[MIRAMAR] – The City of Miramar will celebrate Women’s History Month by spotlighting female leaders who have impacted their community. In addition to those who have shattered glass ceilings and who are considered present-day trailblazers.
Commissioner Alexandra P. Davis has spearheaded an effort to recognize all female leaders at the City. One dynamic woman will be spotlighted each week for the month of March. Plus, showcase their achievements and their dedicated service to others.
Status of Women Advisory Board
To further mark the City’s commitment to the support and advancement of women, the City Commission created the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) Commission on the Status of Women Advisory Board, sponsored by Commissioner Yvette Colbourne. The purpose of the RBG Commission on the Status of Women is to identify and resolve economic, health and wellness, social, and all other issues concerning women’s lives through education and advocacy.
Essay Contest
As part of the celebration for Women’s History Month, the Miramar Cultural Center | ArtsPark (MCC) is inviting Miramar High School students to submit an essay. The theme of the essay: Vice President Kamala Harris – achievement, opportunity, precedence, and purpose. Selected essays will be displayed at the Miramar Cultural Center as well as on Miramar Cultural Center website. Select students will be invited to read their essays during an upcoming Commission meeting.
Finding Your Voice Panel Discussion
The City will also be hosting a panel discussion on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 entitled Finding Your Voice. It will feature women in leadership roles at the City as they share their stories and insights about their journey. In addition to the challenges and barriers they had to overcome because of their gender. This event will be available at Miramarevents.webex.com to register and view.
Recognizing Pioneering Women in Miramar
Assistant City Manager and City Spokesperson, Shaun Gayle stated, “As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we recognize the incredible accomplishments of pioneering women right here in Miramar. These women aspire for greatness. In this month we celebrate them and recognize them for their many contributions to our community.” She continued, “I am also pleased to be joining the Finding Your Voice panel discussion where I can’t wait to share my own remarkable journey with everyone.”
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Camasha Cevieux
To kick off the Women’s History Month feature, the City will spotlight Camasha Cevieux. She is an established City of Miramar professional who has served the City for 19 years. In addition she has been a Board Member for the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau’s Tourist Development Council for the past 4 years.
At the age of 44, she has penned a new book, The Ambitious Collective. This comes after her career in both public and private arenas. In her new book, Cevieux takes on her trials, tribulations, and triumphs; offering the reader a guide that supports Ambition and provides clear reasons to foster room for its maintenance and continuity.
Camasha’s Career Highlights
Cevieux, is the City’s Director of Cultural Affairs overseeing the Miramar Cultural Center and its Art in Public Places program. She has also made hometown history, having been crowned Florida’s 1st Black Junior Orange Bowl Queen which enlisted her into the Black Archives. Known as Camasha Alexander during her reign now Camasha Cevieux; she has grown up, married, given life to two girls; and now birth to the Ambitious Collective which can be found at theambitiouscollective.com.
Cevieux added, “I am thrilled to be spotlighted for Women’s Month. I have enjoyed serving the residents of Miramar. My new book venture stands as a cathartic release; noting trials and tribulations never come with a manual. I designed the Ambitious Collective to support others with a handbook that I didn’t have. It assures readers that their own Ambition is needed. The Ambitious Collective places the reader as a champion of their own life. I hope everyone will be able to benefit from the words that come directly from my experience.”
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Susan Gooding-Liburd
Other leaders to be spotlighted for Women’s History Month include the City’s Chief Financial Officer, Susan Gooding-Liburd, who also serves as the Chair of the Government Finance Officers Association’s Black Caucus and was featured in the February edition of Government Finance Review. Susan also hosts a series of financial workshops to help individuals take charge of their money and build wealth. She also shares her money tips on a financial blog featured on the City’s website, www.MiramarFl.gov.
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Edna LaRoche
Edna LaRoche, Executive Assistant to Mayor Wayne Messam will also be featured. In addition to serving as the Mayor’s right hand, LaRoche is President and CEO of the Ohhlala Banana Bread Company which bakes up delicious varieties of banana breads. She turned her hobby into a business and is baking banana breads to change the world one palate at a time.
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Aura Hayles-Thomas
Also in the spotlight will be Aura Hayles-Thomas, Legislative Aide to Commissioner Alexandra P. Davis. Aura was named as Legacy Magazine South Florida’s Top 40 under 40 in 2019. Prior to joining Commissioner Davis’s team, she generated success from Bjou Bjou, an online Afrocentric platform created to empower women artisans. This also led to the creation of SocialSoso.com, a digital media company dedicated to helping businesses build an online presence.
To learn more about the City of Miramar’s female leaders who are making a difference, visit MiramarFL.gov/WomensMonth.
