Miami’s top official on climate change is resigning. She was the third in 3 years
The top official in the city of Miami responsible for preparations for climate change is stepping down, leaving the job empty for the third time in three years.
Multiple City Hall sources confirmed to the Miami Herald that Chief Resilience Officer Shelby Busó, who was hired in January, has resigned from her position with the city of Miami, citing family issues. She previously served as the chief sustainability officer with the city of Atlanta. Busó declined to comment.
Busó’s departure comes less than a year after former CRO Alan Dodd resigned. He is now director of public works at the city of Fort Lauderdale, where he worked before joining Miami’s staff in 2018. Dodd did not publicly comment on any reason for his departure.
A year before Dodd’s resignation, the city’s first-ever CRO, Jane Gilbert, also resigned. She said she wanted to spend more time with her family. A few months later, she accepted a job with Miami-Dade County as its first chief heat officer.
The city’s chief resilience officer is tasked with advising municipal leaders on how to prepare Miami for the impacts of climate change. The issues include changing building regulations to upgrading drainage systems to addressing the city’s energy use. It is supposed to be a key position in a city that faces significant threats from sea level rise, hotter temperatures and stronger storms.
In addition to the series of changes at the top, the small troubled resilience department has seen its budget and staffing slashed in recent years before climate action advocates successfully lobbied the city to restore the department’s funding and staff levels.
Busó’s exit marks the latest in a string of high-level departures in City Hall. Several department directors and deputies have left City Manager Art Noriega’s administration, including former chief innovation officer Michael Sarasti, former Miami Forever bond manager Sylejman Ujkani, former planning director Cesar Garcia-Pons and others.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 2:06 PM.
