Commissioner Raquel Regalado

Commissioner Raquel Regalado and the District 7 office hosted this informational webinar on the proposed redevelopment of the Miami Seaquarium site on Virginia Key.

It was the first in a series of community meetings.

The development team from Terra walked through the full proposal, including:

An aquarium with no whales, dolphins, or other marine mammals
Preservation and reuse of the Golden Dome and the Flipper House
Nearly a mile of free public waterfront and Bay Walk, plus living shorelines
A science-led design process with University of Miami researchers
A saltwater wave lagoon for lifeguard training and storm-surge research
The marina plan, with public safety and marine patrol slips and a revised slip count

Have a question?
Email District7@miamidade.gov

#MiamiSeaquarium #VirginiaKey #BiscayneBay #MiamiDade #District7 #RaquelRegalado

Commissioner Raquel Regalado sits down with Chelsea of Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida to talk about Troop 2777, a new Girl Scout troop for neurodivergent women ages 22 to 38 in Miami-Dade County.

Many neurodivergent girls were diagnosed late, or never found a place that welcomed them. Troop 2777 is built to change that, with flexible badges, optional uniforms and girl-led activities.

In this conversation:

How Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida serves about 3,000 girls across Miami-Dade and Monroe counties
Why we created Troop 2777 and how it fits the Girl Scout Leadership Experience
Flexibility in action: earn badges at any level, with no vest or sash required
Training troop leaders to welcome neurodivergent girls in traditional troops
The restoration of Camp Mahachi, in District 7, ahead of its 80th anniversary

Join us!
📧 GirlScoutsTroop2777@gmail.com
📞 305-253-4841
🌐 girlscouts.org

Adult registration is $35 and includes a background check. Our office will help cover the fee for anyone who can’t pay it. Just reach out.

Miami-Dade County • District 7

Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Professor Fernandez of Miami-Dade College lead Session 3 of our AI workshop series for attorneys: Cybersecurity, Confidentiality, and Client Services.

Attorneys told us confidentiality is their biggest concern about using AI, so this session focuses on it. We cover how to protect client data, how to stay within your ethical duties, and how AI changes the way you work with clients and bill for your time.

In this session:

Why to keep work and personal AI accounts separate
How terms and conditions, consumer vs. enterprise plans, and privacy settings affect your data
Security basics: two-factor authentication, password managers, limiting connectors, and spotting AI-powered phishing
Ethics duties under the 2024 Florida Bar opinion: confidentiality, competence, supervision, fees, and client-facing chatbots
What to do when a client shows up with AI-generated legal research

In partnership with Miami Dade College.

Course website and past sessions: https://claude.ai/artifact/RqFguha3WeBAwDLNm561vQ

Commissioner Raquel Regalado | Miami-Dade County, District 7

#AIforAttorneys #LegalEthics #Cybersecurity #MiamiDade #District7 #CLE

Commissioner Raquel Regalado welcomes community partners to the second Neuroinclusion at Work webinar. Last week covered hiring. This session covers what comes next: supporting neurodivergent employees once they’re on the job, and the local organizations that can help employers do it.

Joining the Commissioner:

Rick – Chamber South, on the Neuroinclusion Task Force and how local businesses can take the pledge, get trained, and become neuro-friendly workplaces

Leanne – Advocacy Network on Disabilities, on individual supports, success coaches, and tailored employer training

Rick Beasley – CareerSource South Florida, on job placement, training resources, and incentives that offset the cost of hiring

What you’ll learn:
✔ Simple, low-cost accommodations: adjusted lighting, headphones, quiet spaces, buddy systems
✔ Why accommodations go beyond physical access under the ADA
✔ Short-term placements (8–10 week programs like Next Steps) as a low-commitment way to try out an employee
✔ Why recommendations, résumés, and LinkedIn profiles matter, and how to start early
✔ How inclusive workplaces improve retention and morale for everyone

Resources:

CareerSource South Florida: www.careersourcesfl.com
Employ Florida: www.employflorida.com

District 7 | Miami-Dade County
#Neuroinclusion #Neurodiversity #DisabilityEmploymentAwarenessMonth #MiamiDade #District7 #InclusiveHiring

AI for Lawyers, Session 2: Connectors, Skills & Cowork | Commissioner Raquel Regalado

Your CLE Code/Course Number: 2610310N

Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Dr. Fernandez return for Session 2 of the District 7 AI Education Series. This session goes deeper than the introduction and covers how to connect Claude to the tools you already use and automate your repetitive work.

