Res No 122-23-16055RESOLUTION NO. 122-23-16055
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,
FLORIDA, CONSENTING TO THE APPOINTMENT BY
THE CITY MANAGER OF SURAMY CABRERA AS THE
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DffiECTOR FOR THE CITY
OF SOUTH MIAMI; PROVIDING FOR
IMPLEMENTATION, CORRECTIONS AND AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Article III, Section 5 of the City of South Miami City Charter the
City Manager has the power to appoint Directors of the City Departments with the consent and
majority vote of the Mayor and the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, a vacancy exists for the position of Development Services Director for the
City's Development Services Department; and
WHEREAS, the Department will encompass the City's Planning and Zoning, Building,
and Code Enforcement operations; and
WHEREAS, Suramy Cabrera is a professional engineer, building official, and a certified
structural plans examiner; and
WHEREAS, her resume outlines extensive applicable work experience, most recently as
the Development Services Director and Building Official for the City of Coral Gables, where she
was employed beginning in 2016; and
WHEREAS, the restructuring of three of the City's deparhnents, now falling under the
umbrella of Development Services, requires a strong and proven leader with expertise in each of
the areas; and
WHEREAS, Suramy Cabrera has the qualities and expertise necessary to fulfill the duties
of the position; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission consent to the appointment of Suramy
Cabrera as the Development Services Director for the Development Services Depa11ment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section l. Recitals. The above-stated recitals are true and correct and are incorporated
herein by this reference.
Page I of2
Res. No. 122-23 -1 6055
Section 2. Consent to Appointment. The C it y Commission hereby consents to the
City Manager's appointment of S uramy Cabrera as Development Servi ces Director for the City's
Development Services Department.
Section 3. Implementation. The Ci ty Manager is hereby authorized to take all actions
n ecessaty to imple ment this Resolution.
Section 4. Corrections. Con forn1ing language or technica l scriven er-type conection s
may be made by the C ity Attorney for any conforming amendments to be in corporated into the
fin a l resolution fo r signature.
Section 5.
adopti on .
Effective Date. Thi s Reso lutio n s hall become effective immediately upon
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 3rd day of October, 2023.
ATTEST:
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM,
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND
EXECUTION THEREOF
& BIERMAN, P.L.
CITY ATTORNEY
E LFMAN COLE
APPROVED:
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Ferna nd ez:
Vice Mayor Bon ic h:
Commi ss ion er Ca lle:
5-0
Yea
Yea
Yea
Co mm issioner Liebman: Yea
Commissioner Corey: Yea
Pa ge 2 o f2
Agenda Item No:12.
City Commission Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: October 3, 2023
Submitted by: Samantha Fraga-Lopez
Submitting Department: City Manager
Item Type: Resolution
Agenda Section:
Subject:
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA,
CONSENTING TO THE APPOINTMENT BY THE CITY MANAGER OF SURAMY CABRERA AS THE
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI; PROVIDING FOR
IMPLEMENTATION, CORRECTIONS AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 3/5 (CITY MANAGER)
Suggested Action:
Attachments:
Memo- hiring Development Services Director.docx
Resolution Consenting to Appointment of Development Services Director Suramy Cabrera
Suramy Cabrera Resume.pdf
1
CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO:The Honorable Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Members of the City Commission
FROM:Genaro “Chip” Iglesias,City Manager
DATE:October 3, 2023
SUBJECT:Appointment of Director of Development Services-Suramy Cabrera
RECOMMENDATION:Pursuant to the requirements of Article III, Section 5 of the City of South
Miami City Charter, it is recommended that the Mayor and the City
Commission adopt the attached resolution consenting to the City
Manager’s appointment of Ms. Suramy Cabrera as Development Services
Director for the City of South Miami.
I am excited to formally announce and appoint Ms. Suramy Cabrera as
Development Services Director. Ms. Cabrera is a professional engineer,
building official, and a certified structural plans examiner. Her resume
outlines extensive applicable work experience, most recently as the
Development Services Director and Building Official for the City of Coral
Gables, where she was employed beginning in 2016. The restructuring of
three of the City’s departments, now falling under the umbrella of
Development Services, requires a strong and proven leader with expertise
in each of the areas. Cabrera has the qualities and experience necessary.
BACKGROUND:The budget for Fiscal Year 2024 was approved with the inclusion of a
Development Services Department. The Department will encompass the
City’s Planning and Zoning, Building, and Code Enforcement operations.
The Director will serve as a key member of the City’s leadership team with
direct responsibility for the effective implementation of City-wide strategic
and operating initiatives. The Director is tasked with providing leadership
through managing, directing, and coordinating the activities of the
department's three divisions, organizing land development services with
other divisions and departments,and providing highly complex staff
assistance to the Building, Code Enforcement, and Planning and zoning
staff.
