Mayor Higgins Names Senior Staff to Strengthen Respect, Trust, Results

Mayor Eileen Higgins, the first woman to serve as Mayor of the City of Miami, today announced key senior staff appointments as she launches a historic administration focused on delivering for residents with respect, competence, and measurable results. The Higgins administration will prioritize restoring trust in City Hall through clear service standards, faster response times, strong ethics and transparency practices, and consistent public updates on progress. Mayor Higgins is committed to a safe, connected, and humane Miami, with leadership focused on affordability, effective government, resilient infrastructure, and economic opportunity in every neighborhood.

"Miami residents deserve a City Hall that respects their time, communicates clearly, and delivers results that make your life better," said Mayor Eileen Higgins. "That starts with faster response times, transparent updates, and strong ethics. And it means staying focused on what matters most to families, affordability, safety, and opportunity. I am proud to bring together a team of experienced, mission-driven professionals who will do the work, follow through, and earn the public's trust."

Each senior staff member will help execute Mayor Higgins' priorities by strengthening City operations, improving service delivery, and keeping residents informed through clear goals, measurable progress, and consistent updates.

The senior staff appointments include:

Marta Viciedo, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Economic Growth
Marta Viciedo brings deep experience in economic development, small business growth, workforce pathways, and place-based initiatives. She most recently served as Miami Director at Knight Foundation and previously co-founded Urban Impact Lab, helping cities turn priorities into practical action. In this role, Viciedo will lead efforts to strengthen Miami's neighborhoods and local economy, including small business growth, workforce development, and arts and culture as an engine for opportunity.

Ron Bilbao, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs
Ron Bilbao brings two decades of experience shaping and advancing policy that strengthens opportunity, resilience, and quality of life. His work spans local, state, and federal arenas, with expertise across voting rights, healthcare, education, transit, and climate and sustainability policy. In this role, Bilbao will lead the Mayor's policy and legislative agenda, manage relationships across local, state, and federal government, and help turn the Mayor's policy priorities into real, on-the-ground results for Miami residents.

Edward Martí Kring, Director of Community Enhancement and Project Delivery
Edward Martí Kring brings more than 23 years of experience across the private, nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors. Most recently, he served as the District Director for then Commissioner Higgins, where he led constituent services and worked closely with community partners and government agencies. In this role, Martí Kring will support the Mayor's priorities by advancing community-focused initiatives and coordinating cross-departmental work to deliver measurable quality-of-life improvements across Miami's neighborhoods.

Christopher Norwood, J.D., Special Advisor on Community Prosperity
Christopher Norwood brings a career rooted in civic leadership, community engagement, and strategic partnership-building. Norwood has worked on local, state, and judicial campaigns and has built deep relationships across Miami through long-standing engagement with local leaders, civic partners, and community-based institutions. In this role, Norwood advises on strategies that expand economic opportunity, strengthen neighborhood-level prosperity, and deepen partnerships across Miami's communities. His work also supports culture and heritage-based initiatives, often rooted in schools, churches, and cultural institutions, as drivers of economic development, tourism, neighborhood identity, and community pride.

Maca Casado, Communications Director
Maca Casado is a senior bilingual communications strategist with more than a decade of experience leading earned media strategy, crisis communications, and multicultural outreach across campaigns and government. She served as Coalition Media Director and National Senior Spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign.
Casado will lead the Mayor's communications strategy, manage press and public messaging, and ensure residents receive timely, clear updates on the Mayor's and the City's priorities, service improvements, and measurable progress.

These senior staff members will serve under the leadership of Maggie Fernandez, Mayor Higgins' Chief of Staff and longtime advisor.