Commissioner Christine King was born in Guyana and moved to Miami at the age of 5. She attended Allapattah Elementary School, Westview Middle School, and Miami Central Sr. High School. She has proudly served the community for many years and is known for her passion to serve. Before becoming an attorney, Christine worked as Chief of Constituent Services for a Miami-Dade County Commissioner and later as an executive with the Community Action Agency (CAA). Her career with the county spanned eighteen years. She is now President and CEO of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation and a practicing attorney. Christine is married with three beautiful children.
Commissioner Joe Carollo was elected in November 2017 to represent District 3 of the City of Miami. District 3 includes Little Havana, East Shenandoah, West Brickell, parts of Silver Bluff, and the Roads. Carollo is also the chairman of the Bayfront Park Management Trust.
Miguel Angel Gabela came to the United States from Cuba at the age of 6 in 1970. Like many of you, his family made many sacrifices to come to the United States and build a life here. Early on, Miguel learned to work hard and always put his family first. Miguel and his wife, Mariela, have been married for 36 years and have created a beautiful family together. They are proud parents to Stacy and Caroline and grandparents to Joaquin. Miguel opened his own business 40 years ago and since then has lived and worked in District 1. He volunteered his time to serve on the City of Miami Zoning Board where he defended the individual’s rights and interests, usually in conflict with powerful stakeholders and larger entities. Miguel Angel Gabela looks forward to continue this same attitude as a public servant and keep his campaign promises.
Commissioner Pardo is a lifelong resident of District 2, having been raised in Coconut Grove and residing in Morningside for the last 24 years. As a community activist for more than 35 years, Commissioner Pardo has advocated for equality, diversity, and inclusion in South Florida and beyond, volunteering in efforts to unite communities, including founding SAVE–Safeguarding American Values for Everyone–in 1993 while serving as a two-term President of the largest AIDS Health Organization, CareResource (formerly known as Health Crisis Network). In 2015, he co-founded 4Ward Miami, which is dedicated to uniting South Florida’s diverse communities, and was one of the producers of the Gay8 “Ocho” Festival. He also served on the Miami Dade Equal Opportunity Board (12 years), the Board of Trustees of the Miami Foundation, the Celia Cruz Foundation, and various national and local non-profit boards. Presently, he serves on the Board of Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.
Trustee Vincent T. Brown is a managing attorney of Brown Law Group.
He is Opa-locka’s former city attorney as well as the former assistant county attorney who also served as a judicial law clerk for the late Judge Wilkie Ferguson Jr. Jones-Peabody as an assistant public defender.
Trustee Bonita Jones-Peabody is a mother of two and Grandmother to Victoria.
Professionally, Bonita is a seasoned trial lawyer who has tried over 200 trials to verdict. Judges and opposing counsel know that Bonita is a passionate, prepared and persuasive advocate. Over her 17 years as an Assistant Public Defender, she has earned a reputation as a zealous advocate on behalf of the least, the last, the lost, the looked over, and the left out.
Bonita is a master teacher who was elevated in her office to supervise and train newly hired attorneys. She teaches new Attorney’s basic skills they need to become effective advocates on behalf of their clients. She is highly respected in the legal profession for her wisdom, integrity, work ethic, temperament, and commitment to equal Justice under the law.
Equally as important, Bonita has made extraordinary contributions to Florida’s legal profession by working on committees fostering diversity and inclusion, improving service for children and updating the criminal procedure rules. Through her service to The Florida Bar, she has developed a network of relationships with lawyers and judges across the state. Bonita is also committed to improving her community through her civic participation in The Brownsville Civic Neighborhood Association, the PTSA, her church, and most recently her participation as a member the board of The Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.