\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
At Judson, she became the first Black editor of the college newspaper, and worked with administrators at the university to make programs and policies more diverse. In 1991, Dunn helped organize the university\u2019s first Black History Month celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cThere was only one other Black person attending\u201d Judson when she studied there, she said, and \u201cinstitutional racism\u201d was part of the culture. She didn\u2019t allow that to hinder her drive to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Judson, she became the first Black editor of the college newspaper, and worked with administrators at the university to make programs and policies more diverse. In 1991, Dunn helped organize the university\u2019s first Black History Month celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Her stepfather was in the military, which allowed Dunn to live in various places while growing up, including Germany and Texas. She went to Daleville High School in Alabama and attended Judson College in Marion, Ala., only 20 minutes away from the historic city of Selma, which played a huge role in the civil rights movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was only one other Black person attending\u201d Judson when she studied there, she said, and \u201cinstitutional racism\u201d was part of the culture. She didn\u2019t allow that to hinder her drive to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Judson, she became the first Black editor of the college newspaper, and worked with administrators at the university to make programs and policies more diverse. In 1991, Dunn helped organize the university\u2019s first Black History Month celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cI was so lucky to have had three parents who loved me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her stepfather was in the military, which allowed Dunn to live in various places while growing up, including Germany and Texas. She went to Daleville High School in Alabama and attended Judson College in Marion, Ala., only 20 minutes away from the historic city of Selma, which played a huge role in the civil rights movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was only one other Black person attending\u201d Judson when she studied there, she said, and \u201cinstitutional racism\u201d was part of the culture. She didn\u2019t allow that to hinder her drive to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Judson, she became the first Black editor of the college newspaper, and worked with administrators at the university to make programs and policies more diverse. In 1991, Dunn helped organize the university\u2019s first Black History Month celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Dunn was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States at age 10. She was raised in a full house with a brother, her parents, a grandmother and aunts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was so lucky to have had three parents who loved me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her stepfather was in the military, which allowed Dunn to live in various places while growing up, including Germany and Texas. She went to Daleville High School in Alabama and attended Judson College in Marion, Ala., only 20 minutes away from the historic city of Selma, which played a huge role in the civil rights movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was only one other Black person attending\u201d Judson when she studied there, she said, and \u201cinstitutional racism\u201d was part of the culture. She didn\u2019t allow that to hinder her drive to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Judson, she became the first Black editor of the college newspaper, and worked with administrators at the university to make programs and policies more diverse. In 1991, Dunn helped organize the university\u2019s first Black History Month celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
\u201cI believe that we each have a responsibility to give back to the community that we live in,\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Dunn was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States at age 10. She was raised in a full house with a brother, her parents, a grandmother and aunts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was so lucky to have had three parents who loved me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her stepfather was in the military, which allowed Dunn to live in various places while growing up, including Germany and Texas. She went to Daleville High School in Alabama and attended Judson College in Marion, Ala., only 20 minutes away from the historic city of Selma, which played a huge role in the civil rights movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere was only one other Black person attending\u201d Judson when she studied there, she said, and \u201cinstitutional racism\u201d was part of the culture. She didn\u2019t allow that to hinder her drive to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Judson, she became the first Black editor of the college newspaper, and worked with administrators at the university to make programs and policies more diverse. In 1991, Dunn helped organize the university\u2019s first Black History Month celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that was perhaps my first experience of being an advocate to make the community better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating with a degree in sociology, Dunn moved to New York to work in the fashion industry. During her time there, one of her closest friends passed away from breast cancer. She had \u201cdelayed making medical decisions because of lack of health insurance,\u201d Dunn said, who \u2013 in the aftermath of that tragedy \u2013 committed to fighting for her community\u2019s access to affordable health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the years that followed, Dunn worked extensively in the health care industry, including for the American Cancer Society as the director of community health initiative and health systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, she felt like she needed to do more. Dunn moved to Miami and secured a position at Circle of One Marketing. She began with a Medicaid reform contract and after six months, became the director of social issues marketing. She worked with various local governments, nonprofits and other organizations that aligned with her philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dunn went back to school in 2010, earning an MBA in health care at Florida International University. Right after graduation, she worked as the senior marketing manager for Tenet Healthcare. After a colleague introduced her to Lauderhill, she devoted hours of work toward improving the city. Then, in 2014, she was elected president of the chamber of commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her dedication to the city motivated her to move to Lauderhill in 2017 \u2013 and that in turn led her to run for its commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a natural next step,\u201d Dunn said, \u201cand the community voted to give me the opportunity to start there [as vice mayor].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, she founded Hibiscus Girl\u2019s Leadership Academy \u2013 a mentoring program for high school girls. It focuses on teaching leadership and life skills by pairing girls with a mentor based on their interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Dunn works to improve Lauderhill\u2019s small businesses and its overall quality of life. Her personal philosophy is that a good business owner cares about the community, not only the bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's the way I do business myself,\u201d said Dunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lauderhill Shine is one of Dunn\u2019s most successful programs. It consists of an eight-week, self-paced online course in which business owners receive advice from industry experts and city leaders to scale their enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust by giving people access with these programs, we are supporting minority- and women-owned businesses,\u201d she said. \u201cFor sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eugenia Scheuren is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University. Alex Vargas is a student and writer.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Melissa Dunn leverages private sector career for public service","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"melissa-dunn-leverages-private-sector-career-for-public-service","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1402","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1406,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:24:11","post_content":"\n
