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WHN Miami 2024: Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County

"Just get started. Just do something to make a difference," said the Florida mayor on her journey to leadership during the AS/COA conference.

Speakers

  • Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor, Miami-Dade County
  • Susan Segal, President & CEO, AS/COA

"Finally, someone pushed me over the edge and said, you know, it's time. You really need to do it," said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at the 9th Women's Hemispheric Network Conference in Miami. That person ended up being her daughter, who convinced her to shift from running non-profits to seeking higher office. In a keynote conversation with Susan Segal of AS/COA, the mayor outlined how her passion for improving the lives of others drives her actions in office.

"I was about social change. I was really about children and families. My educational focus had been building better lives for children, making sure that every child had the the right to be loved and be stable and have a productive future life," explained Mayor Levine Cava. Now, she brings that passion to managing one of the largest metropolitan governments in the United States, where she is focused on improving infrastructure, building affordable housing, and protecting natural resources. 

She's also working to leverage the migration and capital that came into Miami during the pandemic. "The newcomers and the new capital is really meteoric," she explained. "We just have to be able to balance it with the equity, the opportunity, and make sure that we're building a resilient way."

What's Mayor Levine Cava's advice to young women? "We need you now. We need you to take your passion whatever it is and lend your expertise, your credibility, your passion to a cause that is meaningful to you. Just get started. Just do something to make a difference."

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