Community Partnerships

Leading the Charge

The Department of Human Services leads the charge in creating community partnerships.  One of our largest collaborations with community partners was Live Healthy Little Havana, which aspires to create a community where all residents are living healthier lives and to serve as a model for other communities that aspire to living healthier.

Other Community Partnerships Accolades include the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, KaBOOM! Play Everywhere, and more...

Community Partnerships Manager/Policy & Strategic Development

 

Michael Roman.jpg

Michael J. Roman, Email: mroman@miamigov.com, Phone: 305-416-1618

As the City of Miami’s Community Partnerships Manager/Policy & Strategic Development, Michael Roman plays an important role in managing projects and creating initiatives that have resulted in innovative approaches to community development projects that promote social change and healthier neighborhoods. Actively working with community-based organizations, various stakeholders, boards, committees and residents, he builds relationships that are essential to change. 

SUMMER 2021

CITY OF MIAMI EMPOWER60 is a 4 week academy in each of the five (5) districts in the City of Miami designed for older adults, residents ages 60 and above to learn the best practices of engaging and working with local government. EMPOWER60 provides a weekly virtual course for two hours and is facilitated to help participants increase resident engagement; educate neighbors about local government’s role and impact; and promote engagement and service deliveries of governmental services.

Topics will include public safety, clean and beautiful neighborhoods, growth and development, education and economic access, culture and recreation, and efficient and effective government.

After successful completion, participants will be invited to a virtual City Commission meeting where they are awarded and acknowledged for the completion of the academy, receive a stipend, and will have the opportunity to put the skills learned into practice.

To learn more, email mroman@miamigov.com

City of Miami was runner up in the inaugural Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge that launched in 2016.  Small and mid-sized U.S. cities and counties, as well as federally recognized tribes, competed to develop practical, evidence-based strategies to improve measurable health outcomes and promote health and wellness, equity and social interaction. To improve economic vitality by moving the needle on health and wellness, the City of Miami addressed issues of health equity and the social determinants of health.

Live Healthy Little Havana was a community initiative that was coordinated and supported by the City of Miami to promote healthier living in Little Havana. With founding funder Health Foundation of South Florida, the goal was to strengthen community capacity to collaboratively plan and collectively carryout strategies to improve health. Out of a list of communities, Little Havana was selected for this initiative and awarded up to $3.7 million for project implementation. Residents and employees of Little Havana expressed concerns about the well-being of residents within the community at meetings. LHLH has a focus placed on strategies that will foster changes in policy, systems, or the environment, with an emphasis on sustainability.  Currently, Live Healthy Little Havana is a self-sustained community non-profit organization.

The Play Everywhere Challenge invited communities to submit creative design ideas that make it easier for families to incorporate play into everyday moments. Miami! 1,2,Trees... Go! was an innovative tree wrapping installation promoting outside play. The City of Miami wanted to reimagine what public spaces can be in a way residents have never experienced before. This project had an ultimate goal to encourage fun, creative physical activities that children and families can enjoy together or on their own.

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