoo.com
401 Ocean Drive, Apt. 1110
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 607-5615
WORK EXPERIENCE
City of Miami Beach Miami Beach, FL
Environmental Resources Manager December 2014 — Present
• Leads in-house environmental permitting for the City's construction projects, including $400 million of on-going
stormwater infrastructure upgrade projects.
• Manages the City's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and implements
interdepartmental programs to improve local and regional water quality.
• Administers an estimated $1.5 million of contamination remediation projects.
• Guides the City's habitat management efforts, including the in-house development of Miami Beach's first dune
management plan approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in August 2016.
• Coordinates a team of environmental professionals responsible for improving regulatory compliance citywide.
Environmental Specialist October 2012 — December 2014
• Managed the City's NPDES, as well as water quality and waterway cleanliness programs.
• Coordinated the storage tank and golf course contamination monitoring programs to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Supported the Environmental Manager with natural resource, sustainability, and construction project management
and with the execution of education and outreach programming.
• Led the City's dune management efforts, including the $300,000 citywide restoration and enhancement project.
Corzo, Castella, Carballo, Thompson, and Salman (C3TS) Coral Gables, FL
Environmental Scientist January 2011 — October 2012
• Served as a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 6 In-House Environmental Consultant,
operating as an extension of FDOT's staff for the environmental impact review and class of action determination of
final design plans, Local Agency Program project plans, and project scoping reports.
• Conducted field inspections for the environmental impact review of construction projects.
• Developed National Environmental Policy Act documentation for Project, Development and Environment studies.
• Assisted in biological assessments and monitoring for various seagrass, coral, upland, and wetland mitigation
projects and produced reports on mitigation site conditions for compliance with regulatory permit conditions.
City of Miami Beach Miami Beach, FL
Environmental Resources Intern February 2010 — December 2010
• Performed duties related to the daily operations of the City's Public Works Department and Environmental
Resources Management Division, including preparing permit and grant applications, monitoring of natural
resources, and executing environmental education and outreach programs.
• Assisted with developing and writing the City's first Sustainability Plan approved by the City of Miami Beach
Commission in January 2011.
• Shadowed the Environmental Resources Manager and Specialist during construction inspections and monitoring
for compliance with environmental regulations related to NPDES and storage tank contamination.
EDUCATION
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Bachelor of Arts in Marine Affairs, International Studies, French Language and Literature — Cum Laude, May 2009
Master of Arts in Marine Affairs — July 2013
QUALIFICATIONS
SSI Scuba Diving Open Water certified, PADI Advanced Open Water certified
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Qualified Stormwater Management Inspector
Florida Stormwater Association Stormwater Operator — Level 2
National Stormwater Center Certified Stormwater Inspector
LEED AP BD+C