Gov. Ron DeSantis is reappointing two current members to the Greater Miami Expressway Agency (GMX).
The reappointments of Richard Blanco and Fatima Perez now move to the Senate for confirmation, where lawmakers will weigh in on the leadership of the agency responsible for managing and maintaining Miami-Dade’s major toll road network.
Blanco, currently the Chief Technology Officer at Internos Group, LLC, brings a technology and business background to the Board. In addition to leadership roles at Business Network International and planIT Systems, Inc., Blanco holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida International University.
Perez, a veteran of state and local politics, serves as Director of Koch State Government Affairs. Her résumé includes time as Chief of Staff for the City of Miami Beach, partner at Southern Strategy Group, and public policy manager at Akerman. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University.
Both appointees have been central figures at GMX, which oversees the region’s all-electronic toll expressway system — including the Dolphin (SR 836), Airport (SR 112), Don Shula (SR 874), Snapper Creek (SR 878) expressways and the Gratigny Parkway (SR 924) — that serves as a key artery for commuters in Miami-Dade County.
The agency, formerly known as the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), transitioned to state control following a high-profile legal battle that culminated in 2023, when a Leon County judge dissolved MDX. That transition aimed to clarify governance and give the state a stronger hand in the system’s operations and long-term planning, particularly regarding toll pricing.
State law lays out a nine-member governing body for GMX with appointments by the Governor, Miami-Dade County and the county’s metropolitan planning organization. Appointees must have experience in fields such as transportation engineering, tolling or planning.
Perez, who presently chairs the governing Board, and Blanco, who serves as Board secretary, will be positioned to continue shaping the agency’s direction.
