Curriculum Vitae

Firms

➢ CarballoLaw, PA, of counsel, 2021 - Present

➢ Ralph Ventura, PA, 2005 - Present

➢ Rojas, Oliva & Ventura, 1995 - 2005

➢ Rice & Reiser, PA 1990 - 1992

City Attorney, City of Sweetwater
2007 - 2015 & 2021 - Present

➢   Provide guidance and legal opinions to elected officials and department heads

➢   Provide guidance and legal opinions to Human Resources Department

➢   Provide guidance and legal opinions to City's Planning and Zoning Board and Zoning Official

➢   Interface directly with Florida Attorney General’s Office, County Commissioners, Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics

➢   Instrumental in the City's annexation of unincorporated areas adjacent to the Dolphin Mall area

➢   Draft ordinances, resolutions, charter amendments, HR policies, easements, land covenants, commercial leases, zoning ordinances

➢   Represent City in all union grievances and arbitrations

➢   Represent City in civil actions, including civil forfeitures, EEOC, FLSA, contractual disputes, employment disputes, and land-use matters

➢   Supervise all outside counsel including special counsel, bond counsel, and insurance defense counsel

Chief of Staff & Deputy City Manager, City of Sweetwater

 ➢   Supervision and management of all administrative employees of the City as most senior non-elected official in City

➢   Simultaneously served as interim HR Manager from 2017 until 2020

➢   Mayor's principal advisor

➢   Responsible for day-to-day supervision of City staff in Mayor's absence

➢   Represented administration in land-use disputes and tried matters before code enforcement hearing officer

➢   Redrafted City's Employee Rules & Regulations Manual

➢   Drafted many of City’s employee policies on ongoing basis

➢   Instrumental in rescuing City from financial insolvency and restoring its finances to health

➢   Interfaced directly and often with Office of the Governor and Office of the Inspector General

➢ Assisted police command staff in drafting and implementing policies and procedures in order to apply for and obtain departmental accreditation through Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation

Code Enforcement Hearing Officer, City of Sweetwater

➢   Served as the sole Code Enforcement Hearing Officer for the City under §162.03, Florida statutes

➢ Reviewed code enforcement files and citations; entertained argument; rendered final, appealable decisions

Noteworthy Cases

Dade County PBA v. City of Sweetwater, (2017): As chief of staff, successfully tried arbitration brought by police union and obtained ruling that grievant was unauthorized to grieve termination on ground that he was not a member of the PBA bargaining unit.

Billie v. City of Sweetwater Police Dept., 121 So.3d 557 (Fla. 3rd DCA 2013): Successfully defended interlocutory appeal of trial court ruling finding probable cause in state-based forfeiture proceeding.

IUPAT Local 1010 v. City of Sweetwater, FMCS Case No. 01994-3 (2013): Successfully tried and defended union grievance claiming employee was unlawfully terminated.

First Response Group v. Castro, 971 So.2d 986 (Fla. 3rd DCA 2008): Successfully defended appeal of default final judgement entered in favor of clients at trial court level.

City of Sweetwater v. Alvarez, 14 So.3d 1210 (Fla. 3rd DCA 2009): Successfully appealed and obtained unanimous decision reversing a trial court judgment entered against City in the sum of $200,000 in a landmark case of first impression interpreting §116.065, Florida statutes.

City of Sweetwater v. Bango, 1996-016934-CA-01: As special counsel, successfully brought civil action against the then-Mayor Gloria Bango to establish mayor's obligation to nominate a finance director and that mayor could not herself serve in that capacity.

Lecot, Inc. v. National Council on Compensation Insurance, 635 So.2d 1081 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1994): Successfully defended interlocutory appeal of trial court decision finding in personam jurisdiction over entity headquartered outside of Miami-Dade County.