ATTACHMENTS:Resolution
Resume
2
Suramy Cabrera, MS, PE
Structural Engineer
Building Official/Building Code Administrator
BORA Certified Structural Plans Examiner
I.Education
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of Central Florida, 1996
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Central Florida, 1995
Accounting for Managers, Florida International University, 2001
II.Licenses/ Registrations
Professional Engineer: Florida, 56222, 2000
Building Code Administrator
Structural Plans Examiner
Publications
Mirmiran, A., Samaan, M., Cabrera, S., and Shahawy, M. “Design, Manufacture, and Testing of a New
Hybrid Column.” Construction and Building Materials.
III.Work Experience
SC Private Providers, PA. Founder and President. Offering the private sector structural peer review,
plan review and construction inspection services for all Engineering and Building disciplines per Florida
Statutes 553.791 Alternative Plans Review and Inspections required to obtain a permit.
Summary of Some Projects:
SLAM 1 SLAM 2 Wynwood Smoke Shop
ALOFT Balenciaga Carrollton
Ember Kaido Green Springs High School
Kaskades ALOFT Mater Grove Academy
Pinecrest Academy Pinecrest Glades 1 and 2 Rick Owens
St Roch Market KLA Academy Ovation Restaurant
True North Classical Academy Pinecrest at Fontainebleau Somerset at Country Palms
Somerset at Pinewood Acres Mercy Medical Arts Building Global Distributors
City of Coral Gables, FL. Development Services Director and Building Official. October 2016 – August
2023
City of Bal Harbour, FL. Building Director, Building Official and Structural plans examiner.
Spillis Candela DMJM . Structural engineer and Associate Vice President. Structural design engineer
specializing in Earthquake design and high velocity hurricane zone of mid-rise buildings (up to 15
stories) in projects throughout the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Atkins North America (Formerly known as PBS&J). Group manager for PBS&J’s South Florida Structural
Division. Responsibilities included:
o Business development
o Presentation for new work
o Setting staffing levels
o Preparing cost proposals
5
Suramy Cabrera, PE
Structural Engineer
info@scprivateproviders.com
“Engineered for Efficiency”
o Managing backlog
o Determining percent complete levels for billing purposes
o Maintaining overall profitability of the group
o Achieving structural division operating income of 800,000
o Achieving structural division effective multiplier of 2.79
o Achieving an engineering staff growth of 15%
o Researching the feasibility of alternative design approaches
o Maintaining quality standards in all work produced, checking computations, and/or reviewing
designs and drawings performed by others
Miami Dade County. Structural plan reviewer and construction manager.
C.A.P. Government, Inc. Serving several Miami-Dade County municipalities offering structural plan
review services required for building permit issuance.
IV.Structural Design and Project Experience
Visa Corporate/Office Building, Miami, Florida. Structural engineer responsible for the design and
construction management of a new two-building, 340,000-square-foot corporate office complex
inclusive of executive offices, a secure computer operations center, and employee cafeteria.
Grupo Pellas Headquarters, Managua, Nicaragua. Principal structural engineer for this Centro
Corporativo del Grupo Pellas headquarters project involving the design of a 12-story administration
office building flanked by two, 2-story wings. Also included within the project is a 500-car parking
garage at and below grade. Design included seismic design for zone 4 as defined in 1997 Uniform
Building Code (UBC). Performed site visits on approximately a monthly basis.
Sandy Lane Hotel Barbados, Barbados, West Indies. Structural engineer responsible for structural design
for construction documents as well as various site visits to observe construction progress for this
project involving the design of a new hotel facility including a 12,000-square-foot spa building, utility
building, and children’s facilities.
Downtown Dadeland, Miami, Florida. Lead structural engineer for this mixed-use complex situated on a
7.79-acre site. The project contains seven buildings up to seven stories high, two basement parking
levels nearly 15 feet below grade, and 112,000 leasable square feet.
S.L.A.M. Middle and High School, Miami, Florida. Florida Building Code Alternative Plan Review and
inspection services for this new eight-story educational facility.
Ft. Benning TEMF, FT. Benning, Georgia. Lead structural engineer on design- build team with Mortenson
Construction. Project included the design of 6 structures for the United States Armed Forces. Served
as lead structural engineer for all structures, setting structural systems, design criteria, schedules and
coordinating with other disciplines. The project was completed in 2011.
Miami Dade Community College, Culinary Arts School, Miami, Florida. Served as lead structural engineer
for 9-story structure to house the school of culinary arts. Responsible for setting design criteria,
performing calculations, reviewing other engineers’ work, and coordinating with other disciplines. The
project was completed in Revit and construction was scheduled for completion end of 2010. Contact –
Carlos Dougnac AIA, Miami-Dade Community College
Publix Supermarkets, South Florida. Work for Publix includes design of new stores, renovations of
existing stores and design of the Publix corporate Headquarters. Responsible for setting design criteria,
selecting structural system, reviewing plans and calculations, and managing structural engineers within
the department.
