Cooper City Welcomes New Utilities Director

Raj Verma has taken the lead as Utilities Director for the City of Cooper City.  Mr. Verma brings significant experience to our City, as a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified General Contractor in the State of Florida, with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering.

As Utilities Director, Verma will be responsible for overseeing all Utilities projects, including capital improvement initiatives, along with engineering and sustainability.  He brings more than 30 years of senior administrative and professional experience at several municipal and county agencies throughout the Sunshine State, including Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek, Tamarac, Cocoa Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lauderdale Lakes, North Lauderdale, Broward, and Miami-Dade.

As the Public Works Director for the City of Fort Lauderdale, Verma managed the completion of over $100 million of construction work and established the groundwork for over $3 billion for an infrastructure improvement program over ten years.  As Utilities, Engineering, and Public Services Director for the City of Coconut Creek, Verma’s projects included a $32 million seven-year street improvement program, construction of a new utilities administration facility, canal maintenance dredging, improvements to Lyons Road, and updates to stormwater utility fees. As the Public Works Director in Tamarac, Verma pioneered the concept of developing infrastructure improvements as comprehensive complete streets initiatives, an approach now widely accepted by public agencies. His work in Tamarac also involved a $15 million seven-year comprehensive street improvement program, the expansion of Hiatus Road, and a stormwater master pump station replacement program.

“Raj’s experience and proven track record is a tremendous asset to our City as we move forward with our strategic initiatives,” said City Manager Joseph Napoli. “He possesses the leadership and necessary skills to improve upon our Utilities Department’s already superior services, while bringing an innovative and cost-effective approach to critical infrastructure projects.”

Verma began his career in public service as the Public Works Director and City Engineer for Cocoa Beach, where he developed the community’s capital stormwater program and played a key role in the Maintenance Dredging Master Plan and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Master Plan.