Daniella Levine Cava

Miami-Dade County Mayor

Daniella Levine Cava

Stephen P. Clark Center
111 NW 1st Street, 29th Floor
Miami, FL 33128
305-375-5071 | [email protected]
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This is the image description. — *Mayor Daniella Levine Cava*

Daniella Levine Cava was elected Miami-Dade County's first-ever woman mayor in November 2020, after 40 years of advocacy for South Florida families. As mayor, she oversees more than 31,000 county employees, serves nearly 3 million residents, and manages an annual budget of approximately $12 billion. She is focused on building a more resilient and prosperous Miami-Dade. Her initiatives include combating gun violence, building a future ready economy full of opportunity, tackling the housing crisis, and preserving our precious environment. A social worker, lawyer, and activist, she previously served as the County Commissioner for District 8 and worked with vulnerable populations through Legal Services of Greater Miami and Catalyst Miami, an organization she founded. With her husband, Dr. Robert Cava, she raised two children, Eliza and Edward, in Miami-Dade.
Daniella Levine Cava was elected Miami-Dade County's first-ever woman mayor in November 2020. She enters the Mayor's Office following a 40-year career as a relentless advocate for South Florida families. As mayor, she oversees a metropolitan government of more than 31,000 employees, serves nearly 3 million residents, and manages an annual budget of approximately $12 billion.

Mayor Levine Cava's administration is focused on building a stronger, more prosperous, more resilient Miami-Dade. She protected lives and livelihoods by deploying a people-focused coronavirus pandemic response. She is prioritizing reforms to keep our county safe and free from gun violence through the Peace and Prosperity Plan, reinvigorating a thriving economy that delivers economic security and welcomes new investment, tackling the housing crisis by protecting tenants and building more affordable housing, preserving our environment, including Biscayne Bay and the Everglades, for generations to come, connecting every corner of Miami-Dade with the efficient and reliable public transit, and directly engaging with residents to make county government more transparent and accountable.

A social worker, lawyer, and community activist, she was first elected in 2014, and re-elected in August 2018, to serve as the Miami-Dade County Commissioner representing District 8. Previously, Levine Cava served vulnerable children, families and immigrants at Legal Services of Greater Miam and the Guardian Ad Litem Program. In 1996, she founded Catalyst Miami to help low- and middle-income families through service, education, and advocacy, which she ran for nearly two decades. With her husband, Dr. Robert Cava, a Miami native and practicing physician, she is proud to have raised two children, Eliza and Edward, in Miami-Dade.

Mayoral Accomplishments

Daniella Levine Cava was elected Miami-Dade County's first-ever woman mayor in November 2020. As mayor, she oversees a metropolitan government of more than 31,000 employees, serves nearly 3 million residents, and manages an annual budget of approximately $12 billion.

Mayor Levine Cava's administration is focused on building a stronger, more prosperous, more resilient Miami-Dade. She protected lives and livelihoods by deploying a people-focused coronavirus pandemic response, bolstering small businesses, residents, and public health. She is prioritizing reforms to keep our county safe and free from gun violence through the Peace and Prosperity Plan; reinvigorating a thriving economy that delivers economic security and welcomes new investments; preserving our environment, including Biscayne Bay and the Everglades, for generations to come; and directly engaging with residents through widespread community engagement campaigns, such as Thrive305. Learn more about the Mayor's key priorities and progress.

*Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at the 2024 State of the County*

She has delivered on these promises through the Future Ready Plan, an economic development approach that empowers our local workforce, supports small business, and unleashes the power of innovation. Under her leadership, Miami-Dade County released the globally renowned Sea Level Rise and Climate Action Strategies that push forward to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and 50% reduction by 2030.

Mayor Levine Cava has tackled the housing and affordability crises head on, increasing tenant protections and rapidly accelerating the supply of new affordable and workforce housing. She has made historic investments in housing solutions, including a new Office of Housing Advocacy, expanding programs to prevent over 26,000 households from losing their homes, and offering mortgage, utility, and condominium special assessment relief. Her stewardship of the county’s SMART Plan will expand five key transit corridors, connecting every corner of Miami-Dade with the most energy efficient and reliable public transportation options.

Mayor Levine Cava’s beginnings

Born in New York and raised partly in Latin America, Mayor Levine Cava received her bachelor's degree in psychology with honors from Yale University and graduate degrees in law and social work from Columbia University. She made South Florida her home in 1980 to join her husband, Dr. Robert Cava, a Miami native and practicing physician. Daniella and Robert raised two children, Eliza and Ted, in Miami-Dade. They share a love of service and outdoor activities, from kayaking the Everglades to sailing Biscayne Bay.

Mayor Levine Cava and her husband, Dr. Robert Cava

Mayor Levine Cava and her grandchildren

A career of service

A social worker, lawyer, and nonprofit leader, Mayor Levine Cava entered the Mayor’s Office following a 40-year career fighting for South Florida families. At Legal Services of Greater Miami, she served special needs children, low-income families and immigrants, and then went on to lead the Guardian Ad Litem Program, representing our most vulnerable children in the foster care and adoption systems. In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, she created an innovative new intake system for child abuse cases with the Department for Children and Families.

In 1996, Mayor Levine Cava founded Catalyst Miami to help low- and middle-income families through service, education, and advocacy. Catalyst still thrives today and helps approximately thousands each year to become more self-sufficient and civically engaged.

She is the Past Chair of the South Florida Regional Planning Council (SFRPC) and served as Council Member from 2015 – 2020. She has served on the Florida Bar Committee on Legal Needs of Children; the boards of League of Women Voters, Orange Bowl Foundation, North Dade Medical Foundation, South Florida Health Information Initiative, and several national boards. She's won numerous awards from various organizations including: the Commission on Ethics, Red Cross, American Society for Public Administration, ACLU, National Council of Jewish Women, League of Women Voters, among others.

*Mayor Levine Cava as President & CEO of Catalyst Miami*

Miami-Dade County Commission

She was first elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in 2014, and re-elected in August 2018, to serve the people of District 8. As Commissioner, she rolled out programming to scale up small businesses and expand economic opportunity, protected the environment as our ‘water warrior’, increased the County police force for underserved areas, advocated for a more mobile, connected public transportation system, and worked to create affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods. Her goal has always been to restore trust in local government.