Miami Beach Commission Appoints Alina Hudak As City Manager, First Woman To Hold The Position In The City
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - It's a historic first for the city of Miami Beach.
On Wednesday, Miami Beach commissioners appointed Alina Hudak as the new city manager, she is the first woman to hold that position in the city.
"Today is much more emotional than I expected it to be," Hudak said in a statement. "That emotion comes from a place of love for this city, its residents, and my colleagues. I am honored and humbled."
She replaces Jimmy Morales who stepped down late last year to become chief operations officer for Miami-Dade County.
Hudak joined the city in February 2020 as Miami Beach's assistant city manager. Previous to that, she served as director of multiple Miami-Dade County departments as well as assistant county manager, county manager, and deputy county mayor.
"Alina is a world-class selection. While it's historic in that she will be our first woman city manager, it's important that our residents know her record of accomplishment is flat-out exceptional," observed Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber.
As county manager, Hudak oversaw more than 27,000 employees and an $8 billion budget. She was involved in planning six Super Bowls and led the Zika response during her time with the county. Since joining the city in February 2020, Hudak has played an important role in Miami Beach's response to the coronavirus and its resilience efforts.
"I believe very strongly that whenever you start a new job, it doesn't matter what you've accomplished prior to that," Hudak said. "You have to prove yourself all over again."
Hudak will take office immediately and be sworn in on May 12.