Miami-Dade County Employee Service Awards Ceremony - April 17, 2026
Miami-Dade County Employee Service Awards Ceremony
On April 17, 2026, Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis (District 6) presided over a service awards ceremony honoring Miami-Dade County employees who reached 30, 35, and 40 years of service. The event featured speeches from department directors, supervisors, and colleagues, as well as a video message from the Mayor. Recognized employees received plaques and were celebrated for their dedication, professionalism, and community impact.
Discussion Items
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40-Year Award – Israel "Camacho" Camacho (Water and Sewer Department): Director Jay Fink highlighted Camacho's 40 years of service, noting his expertise in sewer system operations, rapid response to emergencies, and willingness to take calls at all hours. Camacho started in 1986 and became a supervisor within six years. He is known for his deep knowledge of the county's sewer infrastructure and often being the county's top overtime earner due to his responsiveness. Camacho thanked everyone and said he felt the same as he did 40 years ago.
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30-Year Award – James L. Nessel (Information Technology Department, CITD): Assistant Director George Medeiros described Nessel as kind, humble, and highly experienced. Division Director Mike Perez noted that Nessel has been a senior technician for public safety communications, ensuring 911 and other county communication systems work reliably. He has migrated the public safety system since 2000 and handles calls at all hours, including during vacations. Nessel's supervisor Richard Polito praised his work on 311 as well. Nessel said it had been a blessing working for the county.
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30-Year Award – Carla Ortega (CITD): George Medeiros introduced Ortega as a senior application programmer. Mike Perez detailed her career, starting in 1996 as a programmer assistant. She played a central role in developing the case management system for code compliance, the award-winning e-ticketing mobile solution (NACO recognition), and the Miami-Dade 311 CRM implementation (2025 NACO Achievement Award). Colleagues praised her technical expertise, attention to detail, and collaborative nature. Ortega thanked everyone for being part of her journey.
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30-Year Award – Eduardo Martinez (Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces): Director Christina White noted Martinez started as a public service aide and now serves as Stewardship Area Manager, having held six or seven positions over 30 years. His colleagues called him a "rock," a mentor, and a legacy employee (his mother also worked for the county). Martinez himself noted he actually has 38 years total (5 part-time, 33 full-time). He oversees parks in Districts 7, 8, 9, and 11 and trains staff for movie nights. He plans to work another five years.
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30-Year Award – Daniel "Danny" Jr. (Seaport Department): Director Heidi Webb acknowledged Danny's 30 years of service, including 26 years at Corrections (rising from officer to director) and 4 years at the Seaport as Assistant Director for Safety and Security. He chairs multiple safety and traffic committees. Danny credited the county for being good to his family and dedicated his award to his sister Carla McCollar, a 27-year county employee who passed away in 2023. He said the seaport is his "happy place."
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30-Year Award – Bridget Newsom (Department of Transportation and Public Works, DTPW): A representative congratulated Newsom, who started at Clerk of the Courts, then Consumer Services as a port specialist, and later at RER before joining DTPW as an administrative secretary. Colleagues praised her for being a supportive friend and coworker who relieves stress. Newsom thanked her coworkers for their support and said she cannot believe 30 years have passed.
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35-Year Award – Edwin Oliver (DTPW): Oliver began as a bus mechanic trainee and advanced to mechanic and then supervisor overseeing the Coruaway division. Department representatives noted his leadership and dedication to keeping buses on the road for the community. Oliver thanked God for guiding him through 35 years and said the time went by very fast.
Key Outcomes
- The ceremony recognized seven employees for reaching major service milestones: Camacho (40 years), James Nessel, Carla Ortega, Eduardo Martinez, Daniel Jr., Bridget Newsom (30 years each), and Edwin Oliver (35 years).
- Each honoree received a plaque and was photographed with family, supervisors, and colleagues.
- The event concluded with a thank you from Commissioner Orbis, who praised the employees as the heart of the county.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis. I have the honor of representing District Six in the Miami Dade County Commission. I've also been part of the county family for 20 years. I know some of you know me, some of you don't, but I am also a county employee, so it is a very proud moment that I get to recognize you guys and your achievements and your uh sacrifice and serving the county. So I am here with our chief Jimmy Morales from the office of the mayor. Jimmy, would you like to say a few words? Yes, it's uh always a pleasure to be at these events and to uh I talk about it sometimes in the emails I send around about some of the proudest moments are where you're here celebrating your 30, 35, 40, whatever it is, and your colleagues and families are here. This is a very special occasion. The mayor would be here if she could, uh, but um I'm here in her stead, but I do know I think we have a little video from the mayor. Thank you, Jimmy. Can we cue the video from the mayor? Congratulations to all of our employees receiving service awards today. Whether you're marking five or thirty-five years with our county, this incredible career milestone is something to celebrate. Your years of service reflect dedication, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to our residents. Every day you help make our community stronger, more connected, and future ready. And for that, we are forever grateful. People will always be our greatest asset. You are our hands and our hearts delivering excellence every day. Because of your hard work, we're building a government that responds compassionately to our residents' needs and puts customer service first, building public trust in local government. You're part of a proud workforce shaping a future that's vibrant, affordable, and ready for the challenges ahead. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service. Congratulations again on these special anniversaries, and here's to many more years of building a better Miami Dade together. Thank you to our mayor for the special message. 30, 35, and even 40 years, which is a remarkable achievement being part of the county family, and I know that that is a tremendous sacrifice. That is dedication. Being a public servant is no easy feat. So um, we appreciate everything that you do and everything that you pour into our community. So with that, we will get started. So when I call your name, please come down, and uh, we'll hand you your plaque, and then we'll have your director come down or your supervisor come down, and then we'll have your families join us for some photos. Okay. So the first one is 40 years. Forty years. All right. Hello. Thank you. Congratulations. Congratulations. Okay. On behalf of Miami Dade County. Hello, good morning. Which one have you got here? Hi, good morning. Yes, come on down. Somebody. Okay, so I'm gonna turn it over to Director Jay Fink to say some words about Mr. Camacho. Thank you so much, Commissioner. And I'm gonna be brief in my remarks because there's a few others who want to say a few more things. Um I've only been here almost a year now, but my dealings with Israel has been nothing but more professional.
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