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Miami-Dade County honors long‑serving employees at recognition ceremony
Summary
Miami‑Dade County held an employee recognition ceremony where Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Natalie M. Milian Orbis joined department leaders to honor staff members with 30, 35 and 40 years of service across county departments.
Miami‑Dade County officials and department leaders recognized dozens of long‑serving county employees at an employee recognition ceremony. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis opened the event to celebrate staff milestones ranging from 30 to 40 years of service.
The event highlighted employees across multiple county departments, including procurement, parks and recreation, housing and community development, aviation, corrections (MDCR), community action and human services, water and sewer, and environmental services. Speakers read biographical summaries and noted achievements such as leadership roles, program work and contributions to daily operations — for example, runway friction testing and airfield drainage in aviation; fleet management and data analysis in procurement; maintenance and welding work in parks and recreation; and the continuous operation of water production and electric systems in Water and Sewer.
Several employees were singled out for long tenures and notable contributions: Alex Alfonso was recognized for 30 years of service and leadership in fleet management and data analysis; Lisette Prado and Porfirio "Porf" Vasquez from Parks and Recreation were honored for 35 and 40 years respectively; Joaquin Menendez Jr. and Angela Marr were honored for multi‑decade careers in aviation; multiple corrections department staff, including Jean Mesidore and Emilio Palma, were recognized for 30 years of service; Rebecca (Becky) Varley and other Durham/Environmental staff were honored for 35 years; and Angel Gonzalez and others in Water and Sewer were recognized for 35 years of service.
Speakers emphasized the county workforce’s role in public service. Mayor Levine Cava said the county’s workforce are “the hands and the feet and the hearts” of county service and noted efforts to recognize employees. Several department leaders described how honorees contributed to operations and public safety — for example, corrections supervisors said Officer Mesidore helped de‑escalate tense situations and supported facility operations, and aviation supervisors noted that engineers and maintenance staff keep runways and airport systems operational and compliant with inspections and audits.
The ceremony included personal remarks from honorees thanking family, coworkers and supervisors, and closed with group photographs. No formal policy actions, votes, motions or ordinance decisions were taken at the event; it was a recognition ceremony. The location and full agenda details for the event were not specified in the meeting record.
