Alex Penelas
Alexander Penelas (born December 18, 1961) is a former mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Alex Penelas | |
|---|---|
| 5th Mayor of Miami-Dade County | |
| In office October 1, 1996 – November 6, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen P. Clark |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Alvarez |
| Member of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners[1] | |
| In office 1990–1996 | |
| Member of the Hialeah City Council[1] | |
| In office 1987–1990 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Penelas December 18, 1961 Miami, Florida |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Lilliam |
| Children | William Christopher Alexandra |
| Alma mater | St. Thomas University (A.B.) University of Miami (J.D.) |
| Profession | Lawyer Politician |
Education and personal life
Penelas, an American of Cuban descent, attended college at St. Thomas University. In 1985, he received his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and was inducted into the university's Iron Arrow Honor Society.[2]
Penelas and his wife, Lilliam, have two adult sons, William and Christopher,[3] and a younger daughter, Alexandra.[4]
Political life
Offices held
Alex Penelas served on the city council of Hialeah, Florida from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, he was elected to serve as a county commissioner in Dade County. On October 1, 1996, Penelas became the Mayor of Dade County (renamed Miami-Dade County in 1997).
2004 Senate campaign
Penelas, being term-limited as mayor, ran for Florida's open Senate being vacated by incumbent Bob Graham. Penelas finished third behind Peter Deutsch, and the winner of the primary Betty Castor lost to Mel Martinez.
2019 mayoral bid
In April 2019, Penelas announced he was running for Re-election to the office of Miami-Dade County Mayor, a position he previously occupied for 8 years.[5]
References
- https://web.archive.org/web/20191019154107/https://www.naco.org/people/alex-penelas
- Iron Arrow Honor Society at Notable Names Database.
- Archived Mayor's Page
- 25 Years Later: The Homeless Trust as a National Model (Biscayne Bay Tribune), May 9, 2019
- Hanks, Douglas (14 May 2019), "Running for county mayor again, Alex Penelas snags Miami-Dade's top donor (so far)", Miami Herald, retrieved 15 May 2019
External links
- "Alex Penelas Contronts a Tough Critic: His Own Party", St. Petersburg Times, August 31, 2003.
- "Alex Penelas, former Miami-Dade Mayor, to Provide Political Commentary and Analysis for Univision", Univision statement, December 17, 2004.
- "Al Politics Is Loco", The American Spectator, June 8, 2004.
- Alex Penelas at University of Miami Famous Alumni.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Position abolished 1993-1996 |
Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida 1996-2004 |
Succeeded by Carlos Alvarez |