BIOGRAPHIES

Hector Brito is a certified general contractor and is currently the Vice Chair of Miami-Dade County’s Housing Finance Authority. 

A Miami resident since 1961, Mr. Brito has over 25 years of construction and management experience in single family, multi-family, industrial and commercial real estate activities throughout South Florida. During the last 14 years, he has been exclusively focused on joint efforts to alleviate the shortage of quality affordable housing to low- and moderate-income families and individuals in our community.

As one of the first participants in the Documentary Surtax program, Mr. Brito has lobbied for and assisted in the implementation of programs structured to provide the residents of Miami-Dade County the opportunity to participate in what he believes will be an unprecedented period of urban revitalization.

Lucia Dougherty is an Environmental and Land Use Attorney with Greenberg Traurig, P.A.  Ms. Dougherty represents major developers in securing governmental approvals for large-scale projects as well as various historic preservation developers seeking Certificates of Appropriateness for restoration and demolition. She also represents entities wishing to do business with government on a local level, and has served as the legal counsel to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau since 1988.

Prior to joining the law firm, Ms. Dougherty was City Attorney for the City of Miami and the City of Miami Beach. She was the Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Oklahoma City, Miami Beach and Miami.

Ms. Dougherty served as Chair of both the Archbishop’s Charities and Development Drive for Miami-Dade County and the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. She was Vice Chair of the Eminent Domain Committee of the Florida Bar and Adjunct Professor of Law at Nova Southeastern University School of Law. She is a member of the International Woman’s Forum and the Greater Miami and Beaches Hotel Association.

The Miami Beach Sun Post honored Ms Dougherty as “Best Zoning Attorney.”  She was inducted into the Miami Centennial ’96 Women’s Hall of Fame by the City of Miami Commission on the Status of Women and was honored as the “First Woman City Attorney of Miami and Miami Beach.” She has also received the Municipal Lawyer of the Year Award from the Florida Municipal Lawyers Association.

Ms. Dougherty received her Bachelor Degree from Syracuse University and her Master of Library Science from the University of Oklahoma. She continued her education at Oklahoma City University where she was awarded her law degree and her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Ocean and Coastal Law from the University of Miami.

Linda Haskins is the Senior Financial Advisor to the Mayor of the City of Miami. On a daily basis, Ms. Haskins monitors financial markets, reviews the City’s financial status, and consults with the Mayor.  Prior to this position, she was the Director of Management and Budget for the City of Miami.

Before joining the City, Ms. Haskins was an Adjunct Professor in the Finance Department at the University of Miami. During that same time, she was a private business financial consultant with clients including a large publicly owned home developer and an emerging software company. She was also an expert witness in litigation matters with a highly respected Miami law firm.

Ms. Haskins spent eleven years with American Savings of Florida, F.S.B. finishing her tenure there as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She was responsible for all finance functions including Treasury, Financial Planning, Corporate Taxes, Investor Relations, Controller’s Division and Secondary Marketing. She was also Chair of the Bank’s Asset/Liability Management Committee. While working on her CPA, she was a Senior Manager in the Audit Department of KPMG Peat Marwick.

The University of Florida awarded Ms. Haskins a BSBA degree in Accounting. She continued her education at the University and received her CPA in 1978.

Ms. Jones (Chair) is the Director of Fannie Mae’s South Florida Partnership Office. As Director, Ms. Jones oversees House South Florida, Fannie Mae’s $28 billion, five-year investment strategy with the City of Miami, Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach, and other South Florida counties to provide affordable housing opportunities to more than 275,000 families.

Prior to her South Florida position, Ms. Jones was Fannie Mae’s Director of Community Investment in Washington, D.C.  Her key responsibilities included development and implementation of strategies to increase business and investment opportunities in low- and moderate-income and minority communities. Ms. Jones also served as Director of Community Development and was responsible for comprehensive community development plans in targeted cities nationwide.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae, Ms. Jones served in management positions with SunTrust Bank, Miami, NA, Bank of America, and First Union National Bank.

Ms. Jones is past President of Miami-Dade Urban Bankers Association, the 1991-92 President of the National Association of Urban Bankers; Member of the South Florida Chapter of the National Black MBA Association; Advisory Board Member, College of Urban and Public Affairs, Florida International University; Board Member of Miami-Dade Housing Finance Authority; Board Member of Greater Miami Neighborhoods, Inc; Past Board Member of Easter Financial Credit Union; Past Chair, Board of Directors, Metro-Miami Action Plan Trust; Advisory Board Member, Greater maim Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and Chairs the Affordable housing Committee of the Miami-Dade Empowerment Zone Trust.

On October 4, 2001, Ms. Jones was inducted into the South Florida Business Hall of Fame, which recognizes those who have provided major contributions to the Miami-Dade area. The distinction is earned through individual achievements in business and the community, and by the lifelong example of integrity and decency they pass on to future generations.

Patrick Range (Vice-Chair), the son of Miami pioneer and activist Athalie Range, has been the co-owner and manager of Range Funeral Home for the past 42 years. As a Miami native, he has deep roots in South Florida and is highly respected for his integrity and commitment to the people he serves and to the community.

Mr. Range has served as the President of the Florida Morticians Association and was a Member of the Executive Board of the national Morticians and Funeral Directors Association. Due to his foresight and dedication, he, along with several others, took a bold step forward and founded the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Range is a Member of The King of Clubs, The Collegians Club, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is a member in good standing of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.

In March 1998 the Ms. Warren (President/CEO) was appointed as Director of the Department of Community Development.  As the chief negotiator for the City, she developed an aggressive plan of action, including a complete reorganization of the Department, which was presented in the Response to the Audit.  In accepting the Response and the Plan, HUD reduced the City’s financial obligation to one (1) million dollars.  She continued the implementation of the Corrective Action Plan and the departmental reorganization.  Ms. Warren has been responsible for the development and implementation of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, and continued to set the goals and priorities for the investment of over two hundred (200) million dollars of federal and state funds in the revitalization of the economically disadvantaged target areas within the City of Miami through 2002.  Currently, Gwendolyn Warren is serving in the capacity as the Acting President/CEO of the Model City Community Revitalization Trust, a public/private partnership designed to serve the community revitalization needs of the Model City area.

Gwendolyn has established herself as a leader in the areas of economic development, human resources management, labor negotiations, and budget preparation and management.  Her solid experience in assessing needs, developing plans, setting goals and priorities, establishing methodologies and leading staff, Boards, and Commissions alike has come from her meeting the specific and special needs of the organizations with which she has been associated.