The Town of Miami Lakes council met new controller Saily Leon-Trujillo during its February meeting.
Leon-Trujillo, 46, lives in Hialeah Gardens and said coming to work for the town was like coming home for her.
“[It was] the opportunity to give back to my own hometown,” Leon-Trujillo said.
The mother of three says her kids enjoy going to the movies on Main Street during weekends like she did while growing up in the area. She is a graduate of Hialeah Senior High School.
“That hasn’t changed,” she said.
Leon-Trujillo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Florida International University. As controller for the town, Leon-Trujillo works under the direction of Chief Financial Officer Kay Grant on day-to-day financial reports.
Leon-Trujillo said that everyone has been welcoming.
“I’m looking forward to many years to come,” she said about her new role.
Having experience working for a non-profit organization, she wants to continue serving the public, even if it’s in a different capacity.
“[It’s] to be able to give back to my hometown and make a difference,” Leon-Trujillo said.
Prior to joining town staff, Leon-Trujillo was employed in the private sector. Her most recent job was as controller for Easterseals South Florida.
She spent two years in the role and supervised the finance staff; managed different accounts; oversaw payroll and worked with budgets for grant contracts.
Leon-Trujillo said she also spent a decade with a firm that did property management accounting for both residential and commercial properties and private equity investments.
When she is not at work in Town Hall, Leon-Trujillo enjoys country music.
She is a fan of singer Luke Bryan.
“We go to the concerts,” Leon-Trujillo said about seeing performers with her husband and kids. “We haven’t ventured into the line dancing.”