South Florida Regional Planning Council elects Sen. René García as chair
Government
By Linda Trischitta, Editor
Thursday, February 19, 2026
The South Florida Regional Planning Council elected Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sen. René García as chair during its meeting on Jan. 26.
“As chair, I appreciate the leadership and steady guidance provided by immediate past Chair Michelle Lincoln,” García said in a news release. “I look forward to building on that foundation as we work to ensure South Florida remains a thriving, sustainable region.”
García and the council’s executive committee will guide its work in regional planning, economic development and resilience initiatives in South Florida, the release said.
The rest of the executive committee members are Governor’s Appointee and First Chair Cary Goldberg; Second Vice Chair Frank Caplan, a City of Key Biscayne councilman; Treasurer Quentin Furr, a Broward County commissioner; Secretary Maria Rodriguez, a City of Pembroke Pines commissioner, and immediate past Chair Michelle Lincoln, mayor of Monroe County.
Other council members are Town of Southwest Ranches Councilman Jim Albritton; Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates; Village of Pinecrest Mayor Joseph M. Corradino; Broward County Commissioner Steve Geller; Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert, III; City of Key West Commissioner Samuel Kaufman; Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee; Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine; Legal Counsel Sam Goren and Executive Director Isabel Cosio Carballo.
Ex-Officio members are Southeast District Director Sirena Davila of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; District Six Intermodal Systems Manager Dat Huynh, Florida Department of Transportation, and Regional Rep. Armando Vilaboy, South Florida Water Management District.
The council said it serves 4.9 million residents in 70 municipalities in Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
During Lincoln’s tenure, it secured funding for a study of flooding on an access road to Homestead Air Reserve Base; cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields; continued assistance to small businesses and supported the construction of affordable housing through its revolving loan fund, the release said.