Director QT.

Who are you texting there so uh so intense?

I'm working, always working.

No one works as hard as director QT, as I like to say, director cutie, Commissioner Gilbert.

Good morning, guys, good morning.

Me Vida, where's my Vida?

Maybe say that we have today.

You're the one special one.

There's only one.

Yeah.

Good morning, guys.

Thank you, Commissioner Regalado, for joining us, Commissioner Gilbert, and all the other commissioners joining us, trickling in.

Today we have uh a very special uh presentation, one that I think is probably special to all of us, and uh and to more and that extends beyond uh just Miami Dade County into some of our uh municipalities, specifically the city of Miami.

But um, you know, it's it's it's obviously a very special thing that we do by doing these presentations, but at the same time it's it's obviously a you know, I don't know if to call it bittersweet, but a little bit sad to the reason why we're here, right?

Uh, but I like to look at it from a very positive uh point of view.

Uh, but Manolo Reyes, who was a friend to all of us, uh perhaps he was more of a friend to us than some of us were to him, right?

Uh, because that's the type of person he was.

Um, definitely not uh, and I and I say this being an elected official, definitely not your typical elected official for sure.

And I think we can all we can all attest to that.

Um he really had a public servant's heart.

And you still see that today.

I like to think that this body aspires to that.

Uh, but but certainly he set the bar very high.

And that is certainly something that is rare, for sure.

Um Reyes for for many years, same as a lot of you guys up here.

Uh, but I've also known his family and his son Manny Reyes, and his beautiful kids and wife, and we have Manolo Reyes' uh late wife uh wife here with us today.

And um, it is our honor to be honoring his life.

That's what we're honoring today.

His life.

Um, he truly, and I and I can't say this enough, truly is someone that I looked up to.

I genuinely say that.

Uh, he always had a smile on his face, he served with joy.

Um, it was hard to get under his skin.

Uh, but when you did, it's because he stood up for what he believed in.

It was because he was fighting for the right thing.

Never, never, never with one ounce of self-interest at all.

And he was determined in everything he did, from before political life, I mean, you all could talk to that, but uh even getting into political life, he was determined to to get in and serve uh and was successful.

Uh he was determined in missions and issues that he would bring forward.

Um so again, it is it is my honor to be here honoring his life.

Uh and and it means a lot that you all are here.

I know that obviously it's important to you guys, but everybody has busy schedules, and you guys have taken your time, and it means it shows that by bringing the kids here, his grandkids, like how much this means and how important and what type of family it is and how united you guys are.

So uh with that, I'm gonna pass it over to Commissioner uh Orbis, who uh present who's gonna do the official presentation, and then anyone else that would like to say some words as well.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Chairman.

Good morning, everyone.

It is my honor uh to be here uh presenting this resolution in honor of Commissioner Manolo Reyes.

He's an inspiration to me and to all of us.

Um I believe he served almost half a decade in public service, and that is a true testament to the legacy that he left in the city of Miami, but not only City of Miami in Miami Dade County and South Florida.

Uh he's someone that we all looked up to.

Uh my family is very fond of him personally, and you know, he's been in public office since I was a child, so someone that I definitely looked up to, and that was a role model to me and so many of us that that pursued a career in public service.

Um he was the kind of leader that we all hope to be.

Uh he put people first and he led with strength, uh dignity, humility, and most of all his heart.

Uh his career span uh education, city government, economic development, and and it was always rooted in the belief that public service is about the people first.

He fought for affordable housing, making streets safer, making sure that every child had a backpack.

I remember how important that was to him, and I plan to honor that legacy and and collaborate with our schools to always make sure that we continue that.

He never forgot who he was fighting for.

Uh, you know, he was very proud of the work in the neighborhoods like Flagami, which I share with him.

Uh he brought investment to our our communities, our parks, he helped build a stronger sense of community.

Uh, he showed us what it what it really means to serve with purpose and reminded us that leadership is about lifting up others and fighting for things to be better than you found them.

So to Commissioner Reyes' family, please know that his legacy will always live on, uh, not just in the city that he helped, but in the lives that he touched and the example that he set.