In this session:

Claude inside Microsoft 365: using Claude directly in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook through add-ins
Connectors: linking Claude to apps like Google Calendar, Gmail and Google Drive, and controlling what it can access
Skills: building a reusable skill from scratch
Cowork and agentic workflows: delegating multi-step tasks, scheduling recurring tasks, and using Dispatch and subagents

#AI #Claude #LegalTech #AIforLawyers #Cowork #Miami-DadeCounty #CommissionerRegalado

Commissioner Raquel Regalado on “Hiring Without Excluding,” part of the District 7 Neuroinclusion at Work webinar series, held during Disability Employment Awareness Month.

She is joined by Jennifer Feinstein of the University of Miami–Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) and by Hiro and Shelly from the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami. They share practical advice for employers, job seekers, and families on building workplaces where neurodivergent people can succeed.

In this conversation:

Project SALT: the three-day self-advocate leadership training from the Mailman Center
CARD’s Job Seekers program and the monthly Job Club support group
Rewriting job descriptions to remove barriers and attract neurodivergent talent
Why sharing interview questions in advance matters
Letting candidates show their skills instead of only talking about them
Simple accommodations: noise-canceling headphones, movement breaks, quiet lunches, flexible schedules
Disclosing an invisible disability and requesting accommodations under the ADA
Masking, autistic burnout, and giving yourself grace
Getting started: resumes, LinkedIn, references, and volunteering as a first step

#Neuroinclusion #Neurodiversity #Autism #DisabilityEmploymentAwarenessMonth #InclusiveHiring #MiamiDade #District7

Commissioner Raquel Regalado, together with Miami Dade College, presents the first session of a six-week AI Clinic for attorneys. It's a practical, non-product-driven introduction to using AI responsibly in legal practice.

Your CLE Code/Course Number: 2610310N

In this session, Miami Dade College's Pedro Santos, Head of Emerging Technologies, and Dr. José Fernández cover:

🔹 What AI, large language models, and tokens are, and how pricing and usage limits work
🔹 How to choose between Claude models and effort settings without burning through your plan
🔹 Chat vs. Cowork: asking a question vs. delegating a task to an AI agent
🔹 Keeping work and personal AI accounts separate, and why it matters for confidentiality and discovery
🔹 Terms and conditions: what governs client data when you use AI tools
🔹 Disclosing AI use, AI watermarks, and why AI detectors aren't reliable
🔹 Choosing your capstone project: automating a repetitive task that saves you time every week

Attorneys who attend at least five of the six sessions get a certificate of completion from Miami Dade College.

📚 Extra learning: Anthropic Academy (Claude 101, AI Fluency, AI Capabilities & Limitations): anthropic.skilljar.com

🔗 Register for upcoming sessions: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/KK7lSQ7

#AIforLawyers #LegalTech #Claude #MiamiDade #MiamiDadeCollege #CLE #District7

Join Commissioner Raquel Regalado's District 7 office and the Clerk of the Court & Comptroller's Office of Juan Fernandez-Barquin for an educational webinar with the Miami-Dade Value Adjustment Board (VAB) on how to appeal your property taxes and challenge your property assessment.

Raul Fernandez of the Value Adjustment Board walks through everything property owners need to know:

The four ways to contest your property taxes: municipal budget hearings, an informal conference with the Property Appraiser, a VAB petition, or a circuit court lawsuit.

What the Value Adjustment Board is, how it's structured, and how it operates independently from the Property Appraiser's office
Legal petitions vs. valuation petitions, including homestead, senior, veteran, and other exemptions, plus classifications like agricultural or historic property.

Tangible personal property and change-of-ownership petitions for business owners.

And more.

Resources & Contacts:
Value Adjustment Board: (305) 375-5641
County Recorder's Office: (786) 463-0566

Medicare fraud costs the program an estimated $60–90 billion every year and it can mean higher premiums, denied benefits, and even harm to your health. In this educational webinar, hosted by Commissioner Raquel Regaldo office, Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Specialist Liliana Rey from the Alliance for Aging and Florida SHINE program breaks down what every Medicare beneficiary needs to know.

You'll learn:
The difference between Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse
Common scams targeting seniors, including robocalls, imposter scams, genetic testing scams, and COVID-19 test kit scams.

