County Administrator Monica Cepero was on vacation when epic amounts of rain fell on Broward County last week. Cepero left Deputy County Administrator Kimm Campbell in charge. Campbell, who holds advanced degrees in social work, focuses on issues involving diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Campbell once said her goal was “dismantling racism in Broward.”
Some County insiders question Campbell’s performance during the flooding. They believe Campbell was late in declaring a state of emergency. Others wonder why the Broward Emergency Operations Center (EOC) did not open until the wee hours of the morning after flooding.
While the flooded streets littered with cars were the jurisdiction of Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, the County controls Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.
Flooding closed the airport for days. People were trapped inside and outside the terminals.
Flooding at Port Everglades created gas shortages still being felt in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami Dade.
Some County insiders wonder if Campbell should have been left in charge in the first place.
In an August 2022 press release announcing Campbell’s promotion, the County touted her role in DEI programs.
“Campbell has provided leadership for the development of major initiatives in Broward County including Civil Citation and Predisposition Services, the Broward County Dismantling Racism Initiative, and the Race Equity in Child Welfare Taskforce, among others.”
The County said, “Campbell is most passionate about creating equitable access to quality services for all and approaches her work from this perspective to create lasting community change.”
When accepting a trailblazer award in 2020, Campbell said her, “priority now is working towards racial equity across all sectors.”
In describing her legacy, Campbell said, “We will dismantle racism….Broward will be an anti-racist governmental entity.”
Is creating “lasting community change” the criteria for choosing leaders to guide us through an emergency?
Should County Administrators focus on emergency procedures as well as racial equity?
Shouldn’t an anti-racist governmental entity be able to help people stranded inside airport terminals?