\u201cHomegrown\u201d is the first word Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon uses to describe himself. The word is not only a testament to the fact he was born and raised in the predominantly Black city, but also to his commitment to improving his community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now in his third year in office, Leon has recently worked on creating programs to help aspiring homeowners achieve their residential dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for people in my generation who actually grew up here, but can\u2019t afford to live here,\u201d he said of the work. \u201cYou have teachers, postal workers and police officers who are being priced out on purchasing homes. We want to make sure that they have the resources to purchase here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon also spearheaded an effort to provide more COVID-19 testing for residents and, in time, vaccination sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explained that at the beginning of the pandemic, the county placed the first testing site at Miami Gardens\u2019 Hard Rock Stadium, but what officials didn\u2019t realize was that many area residents do not own cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 41-year-old knows that solutions to public health issues aren\u2019t one size fits all. Establishing the testing facility in Miami Gardens, one of the first sites in the state aimed at Black Americans, helped dispel the myth that people of color weren\u2019t getting tested for COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, Leon contributed to the testing effort by busing senior citizens to vaccination sites himself. He attributes his resourcefulness as vice mayor to his familiarity with the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnderstanding the dynamics of the community that we live in is very important,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to have cookie-cutter programs that leave people out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Leon\u2019s undying support for the community is reflected by each project he takes on. One of his biggest achievements was establishing a trolley system on the east side of the city. The endeavor had a simple goal \u2013 to help take kids to and from school, as well as help senior citizens get to their local pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the small things. Right now is the time to really focus on the quality of life. We want to keep enhancing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon says he was inspired to pursue politics by several elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I grew up in a single parent home, I had to \u2013 and I teach kids this all of the time \u2013 find a father figure in my own neighborhood,\u201d said Leon, who\u2019s raising daughters Raegan and Ivy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III, now a Miami-Dade County commissioner, \u201ctook me under his wing and I shadowed him for many years to see what government was like,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leon went on to study criminal justice at Florida Memorial University, South Florida\u2019s only HBCU. During his student years, he participated in the NAACP Youth Council, where he was recruited to work on a campaign for Audrey King, one of the first councilmembers in the city of Miami Gardens when it was incorporated in 2003. Assisting King during her campaign pushed him to run for office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDifferent community-based organizations would help shape me to be a leader,\u201d he said. \u201cI don't call myself a politician. But I am a first-generation leader in my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor Gutierrez is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Miami Gardens vice mayor advocates for homeownership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"miami-gardens-vice-mayor-advocates-for-homeownership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:24","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1406","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_24"};
Daniela Jaramillo is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Brittany Sharpton works to bridge economic gaps","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"brittany-sharpton-works-to-bridge-economic-gaps","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1408","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1402,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_content":"\n
She also believes accountability for those in positions of leadership is crucial: \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding when I feel like I can contribute and leverage my experiences and expertise to help someone achieve their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniela Jaramillo is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Brittany Sharpton works to bridge economic gaps","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"brittany-sharpton-works-to-bridge-economic-gaps","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1408","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1402,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_content":"\n
But, she said, \u201cwe often represent less than 2%.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also believes accountability for those in positions of leadership is crucial: \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding when I feel like I can contribute and leverage my experiences and expertise to help someone achieve their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniela Jaramillo is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Brittany Sharpton works to bridge economic gaps","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"brittany-sharpton-works-to-bridge-economic-gaps","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1408","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1402,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_content":"\n
Sharpton notes the Black community comprises about 15% of the U.S consumer marketplace, and contends that same percentage of corporate, contract advertising, and spending manager positions should be held by Black Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, she said, \u201cwe often represent less than 2%.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also believes accountability for those in positions of leadership is crucial: \u201cIt\u2019s rewarding when I feel like I can contribute and leverage my experiences and expertise to help someone achieve their dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniela Jaramillo is an NBCU fellow at Florida International University.<\/em><\/p>\n","post_title":"Brittany Sharpton works to bridge economic gaps","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"brittany-sharpton-works-to-bridge-economic-gaps","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_modified_gmt":"2023-01-03 03:15:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/ourhistorymakers.com\/?p=1408","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1402,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_date_gmt":"2022-02-24 14:29:33","post_content":"\n
