Communications specialist Melissa Shuffield has joined All Aboard Florida as senior vice president of public affairs.
Shuffield, a Miami native, will lead communications and government affairs for the privately owned passenger rail project seeking to connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. She most recently worked in business development for Miami real-estate firm EWM.
โWe are thrilled to have Melissa join our team,โ said All Aboard Florida President Michael Reininger. โHer top-notch credentials are a perfect blend of experience for this historic project that will transform our stateโs mobility system.โ
Shuffield has also served as an executive director for corporate communications for JP Morgan Chase in New York and as a senior vice president at a leading public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. She was press secretary for John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign, and also worked as press secretary for U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.
โItโs exciting to be a part of such an innovative project that benefits my home state,โ Shuffield said in a statement. โThis is set to become a national model on how to develop modern and seamless transportation systems, which can change a way of life.โ
All Aboard Florida intends to run 32 high-speed passenger trains per day on the Henry Flagler rail line using the Florida East Coast Railway route from Miami to Cocoa. The company will build new tracks between Cocoa and Orlando. Stops are planned at Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with a mix of passenger rail, urban living spaces and mixed-use development. The project is set to be completed mid-2017.