How fraud schemes actually operate, from call centers to medical equipment billing.

How to report suspected fraud and where to turn for help.

SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) offers free, unbiased, and confidential Medicare counseling through Florida's Department of Elder Affairs and local Area Agencies on Aging.

Need help or have questions about your Medicare coverage? Call the Elder Helpline: 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337), or the Alliance for Aging SHINE line: 305-671-6356.

⚠️ If you suspect Medicare fraud, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357 or your local authorities.

#Medicare #MedicareFraud #SHINE #SeniorMedicarePatrol #ElderAffairs #SeniorScams #MedicareAdvantage

Description:
Commissioner Raquel Regalado is joined by Cassio Marquez, Florida's Condominium Ombudsman with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), for a lunch-and-learn webinar on the rights and responsibilities of condominium unit owners in Miami-Dade County.

Topics covered:

DBPR jurisdiction: records access, elections, meeting procedures, milestone inspections & Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS)
Your right to attend, speak at, and record board meetings (48-hour vs. 14-day notice requirements)

Video conference meeting rules — hyperlinks, call-in numbers, and physical locations

Annual election timeline: 90-day, 60-day, 40-day, and 35-day deadlines
Electronic voting and email ballots — what's new in 2025
DBPR's Election Monitoring Program and fee schedule
Inspecting official records and how long associations must keep them
Financial reports, budgets, and certified written inquiries
Owner responsibilities: paying assessments, voting, participating, and knowing your governing documents

Resources:
myfloridalicense.com – verify licenses or file a complaint
Questions: CTMHEducation@myfloridalicense.com

📞 DBPR Customer Contact Center: (850) 488-1122
Catch past webinars on this channel and check DBPR's CTMH education calendar for upcoming in-person and virtual events.

Commissioner Raquel Regalado's District 7 office partnered with Legal Services of Greater Miami to host this informational webinar on tenant rights and the eviction process in Miami-Dade County.

Legal Services of Greater Miami staff attorneys Alexis and Blake Wallace walk residents through everything they need to know — from eviction notices and court filings to security deposits and prohibited landlord practices.

Topics covered:

Types of evictions and required notice periods
How to file an answer and motion to determine rent
Florida's rent deposit statute (F.S. 83.60)
Prohibited landlord practices and tenant protections
Security deposit rights and disputes
How to apply for free legal services

📞 Need help? Legal Services of Greater Miami offers free services for eligible residents.

🌐 Apply online or learn more at: lsgmi.org

🕘 Walk-in hours: Mondays & Wednesdays, 9 AM – 12 PM

Commissioner Raquel Regalado's District 7 office partnered with Miami-Dade County's Community Services Department to present an informative webinar on mental health awareness, resources, and well-being practices available to our community.

Dr. Tiffany Emerick and doctoral intern Julio Martin cover:

What mental health really means — and the continuum we all live on
Risk and protective factors unique to South Florida's diverse community.

Learn about programs offered by Miami-Dade's Community Services Department.

Free local resources including 211, 988, WestCare mobile crisis, and NAMI Miami-Dade

Key Resources Mentioned:

📞 211 – Free 24/7 helpline for referrals & navigation

📞 988 – Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

🚨 WestCare – Mobile Crisis Response Team

🤝 NAMI Miami-Dade – Free peer support groups

Commissioner Raquel Regalado's District 7 office presents this webinar with the Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management on how to turn waste into a resource.

Did you know nearly 40% of what goes into Miami-Dade's blue recycling carts doesn't belong there?

Department leaders break down how the county's recycling system works — from curbside pickup to material recovery facilities — and what residents can do to reduce contamination and help turn waste into real value.

Topics covered:

Why recycling matters for landfill space, county revenues, and sustainability
How materials travel from your blue cart to end markets
The #1 contamination problem in Miami-Dade (hint: it's not what you think)
New tools like the Scrapp app | Zero-waste simplified
How students and residents can be champions for change

♻️ Follow Miami-Dade Solid Waste on Instagram: @miamidadesolidwaste

In this webinar, University of Miami student and EduPower initiative founder Galila Ibrahim walks you through everything you need to land your next job — from building an AI-proof resume to acing your interview and navigating professional online etiquette.

