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TPO General Assembly

Chairman's Message

The inaugural Miami-Dade Transportation Generaly Assembly was attended by Miami-Dade TPO Governing Board Members, as well as local, state, and national transportation leaders. Topics centered on the SMART Plan, with emphasis on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) as part of the overall benefits to the economy. Speakers covered a wide range of topics including innovatinve policy options, private sector collarboration, and innovative new funding sources such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and value-captured financing.

There was consensus that the SMART Plan can, and will, facilititate growth in our economy, while connecting the residents and visitors of our region. Economic growth, job creation, new markets for businesss, and accessibility are all associated with efficient transportation. Miami-Dade County's future economic growth is directly related to the transportation investments envisioned in the SMART Plan.

It was an important opportunity to bring togetherindustry experts, community, and business leaders to engage in these critical conversations. The time is now to start making that vision a reality, and I'm very excited to see all the peices begin falling into place.

Thank you for attending and supporting the 2018 Miami-Dade TOP General Assembly, and I look forward to our contuned progress towards making the SMART Plan a reality!

Esteban L. Bovo, Jr.
Chairman, Miami-Dade TPO
11:15 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks
Honorable Esteban L. Bovo, Jr., TPO Chairman Presentation of Colors and Invocation
 
11:35 AM | 2017 TPO Annual Report
Aileen Bouclé, AICP, TPO Executive Director
 
11:50 AM | Special Recognition and Award Ceremony
Miami-Dade TPO Governing Board

12:20 PM | Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)
Douglas R. Hooker, Executive Director

12:55 PM | Keynote Speaker
Honorable Francis Suarez, TPO Vice Chairman, Transportation & Mobility Committee Chairman

1:15 PM | Local & State Perspectives on the SMART Plan
Honorable Kionne L. McGhee, Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation Chairman
Honorable Esteban L. Bovo, Jr., TPO Chairman
Honorable Oliver G. Gilbert III, Miami-Dade County League of Cities President

2:30 PM | Transit & Funding Policies
Honorable Dennis C. Moss, TPO Fiscal Priorities Committee Chairman
Robert M. Paley, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Director
Meg Daly, Livable Communities Expert
Sasha Page, IMG Rebel Principal

3:30 PM | Closing Remarks
Honorable Rebeca Sosa, TPO Executive Policy Committee Chairwoman


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Honorable Esteban L. Bovo, Jr., Miami-Dade TPO Chairman
 
Miami-Dade TPO Chairman Esteban L. Bovo, Jr., has served on the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) as the District 13 Commissioner since November 2011, which includes Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Palm Springs North, and neighboring areas of unincorporated Miami-Dade. On December 6, 2016 he was also elected by his colleagues as Chairman of the Miami-Dade County BCC. He commenced his public service when he was appointed Councilman for the City of Hialeah in 1998. After being re-elected twice, Chairman Bovo’s colleagues selected him as President of the Hialeah City Council and he remained in that capacity throughout his term. In November 2008, he was elected as State Representative for District 110 and was re-elected without opposition in 2010. Chairman Bovo was born in Queens, New York to Marilyn and Esteban Bovo-Carás. As a member of the 2506 Brigade, his father instilled in his son the value of fighting for justice while his mother taught him the importance of compassion and service to the community. Chairman Bovo has been a proud resident of Miami-Dade County for over 47 years, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Florida International University. Chairman Bovo is married with five children.
 
 
Honorable Francis Suarez, Miami-Dade TPO Vice Chairman
 
Miami-Dade TPO Board Member Francis Suarez was reappointed Vice Chairman for a second term by his fellow TPO Board Members. Vice Chairman Suarez has been a City of Miami Commissioner since November 17, 2009, and a TPO Board Member since February 2012. Vice Chairman Suarez is dedicated to elevating the quality of life of the residents he serves by way of focusing on transportation and connectivity issues within the city and beyond, nurturing the growth of a tech‐based economy in the area and, by extension, job creation and international opportunities with Latin America. He was born into a family where, as he describes, “being socially conscious was a kind of requirement.” Prior to running for public office, he founded a successful real estate firm. He is also a practicing attorney with the law firm of GrayRobinson, specializing in real‐estate and corporate transactions. Vice Chairman Suarez graduated from Florida International University where he majored in finance and graduated in the top ten percent of his class. He went on to law school at the University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law, graduating cum laude. Vice Chairman Suarez is married with one child.
 
 
Honorable Oliver G. Gilbert III
 
Miami-Dade TPO Board Member Oliver G. Gilbert III is the Mayor of the City of Miami Gardens. In 2008, Oliver was appointed to the Miami Gardens City Council until 2012.  In 2012, Oliver was elected as the second Mayor of Miami Gardens and is currently serving his second term, having been re-elected in August and December of 2016. He is President and Executive Committee Member of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, First Vice President and member of the African-American Mayor’s Association’s Board of Trustees, Advisory Board member of the United States Conference of Mayors, and a BMe Community Leader.  He holds a degree from Florida A&M University.  After completing Florida A&M, he attended the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated with honors. He is also a member of the Leadership Florida Cornerstone Class XXXVI; member of North County Citizen's Association; the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University National Alumni Association; the Sigma Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated; and Miami Fellows – Class V.
 
