It’s a great day Palm Bay!

On January 21, I was honored to host my first-ever Mayor’s Business Roundtable, held at Florida Tech’s beautiful Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design. The City of Palm Bay is poised for incredible growth, and I am committed to ensuring that we remain open for business as we chart a course for the future. The event served as a forum for developers and other key stakeholders to share their feedback on growth and development here in Palm Bay, as well as an opportunity to learn how the City can pivot to meet the needs of economic drivers to attract quality jobs and development.

On January 29, the City of Palm Bay hosted the first annual Palm Bay Multicultural Festival. Planned in partnership with the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce, the Multicultural Festival showcased many of the cultures represented in our community. Set against the backdrop of Fred Poppe Regional Park, guests were treated to performances, shopping, and dining that celebrate the diversity found here in Palm Bay. My sincere thanks to everyone who attended and all those who worked to make this event a success – may this mark the beginning of a community tradition Palm Bayers look forward to for years to come!

Each February, we celebrate Black History Month, an opportunity to honor the achievements and societal impacts made by African Americans to the cultural, economic, political, and spiritual development of the United States of America. Black history is indelibly woven into the fabric of American history, and I am #PalmBayProud to live and serve in a community where representation matters, and diversity is celebrated.

On February 8 and 9, I was joined by my fellow City Councilmen and Palm Bay City Manager Suzanne Sherman at the Florida League of Cities Legislative Action Days in Tallahassee to engage with state lawmakers, our local legislative delegation, and other municipal officials. During our visit, we were able to advocate on behalf of our Palm Bay community and gain a better understanding of current issues and concerns facing local government in the State of Florida.  

On February 14, couples young, old, and in-between observed Valentine’s Day. On behalf of myself and my beautiful Valentine Lissette, I hope all Palm Bayers had a Happy Valentine’s Day!

On the third Monday of February, in remembrance of the birth of George Washington, we celebrated Presidents’ Day – a holiday honoring all those who have served in our nation’s highest office. While very few among us have experienced the privilege and burden of leading our country, we can each of us imagine the dedication, grace, and sacrifice required of these leaders to carry out the mission. Though policies and politics may differ, these Americans answered a calling to serve and lead us into a brighter tomorrow and that must be commended.

On March 8 the City of Palm Bay will hold a Special Election to fill City Council Seat 5 vacated by former City Councilman Jeff Bailey. I encourage all Palm Bayers to participate in out special election. Take the time to familiarize yourselves with your candidates, educate yourselves on the topics that impact you and your families, and most importantly exercise your right to vote! For more information on the Special Election, including Palm Bay polling locations, please visit www.votebrevard.gov.  

As Mayor of Palm Bay, I feel it is my duty to give back to the community. That is why I am #PalmBayProud to announce that I will hold my first Mayor’s Ball charity fundraiser on March 26 at the Hilton Rialto at 6pm. The event will raise funds to support the redesign and construction of the monument at Sacrifice Park, located at 120 Malabar Road SE, a memorial honoring first responders who gave their lives while serving our great city and the Brevard County community.

It is my mission to give this community and our valued first responders a memorial of which to be proud. I hope that you will consider joining me in this worthwhile effort to honor the service and dedication of our emergency service professionals. The goal of this year’s event is to raise over $200,000 for the renovations at Sacrifice Park. I humbly ask our business community to consider becoming event sponsors and invite everyone to purchase a ticket to the event!

For information about becoming a sponsor and purchasing tickets, please visit www.palmbayflorida.org/mayorsball. I am #PalmBayProud to support this cause and I hope to see you at the event!

As I have said in the past, I am committed to building a City that operates on the principles of integrity and transparency. One key part in building the best Pam Bay possible Is ensuring that we maintain an informed and involved citizenry. I encourage all Palm Bayers to take the time to stay informed on local issues and to engage in the process of your local government. To that end, I would like to remind everyone that our City Council meetings will be starting at a new time, 6pm, beginning on April 7th. Please mark your calendars to reflect this change and join us at the Council meeting to make your voice heard.