What's covered:

Resume formatting: chronological, functional & combination styles
How AI screening tools work (and how to beat them)
Interview types: case study, behavioral & group formats
The STAR method for behavioral questions
Netiquette tips for hybrid & remote work
How AI is reshaping the job market — and what it means for you
Free professional development certificates via the EduPower Initiative

📍 Presented by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Raquel Regalado's Office – District 7

Commissioner Raquel Regalado's District 7 office partners with the SBA's Eileen Fernandez, Outreach & Marketing Specialist with over six years at the agency, to break down the free programs, funding options, and federal certifications available to small business owners across Miami-Dade County.

Whether you're just starting out, looking to scale, pursuing government contracts, or preparing your business for the next hurricane season — the SBA has tools to help you at every stage, and it won't cost you a dime.

What we cover:

🏢 Resource Partners & Counseling

Get one-on-one guidance from SBDCs (including FIU's nationally ranked center), SCORE mentors, Women's Business Centers, and Veteran Business Outreach Centers. They'll help you build your business plan, prep your financials, and get loan-ready — before you ever walk into a bank.

📋 Government Contracting

The federal government spent $700 billion on goods and services in 2024 alone. Learn about the 8(a) Business Development Program, HUBZone, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Veteran-Owned certifications — and how APEX Accelerators can help you compete for set-aside contracts at the federal, state, and local levels.

💰 Funding & Loan Programs

The SBA doesn't lend directly — but it guarantees loans through participating banks, helping businesses access capital they might not qualify for otherwise. We walk through the 7(a) program for working capital, the 504 program for real estate and equipment, and microloans for businesses that need smaller amounts to get going. Plus: how to use the Lender Match tool to find the right bank for your needs.

🌀 Disaster Preparedness & Recovery

Living in South Florida, it's not if a hurricane hits — it's when. The SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program offers low-interest, long-term financing to help businesses survive and recover. Learn what triggers eligibility, what to do before disaster strikes, and how to make sure your business is one of the 75% that reopens.

📧 Questions? Reach out to Eileen directly: alyn.fernandez@sba.gov

🌐 Find local resources: sba.gov/local-assistance

📝 Explore loan options: sba.gov/loans

🏗️ Government contracting info: sba.gov/contracting

🆘 Disaster preparedness: sba.gov/prepare

Commissioner Raquel Regalado sits down with Camila Rocha from Easter Seals South Florida and Kevin Grace from Miami Learning Experience to discuss the growing landscape of adult programming for neurodiverse individuals in Miami-Dade County.

Too often, the conversation around autism and developmental disabilities focuses on children — but what happens at 22, when school ends and the supports disappear?

In this webinar, Commissioner Regalado and her guests tackle that question head-on, exploring how adult day programs have evolved far beyond worksheets and coloring books into dynamic, choice-driven environments focused on independence, vocational training, and real community connection.

Topics covered include: navigating the "cliff" at age 22, why transition planning should start between ages 10–13, the risks of "graduating to the couch," how programs like Easter Seals and Miami Learning Experience are building pathways to employment, the importance of work-life balance for neurodiverse adults, and how to navigate funding options like Medicaid Waiver and CDC+.

Whether you're a parent of a young child just starting to think about the future, or you're caring for an adult who's been home for years — this conversation is for you. It's never too early, and it's never too late.

📍 Learn more:

🔗 Easter Seals South Florida: easterseals.com/south-florida | (305) 325-0470

🔗 Miami Learning Experience: mleschool.org | (305) 275-5900

Virtual information session providing updates on the Coconut Grove Playhouse

Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado and Dr. Michael Alessandri of UM-NSU CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities) present the Florida Neuro Inclusion Toolkit — a free, replicable roadmap for making communities more welcoming for individuals with autism and neurodiversities.

What you'll learn:
✅ What the Neuro Inclusion Toolkit is and how to access it
✅ How Miami-Dade trained 4,000+ first responders in autism recognition & response
✅ The autism-friendly library, museum, and sensory space programs
✅ The MIA Air program and airport accessibility initiatives
✅ The autism decal & voluntary disability ID card program
✅ Employment and workforce programs for autistic adults
✅ How YOUR municipality can replicate this work — no consultants needed

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, elected official, or community partner, this session will show you how to start building neuro-inclusive spaces in your own community.

#Autism #AutismAwareness #NeuroDiversity #NeuroInclusion #MiamiDade #AutismFriendly #NSUCard #FirstResponders #InclusiveCommunity #AutismAcceptanceMonth