1. Jean Monestime is an American politician, real estate businessman and member of the Miami-Dade County Commission since 2010.
17 Facts About Jean Monestime
1. 2.
Jean Monestime is the first Haitian-American to serve as a Miami-Dade County commissioner, as well as the first to chair the commission.
3.
Jean Monestime, who began his term as commission chairman on January 1,2015, became the first Haitian American to chair to the County Commission.
4.
Jean Monestime succeeded outgoing Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa, who remained a member of the County Commission.
5.
The commissioners are officially nonpartisan, although Jean Monestime is a member of the Democratic Party.
6.
Jean Monestime emigrated from Haiti to the United States by himself when he was 17 years old.
7.
Jean Monestime didn't speak English until he arrived in Florida.
8.
Jean Monestime received a bachelor's degree in finance from Florida International University and a Master's of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.
9.
On November 2,2010, Jean Monestime defeated incumbent County Commissioner Dorrin Rolle in an upset in the runoff.
10.
Jean Monestime won with 53 percent of the vote, while Rolle placed second with 47 percent.
11.
Jean Monestime, who campaigned on a promise to revitalize District 2's economy, secured $126 million in county funds to provide new sewage hook-ups throughout Miami-Dade County, including a commercial district near Northwest Seventh Avenue, which had previously utilized septic tanks.
12.
Jean Monestime won re-election for a second term in 2014 in a rematch with Dorrin Rolle.
13.
In January 2016, Jean Monestime announced that he would not run for Mayor of Miami-Dade County in the forthcoming, county-wide mayoral election.
14.
Jean Monestime announced in October 2019 that he will run for Miami Dade County mayor in 2020.
15.
However, he withdrew from the race on April 30, later endorsing eventual winner Daniella Levine Cava Jean Monestime left the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners in November 2022, due to term-limit.
16.
Jean Monestime has since been working as a Government Relations Advisor and Real Estate Consultant.
17.
Jean Monestime is not related to Carmelau Monestime, a pioneer of Haitian radio broadcasting in South Florida.