Francis X. Suarez is the 33rd Mayor of the City of Miami. As the first Miami-born mayor, he is committed to working diligently to serve the residents of the community where he was born and raised. Prior to being elected with 86 percent support from Miami residents, Mayor Suarez served as Miami Commissioner for District 4 during eight years.
Mayor Suarez is dedicated to elevating the quality of life of the residents he serves by focusing on transportation and connectivity, resiliency, and job creation by nurturing the growth of technology and innovation. He is also committed to expanding affordable housing, tackling the poverty pandemic and, as a corollary, reducing crime. The oldest of four siblings, Mayor Suarez was born into a family where, as he describes, “being socially conscious was a kind of requirement.” As the son of former City of Miami Mayor, Xavier Suarez, he was also exposed to public service since he was a child, growing up around his father’s office at City Hall, the same one he works out of today.
Suarez has made recent headlines for his declaration that Miami would soon become the “next Silicon Valley,” and committed to growing the city’s presence of tech companies. This transpired after a venture capitalist tweeted a desire to move the northern California tech hub to the sunny south Florida City. Suarez replied simply, “How can I help?” — with a continuing commitment to draw more established companies and startups to Miami. He has also taken a strong stance on bringing Bitcoin to greater prominence in his city, including allowing residents to pay municipal bills and taxes in Bitcoin, as well as allowing city employees to take their pay in the digital currency.
Mayor Suarez earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida International University, graduating in the top ten percent of his class. He went on to receive his law degree from the University of Florida Frederic G. Levin College of Law, where he graduated cum laude. He is currently an attorney with the law firm Greenspoon Marder, specializing in corporate and real-estate transactions.
Mayor Suarez is married to Gloria Fonts Suarez. They have a son, Andrew Xavier, and a daughter, Gloriana Pilar. They consider themselves honored and blessed to be raising their family in the City of Miami.