North Miami Mayor and Council to Hire Its First Haitian-American City Manager, Theresa Therilus

NORTH MIAMI – The city of North Miami Mayor and Council voted to hire Theresa Therilus, Esq., as its first Haitian-American City Manager on Tuesday, May 26.

Therilus brings her extensive experience in the public sector to the city of North Miami, the sixth largest city in Miami-Dade County.

“Ms. Therilus brings a wealth of budget, capital project and management experience to our organization,” said North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime. “Along her career path, she has mastered the skills to deal with government at the county, state, and federal level. She also has vast experience managing teams through emergencies. All her skills will be vital to our City in the aftermath of this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Therilus has an extensive track record of delivering major capital projects. Most recently, in Silicon Valley, at the helm of the County of Santa Clara’s Procurement Department, where she is responsible for procuring more than $2 billion in goods and services for the County’s three hospitals.

Prior to her appointment in Santa Clara, the Miami-native served as Assistant Director of Internal Services for Miami-Dade County, where she managed the County’s $330 million multi-year capital budget.

“I am excited for the opportunity to return to South Florida and work for the residents of a diverse community such as North Miami. The City, given its strong Haitian population, is meaningful to me,” said Therilus.

“North Miami needs a strong administrator with the skills to keep the city of North Miami on the path of long-term success. We are confident that Therilus, given her experience, can lead the City on that path.  At the same time, the historic nature of the appointment is a positive change for the city of North Miami. The manager will be reflective of this great community,” said Bien-Aime.

“I would like to congratulate our new City Manager, Theresa Therilus, and welcome her to the city of North Miami. It is my hope that she will provide integrity, transparency, and the leadership skills that we need to move the City forward. I trust that she will work diligently and improve our fiscal management. Her experience with emergency management makes her a perfect fit at this time. North Miami needs to head in a different direction. We need to be more efficient as a City, and most importantly, we need to engage our residents in every aspect of our City operations. I believe she can help us do just that. I look forward to working with her,” said Vice Mayor Alix Desulme, Ed.D.

“Ms. Therilus gave a strong interview when we spoke last week. She’ll bring a fresh take to our City. I told her that if she can handle NFL players, she’s ready for North Miami,” said Councilman Scott Galvin, District 1.

“Congratulations to Ms. Therilus. Her resume and qualifications appear to be outstanding.  I am looking forward to meeting and working with her,” said Councilwoman Carol Keys, Esq., District 2.

“The city of North Miami conducted a nationwide search. We interviewed 14 of the top applicants.  We carefully sought out a well-qualified candidate who could take our City to the next level, while keenly understanding our City’s diversity. This process led us to Theresa Therilus,” said Mary Estimè-Irvin, District 3 Councilwoman. “Theresa Therilus is definitely the one. I look forward to working with her and watching our City grow with her as its City Manager.”

Therilus holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from the University of Miami, and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. She also holds a certificate in Information Privacy (CIPP).