About Me
Nelson Perez-Jacome is the City Engineer for the City of Miami Beach. He is responsible for directing the engineering division within Public Works, which is comprised of six sections: Engineering, Survey, Right of Way (ROW), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), American with Disabilities Act Compliance (ADA), and Elevators.
Nelson began his employment with the City in January of 2019. During the past year, he has worked on numerous high priority initiatives including the water and wastewater master plans, water and sewer hydraulic models, optimizing ROW permitting processes, and updating department policies and standards. He has also worked extensively on the enterprise funds capital and operating budgets, securing bonds to address capital needs and obtaining $14.5 Million in grant funding to ensure that expenditures are sustainable in the long term. Nelson has also worked on numerous project specific initiatives.
On the Indian Creek Drive Drainage Improvements, Nelson led an interdepartmental team of engineers and project administrators in performing value engineering that resulted in approximately $9 Million of savings for the project. Similarly, on the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project, numerous industry review meetings were held to negotiate favorable pricing and obtain the right technological solution to fit the City’s needs. As a result of these meetings, the AMI Project was negotiated for a price not-to-exceed $11.1 Million – approximately $20 Million less than the previously obtained bid price.
Currently, Nelson is charged with improving the permitting process for City owned infrastructure projects within public right-of-way. Nelson has worked to create a transparent and open dialogue with County and State regulatory agencies. As a direct result of this open dialogue, the City has successfully closed 24 open permits and obtained 17 new permits. Perhaps most importantly, the City has also secured a new Class II Permit for the Indian Creek Project, allowing construction to commence on this critical corridor.
Prior to joining the City, Nelson had focused his career on serving the Miami-Dade community. He has worked on numerous projects that include the design, permitting, and construction of large-scale water resources infrastructure in the Miami area. His client portfolio included: Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer, City of Miami Beach, City of Hialeah, City of Homestead, and the Miami Dade Aviation Department, among others. Nelson obtained a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Florida International University and a Masters of Engineering in Environmental Engineering Sciences with a specialization in water, wastewater, & stormwater from the University of Florida.
Nelson is actively involved in the local engineering community, serving as the Vice President of the Cuban American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE) and the Past YP Chair of the American Water Works Association Florida Section (FSAWWA). He has remained active in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) since his time in college, where he began by participating in the student chapter. After completing his Presidential term of the ASCE Miami-Dade Branch in 2019, he now provides guidance to the branch as one of its Directors. Nelson has received multiple professional accolades including: the CAACE 2013 Young Engineer of the Year Award and the FSAWWA Region VII 2013 Volunteer of the Year Award.