{"id":33490,"date":"2025-11-04T23:27:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T23:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/33490\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T23:27:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T23:27:09","slug":"miami-mayors-former-chief-of-staff-replaces-isiaa-jones-as-omni-cra-director-local-news-updates-the-miami-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/33490\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami mayor\u2019s former chief of staff replaces Isiaa Jones as Omni CRA director | Local News & Updates | The Miami Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Omni Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)<\/a> board voted<\/a> last week to authorize the separation of Executive Director Isiaa Jones, appoint Carlos I. Suarez as her successor, and form an auditor selection committee \u2014 marking a major leadership transition for one of Miami\u2019s most active redevelopment districts.<\/p>\n

Jones, who has worked within the city since 2016, began as a paralegal before serving as the CRA\u2019s legal officer from 2017 to 2022 and later as city attorney. She was appointed interim executive director of the CRA in October 2023 and became permanent soon after. Her tenure ended two years later, closing a chapter defined by record housing production, bond expansion, and a renewed focus on equity.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, Isiaa Jones, I have deeply enjoyed working with you,\u201d said Commissioner Damian Pardo, chair of the Omni CRA. \u201cI\u2019ve enjoyed your professionalism, your outreach in the community, and everything you\u2019ve done. We can only wish you the best with this new chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Commissioner<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Commissioner Damian Pardo, chair of the Omni CRA, at the meeting to appoint a new executive director.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Amelia Orjuela Da Silva for The Miami Times)<\/p>\n

The Omni CRA stretches north from Interstate 395 to Northeast 20th Terrace and is bounded by Biscayne Bay to the east and Northwest 2nd Avenue to the west. Its district includes Omni, Northeast Overtown, South Wynwood, South Edgewater and small portions of Park West and Watson Island.<\/p>\n

A legacy of service\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under Jones\u2019 leadership, the Omni CRA worked to ensure that redevelopment uplifted rather than displaced Miami\u2019s historic Black community. Using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreements, the agency leveraged developer participation in affordable housing, small-business investment, and cultural preservation.<\/p>\n

\"Isiaa<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Isiaa Jones reading her remarks as she bids farewell to her position as Omni CRA executive director.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Amelia Orjuela Da Silva for The Miami Times)<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past two years, my team and I have worked tirelessly, through long days and sleepless nights, driven by a shared commitment to serve this community,\u201d Jones told the board. \u201cTogether, we\u2019ve created over 30 resolutions, implemented strong operating procedures, and produced more than 1,500 affordable housing units, with 1,000 more in the pipeline.\u201d<\/p>\n

She noted how the CRA extended its life until 2047 and unlocked more than $160 million in bond capacity, while committing record funding to Overtown and preserving its cultural landmarks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work has never been about recognition, but about service,\u201d she said. \u201cAs I pass the baton, it is not the end of the race. The Omni CRA\u2019s strength has always been in its roots, its people, its history, and its purpose here in the City of Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the 2024 Omni CRA Annual Report<\/a>, the agency invested in key projects such as UNI Tower, a 252-unit affordable housing complex that earned the Florida Redevelopment Association\u2019s Outstanding New Building Award; Wynwood Works, with rents as low as $596; and Palm Plaza, which received $900,000 to rehabilitate 18 units. The CRA also invested $6.8 million to preserve historic sites including Dorsey Memorial Library, Mt. Olivette Baptist Church, and the Dawkins Ward Educational Center, while expanding beautification grants and small-business microgrants.<\/p>\n

Jones\u2019 separation agreement totals $191,244, including 20 weeks of severance, a $33,000 payout under the employee manual, and $48,000 in accrued leave. The reason for the separation was not discussed at the meeting.<\/p>\n

Carlos Suarez steps in<\/p>\n

The board unanimously approved the appointment of Carlos I. Suarez, formerly Chief of Staff to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, as executive director. Suarez enters in a\u00a0new era with the\u00a0CRA\u2019s extension and a new bond series expected to be announced soon, Pardo\u2019s office told The Miami Times.<\/p>\n

Suarez will earn a $265,000 salary, with an $800 monthly car allowance and $200 cellphone stipend. Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela raised concerns about the higher salary, prompting Pardo to clarify that the pay was \u201cvery competitive, but not greater\u201d than Jones\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were very fortunate that Carlos Suarez was available,\u201d Pardo said. \u201cHe had many options that he reviewed, and we were fortunate that he chose this opportunity to advance the mission of the Omni CRA and lead it into a new chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n

A bilingual Miami native and Cuban American, Suarez holds a bachelor\u2019s in business administration from Florida International University and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. His career spans over a decade in the cruise industry and senior federal posts, including at USAID and the U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Omni CRA represents the very best of Miami, where culture, business, and community come together,\u201d Suarez said. \u201cOur job is to make sure that growth benefits everyone. The revitalization means opportunity, and development includes housing, small businesses, and public spaces that serve residents just as much as investors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

The board also formed an auditor selection committee to solicit proposals and recommend an independent party for the CRA\u2019s annual financial audit. Pardo will chair the committee, joined by members Erica T. Paschal and former city Chief Financial Officer Larry M. Spring.<\/p>\n

The leadership transition comes as the Omni CRA continues major redevelopment efforts balancing economic growth and equity in a district long central to Miami\u2019s Black cultural history.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I pass the baton, it is not the end of the race,\u201d Jones said in her closing remarks. \u201cMay you continue to build upon that foundation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Omni Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board voted last week to authorize the separation of Executive Director Isiaa…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33491,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[19821,23494,23519,6931,23506,23501,23503,23511,23509,23520,23508,23495,123,23517,23505,23502,23518,23507,125,124,23496,23504,23510,23493,23500,23516,23497,23514,23499,23515,23512,23498,23513],"class_list":["post-33490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-affordable-housing-miami","tag-carlos-i-suarez","tag-city-of-miami-redevelopment","tag-community-redevelopment-agency","tag-cra-auditor-committee","tag-cra-board-vote","tag-damian-pardo","tag-dawkins-ward-educational-center","tag-dorsey-memorial-library","tag-francis-suarez-chief-of-staff","tag-historic-preservation-miami","tag-isiaa-jones","tag-miami","tag-miami-affordable-housing-projects","tag-miami-bond-expansion","tag-miami-city-commission","tag-miami-cra-executive-transition","tag-miami-economic-development","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-miami-redevelopment","tag-miguel-angel-gabela","tag-mt-olivette-baptist-church","tag-omni-cra","tag-omni-cra-leadership-change","tag-overtown-cultural-preservation","tag-overtown-development","tag-palm-plaza-housing","tag-south-edgewater-projects","tag-tax-increment-financing-miami","tag-uni-tower-miami","tag-wynwood-affordable-housing","tag-wynwood-works"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33490\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}