After years of environmentally focused government and nonprofit work, self-described “extroverted environmentalist” Loren Parra will take on an expanded job as Miami-Dade County’s new Chief Resilience Officer.
She’ll take the post instead of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s first pick for the post, Curtis Osceola, who was arrested last month following an alleged domestic violence incident. Prosecutors have since dropped all charges.
Parra will oversee a restructuring of the Miami-Dade Office of Environmental Risk and Resilience. She’ll also keep her prior responsibilities as Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer while assuming the added duties of Chief Heat Officer, a previously separate and individually staffed position.
“My administration is updating our approach to making our people and property more resilient across Miami-Dade,” said Levine Cava, who is working to reduce her administration’s spending ahead of a tight budgeting year.
“This new structure will empower our resilience experts to work directly on critical projects within our departments, reducing risks and costs for residents and County operations and better protecting our community now and in the long term.”
The Mayor’s Office announced Parra’s promotion Friday, roughly a month after she named Osceola, then the Chief of Staff for the Miccosukee Tribe, for the Chief Resilience Officer position. Less than a week after announcing Osceola’s hiring and mere days before he was to begin working for the county, police booked Osceola on charges of battery against his fiancée and resisting arrest without violence.
An arrest report the Miami Herald obtained said officers arrived on the scene and witnessed “various signs of disturbance” at the couple’s apartment and that he and the woman had visible but superficial injuries.
Osceola’s lawyer said his client was innocent of wrongdoing, was wrongly arrested and that Ring security footage would exonerate him. Levine Cava said at the time that her office would review the situation and that Osceola’s starting date would “be delayed while the legal process takes course.”
Prosecutors dropped charges against Osceola on Friday, the same day Parra’s selection was announced.
Parra, a 32-year-old Democrat, comes to her new position with more than a decade in government and nonprofit roles. Her work history includes close to five years in different roles at the Everglades Foundation, two years as Regional Director for former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, two years as Director of Public Affairs for the Miami Foundation and two years as Levine Cava’s Senior Director of Communications.
She holds an MBA and bachelor’s degree in political science and sustainable studies from the University of Florida.
A county press note said that in her most recent post, Parra helped the county to increase its state and federal lobbying efforts to restart the Biscayne Bay Southern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration project and integrate the county’s flood-reduction and water quality-improvement work.
“I am honored to step into this role at such a critical time for Miami-Dade County,” Parra said in a statement. “Our residents are facing a changing climate each day — with sunny day flooding, extreme heat, and more frequent and intense storms. Now is the time to take bold action to protect our neighborhoods, our economy and our natural resources. I look forward to working with residents, businesses and experts across the county to build a more prepared and sustainable future.”
Parra replaces Interim Chief Resilience Officer Patricia Gomez, who took over for Jim Murley, the first person in the role, after his retirement last year. The job is a top post within the county’s Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.
County records show Parra earned an annual salary of $171,770 as Chief Bay and Water Resources Officer. Gomez’s salary is listed as $214,173.
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