 
Honorable Dennis C. Moss
 
Miami-Dade TPO Board Member Dennis C. Moss has served on the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) as the District 9 Commissioner since 1993. On November 20, 2008, the Miami-Dade County BCC elected him as its 2009-2010 Chairman. His 2008 election as Commission Chairman coincided with the beginning of his fifth consecutive term representing District 9. With his re-election in 2016, Commissioner Moss has been elected seven times by the residents of District 9, which is geographically the largest and most diverse in the county. Some of his accomplishments include: saving Homestead Air Reserve Base and bringing to South Dade a public hospital, the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, a winery, an extension of the busway to Florida City in addition to a proposed Zoo Miami theme park. For more than 38 years, he has served as the Executive Director of the Richmond Perrine Optimist Club, where his agency provides programs for delinquent and at-risk youth, and disadvantaged families. Commissioner Moss holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Grinnell College in Iowa. He is married with three children.
 
 
Honorable Rebeca Sosa
 
Miami-Dade TPO Board Member Rebeca Sosa has served on the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) as the District 6 Commissioner since 2001. On November 20, 2012, she was elected by her colleagues as Chairwoman of the County Commission and the TPO Governing Board where she served a two-year term. Prior to joining Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Sosa served as Mayor of the City of West Miami from 1994 to 2001 where she was able to secure more than $5 million in grants for the City for capital improvement projects as well as improvements to its drainage and parks systems. She has been an educator for more than 30 years and is currently a teacher-trainer for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Commissioner Sosa was born in Camaguey, Cuba and received her Bachelor Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Puerto Rico and a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from Saint Thomas University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She holds certifications both in elementary education and as an instructor for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Commissioner Sosa is married with two children and a grandchild.
 
 
Honorable Kionne L. McGhee
 
Kionne L. McGhee is a Florida State Representative, and in 2017, he was elected among his peers as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation. He is also the incoming Minority Leader of the State House, an author, college professor, husband, and father. He received his B.S. at Howard University and attended the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. McGhee served as an Assistant State Attorney and became an Adjunct Professor at Miami-Dade College. It was during this time that he wrote a memoir about his journey and started to use his experiences to motivate others to achieve their greatest goals in life. On August 14, 2012, McGhee was overwhelmingly elected as Florida State Representative, District 117. He has received numerous community awards and recognitions from great leaders for his dedication and hard work.
 
 
Douglas Hooker
 
Doug R. Hooker is the Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission. Throughout his career, he has held positions for Atlanta’s Department of Public Works, the State Road and Tollway Authority, Biolab Inc., and Atkins Engineering. His career spans throughout regional and local projects regarding energy, education, transportation and water. Mr. Hooker currently serves on the board for the Council for Quality Growth, Georgia Tech’s Advisory Board, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Board and many others. He is an alumnus of several leadership programs as well as the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions such as the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Ivan Allen School of Public Policy. Click to view Mr. Hooker's ARC's Regional Role in TOD presentation.
 
 
Robert Paley
 
Robert M. Paley is Director of Transit-Oriented Development at the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority where he oversees MTA property development, including the West Side Yard development in Manhattan. Prior to joining MTA, he developed residential buildings near transit for several private real estate companies. Mr. Paley is an adjunct assistant professor of real estate development at Columbia University, a member of the Urban Land Institute’s NY District Council Advisory Board, a member of the national TOD Council of the Urban Land Institute, and a 2018 Expert in Residence at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment. He received his BA and MBA from Yale University. Click to view Mr. Paley's MTA Hudson Yards TOD presentation.
 
 
Meg Daly
 
Meg Daly is a recognized leader and community activist for the advancement of Livable Community design, with specific focus on first/last mile connectivity, trail development, as well as the promotion of pedestrian and bicycle friendly design. Ms. Daly is an advocate for trails in Miami-Dade County, promoting the advancement of an interconnected trail system for the benefit of residents and visitors, not only in Miami-Dade County, but also across the region and the State of Florida. Ms. Daly is founder and president of Friends of The Underline, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization leading the initiative to transform the underutilized land below Miami’s Metrorail into a 10-mile, urban trail and linear park. Ms. Daly has a BA in English from Vanderbilt University and has served on a number of philanthropic boards. Click to view Ms. Daly's The Tale of Three Cities: Connectivity and Livability presentation.
 
 
Sasha Page
 
Sasha Page is Senior Vice President for Finance at IMG Rebel an infrastructure advisory firm located in Bethesda, MD, with affiliated offices in the Netherlands. IMG Rebel specializes in innovative funding and the management of infrastructure facilities. Mr. Page has over two decades of experience advising on public-private partnerships, finance, and development of bus and bus rapid transit, light and heavy rail, parking, and other highway infrastructure. He has advised on a number of projects and programs for transit and other agencies, including in Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Raleigh/Durham and San Francisco. Mr. Page is a member of the Transportation Research Board’s revenue and finance committee and the American Public Transportation Association’s finance, public-private partnerships and high-speed rail committees. Click to view Mr. Page's Transit and Rail Innovative Funding and Finance Update presentation.
 

 
Special Recognition of the TPO Citizens' Advisory Committees