Southwest Florida International Airport, Fort Myers, Florida. Structural engineer responsible for the
design and construction management for phase I of this $133 million project which consisted of a new
three-story, 700,000-square-foot terminal building, three concourses, 28 gates, and a 3,000-car parking
garage. Directly responsible for the design and construction management of the 1,400-foot-long by 180-
foot-wide terminal.
Key Biscayne Government Center, Key Biscayne, Florida. Structural engineer responsible for providing
construction management for the new city hall, police headquarters, and public parking.
6
Suramy Cabrera, PE
Structural Engineer
info@scprivateproviders.com
“Engineered for Efficiency”
Florida International University, Miami, Florida. Lead structural engineer for the new facility which
includes 10 wet research labs, 40 lab modules, 5 wet teaching labs, 12 faculty offices, administrative
suite, aquarium room, and 100-seat seminar room.
Transit and Maintenance Facility/Solid Waste Transfer Station, Key West, Florida. Structural engineer for
the design of a bus maintenance facility including bus wash area and gas station. The bus maintenance
facility houses bus shop area, the parts department, drop-off area for the buses, tire storage, oil
storage, and electrical generator to assist in the event of a hurricane. This facility also houses the
administration office for Fleet Management of the city of Key West.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF) Indefinite
Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) for Design and Construction Administration Services for Health Campus
Facilities, Bethesda, Maryland. Senior structural engineer responsible for the preparation of
specifications for the structural discipline. This project for NIH involved working on a new 6,500-square-
foot inspection station in the NIH Bethesda campus. The facility includes a covered inspection bay with
under-vehicle camera equipment and an administrative area for the campus police as well as a kennel
facility for the campus K-9s. Site work included K-12-rated perimeter security features (bollards and
popup barriers), structural best management practices (BMPs), and a new 32-foot span precast bridge
spanning a 100-year floodplain.
Energy Demonstration Fitness Center at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida
Panhandle. Senior structural engineer responsible for quality control/quality assurance review for this
project. The scope of work involves providing full architectural services for this high visibility showcase
energy/sustainable development project that is used to highlight the Air Force’s success in the areas of
energy and sustainable development. This 82,478-square-foot fitness center features alternative
sources of energy and “green-build” design principles, the fitness center is designed to achieve the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “silver” rating,
Cosme Water Treatment Plant B&G Shop and Investigations, Pinellas County, Florida. Structural engineer
responsible for structural design of the 2,200-square-foot/one-story building addition to the south of
the existing water treatment plant. This project assignment is a work order under the City of St.
Petersburg’s 4-year Water, Wastewater, and Reclaimed Water Miscellaneous Services contract.
Brighton Charter School, Brighton, Florida. Structural manager responsible for structural design of a
one-story, 29,000-square-foot classroom and auditorium facility for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Structural system was open web steel joist over steel girders and load bearing masonry walls supported
by a shallow foundation system.
Gulliver Preparatory School, Pinecrest, Florida. Structural engineer for design and construction
management for the new two-story classroom facility.
School Board of Broward County, Middle School – Prototype MM and LL, Broward County, Florida.
Structural engineer for the design and construction of two-story buildings encompassing 200,000
square feet.
Edison Preparatory, Miami, Florida. Lead structural engineer responsible for preparation of structural
calculations and construction documents.
Naranja Branch Library, Miami, Florida. Structural designer.
Kendale Lakes Library, Miami, Florida. Structural designer.
International Mall Library, Miami, Florida. Structural designer.
Galloway Estates, Miami, Florida. Structural manager responsible for structural design of single-family
homes.
Biscayne Boulevard and NE 123rd Street, Miami, Florida. Structural manager responsible for structural
design of one-story retail facilities. Structural system is a pile foundation, structural, pile-supported slab,
with load bearing masonry walls and steel joist roof.
Children’s Courthouse, Miami, Florida. Approximate 100 million construction cost. Construction/project
manager.
Overtown Transit Village, Miami, Florida. Construction/project manager.
North Dade Justice Center, Miami, Florida. Construction/project manager.
Shop 3C, Miami, Florida. Construction/project manager.
Shop 3D, Miami, Florida. Construction/project manager.
7
Suramy Cabrera, PE
Structural Engineer
info@scprivateproviders.com
“Engineered for Efficiency”
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Coral Gables, Florida. Assisted two
municipalities with NPDES compliance requirements.
Citibank, Miami, Florida. Water and sewer design for an office in Miami.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District VI. Bridge inspections for District Six.
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Authority, Miami, Florida. Pump station inspection and data collection
through CAP for PBS&J.
V.Thesis Work
Worked as a research assistant in the graduate program at the University of Central Florida. Master’s
thesis included writing a program in Visual Basic to simulate the cyclic response of a concrete member
of any diameter and length encased in a fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) jacket or steel jacket; developing
equations to predict the shear strength of concrete members encased in a FRP jacket; and testing FRP-
reinforced concrete beams. The research was sponsored by the University of Central Florida and the
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
8