Ryan Nicol
As Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez tries to cut bureaucracy in the county’s procurement process, Erin Hendrix of LSN Partners will be one of 14 people helping to accomplish that goal.
Rodriguez has appointed Hendrix to the Special Task Force to Reduce Inefficiencies in Procurement (STRIP). Rodriguez announced his selections in a social media post on X.
“Our procurement process is broken and in desperate need of repair. Today, I’m pleased to announce the local community leaders who will sit on the Special Task Force to Reduce Inefficiencies in Procurement (STRIP) and help us identify and eliminate bureaucratic obstacles that keep us from making progress on vital county projects,” Rodriguez wrote Thursday.
“As I said at the onset of this effort, our current procurement process is bogged down by over 200 pieces of legislation and an average of 100 individual steps per request. For contracts exceeding $1 million, it takes over 349 days to procure. This inefficiency not only drives up costs but also creates an uneven playing field, favoring only those who can afford to navigate the delays.”
Hendrix has been based out of South Florida for years and has been with LSN for more than 16 years, giving her plenty of familiarity with the ins and outs of the process.
LSN congratulated Hendrix on the news.
“This important task force is focused on making the procurement process more efficient, transparent, and fair for all involved. Congratulations!” the firm wrote on X.
Hendrix will be part of an effort to conduct a review of existing rules regarding procurement to streamline the process, cut costs and increase transparency.
“By stripping away red tape, we can ensure that our procurement process works for the people, providing better value and fostering a more competitive environment,” Rodriguez said in a statement first announcing the task force.
Joining her on the STRIP panel will be John Elizabeth Alemán, Willy Bermello, Jina Braynon, Josenrique Cueto, Miguel De Grandy, Al Dotson Jr., Victor Herrera, Aldo M. Leiva, Ray Melendi, Diana Mendez, Kenneth Naylor, Rudy Ortiz and Maira Suarez.
Rodriguez, a former member of the House who now represents District 10 in Miami-Dade County, also wrote an op-ed for the Miami Herald last month laying out his goals.
The Commission approved a resolution to create the task force at its May 6 meeting. The panel will be advisory in nature.
The resolution notes that the task force must give an interim report to the Commission within 60 days of being established. A final report is due by the last Commission meeting of 2025.
