It was a warm and sunny morning when we met to talk with the Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava representing District 8 in Miami Dade County. With a big smile, she very kindly opened the door of her house to let us know a little more about the politician, altruistic person she is in the privacy of her home.Sitting in a colorful room, which contrasted white walls, we started with what was a pleasant talk. The topics we covered were as varied as her interests.
Commissioner Levine Cava, who has been in the position for more than one year, has devoted nearly all her life to helping people, one way or another, to search for equality and access to opportunities. That is why, 20 year ago, she founded a nonprofit organization known as Catalyst Miami, formerly called Human Services Coalition of Dade County. The organization seeks to connect communities, companies and government to improve access to health and economic opportunities in the south of Florida.
She admits that it’s her great passion and we are sure without a doubt that it is the compass that keeps her focused on what she wants for her district. Nevertheless, her work is fun and it is a challenge when it comes to solving problems and to facing obstacles.
Presently, the Commissioner is focused on two specific aspects and being the visionary that she is, there are a couple of issues that she has in her mind that could certainly be subjects for our next interview.
Her efforts are concentrated in improving public transportation in the area including decongesting highways that will result in people spending less time to get to their workplaces. How would this happen? As she confesses, the City is working on the creation of an express bus from the Turnpike in Homestead to the center of the city of Miami and also working to improve the flow of the traffic lights, so that the traffic goes faster.
The other issue involves her and the mayors of cities that belong to her district, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. They want to attract businesses to the area, which will create new jobs and opportunities so that the citizens do not have to travel so far to their workplaces.
Commissioner Levine Cava, who was born in New York and spent much of her childhood in Chile, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Canada, confirms to us the love she feels for the people and for South Florida. She tells us that when she arrived here more than 30 years ago, she was touched by the warmth and diversity of the community. She also enumerates the advantages that her district offers to new business owners in the area and suggests they open their businesses with confidence.
Some of the advantages are the diverse unique parks such as Fruit and Spice or the Deering Estate. Also, the number of festivals, cultural and educational activities that cities are constantly offering to their residents. This creates a very active district similar to the personality of the Commissioner who enjoys ballet, as well as visiting a museum or to a wildland area that puts her in direct contact with nature.
She has brought part of the nature to her fourty-acre backyard and has planted, with the help of her husband, different types of trees such as, sapodilla, papaya, mango, banana, grapes, lychee and passion fruit. The latter being the Commissioner’s favorite fruit, which also serves as a climbing plant along the stairs leading to her house.
As expected, our meeting ended with a guided tour of her beautiful garden with the sound of the birds in the background. She enthusiastically showed us each of the tropical trees and crops that some of them already have in their branches.
Haz clic para leer en Español: Comisionada Daniella Levine Cava buscando igualdad y acceso de oportunidades
