Our Faculty and Staff

Desiree Casanova aspires to be the next generation of leaders in local government. She currently is the Assistant to the County Administrator for Sarasota County, Florida. She is originally from South Florida and started her local government career at the City of Coconut Creek within the City Clerk Department. In this position she worked on process improvement projects such as implementing the first digital board/committee system, updating and maintaining the department website for ADA compliance, developed the first lobbyist manual, and was in charge of the department budget.

After 3 years at the City, she moved to Sarasota County and became the 2021 International City County Management Association Local Government Management Fellow (ICMA LGMF). This fellowship allowed her the ability to be mentored 1:1 by the Deputy County Administrator and work on high level projects that enhanced her leadership and project management skills.

As Assistant to the County Administrator, Desiree works on special projects for county administration, assists Human Resources with the execution of job fairs, local school outreach, and recruiting. She also assists in monitoring and reviewing State and Federal legislation, and tracking legislative bills to understand and communicate to others on their impact to the county.

Desiree is a change maker who wants to inspire and lead. She is a true advocate for educating the youth/students about the public sector and the amazing career opportunities it holds. Desiree holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Master’s Degree in Public Administration both from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). She is a proud member of the International City County Management Association (ICMA) and Florida City County Management Association (FCCMA).