Michael Góngora
| Michael Góngora | |
|---|---|
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| Former member of the Miami Beach City Commission | |
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In office 2006–2013 |
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| Personal details | |
| Residence | Miami Beach, Florida |
| Alma mater | University of Miami |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Website | michaelgongora.com |
Michael Góngora (born 1970) is an American politician from Miami Beach, Florida who served on the Miami Beach City Commission. Besides his legal practice, Gongora currently serves as a legal and political analyst and is regularly featured on many Spanish networks including Telemundo, America Teve and Mira TV.
Góngora attended the University of Miami School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor (cum laude). After graduation, he was a partner in his own firm in Miami Beach before joining Becker & Poliakoff. Góngora is currently a partner at Becker & Poliakoff where he is the lead community association litigator in the Miami office.
Góngora was Miami Beach's first and only openly gay elected commissioner and vice mayor. Góngora was also the first openly gay Hispanic to win elected office in the State of Florida. As commissioner, he pushed for the first citywide recycling program, founded the city sustainability committee and helped create a sustainability plan designed to encourage developers to erect greener buildings. Gongora was active in passing a stormwater master plan to resolve flooding in the City of Miami Beach.
In 2013 he ran for mayor of Miami Beach but lost to Philip Levine, coming in second place out of four candidates running with nearly forty percent of the vote following a recount. It was later found that Levine had spent approximately $2,000,000 to receive 5,639 votes in the most expensive election in the history of Miami Beach.
Prior to being elected to the Miami Beach Commission, Góngora held local elected and appointed leadership and governmental roles throughout Miami-Dade County, including:
Góngora created the first Green Ad Hoc Committee (now referred to as the Sustainability Committee) for Miami Beach in 2007. This committee created a sustainability plan, and focused on ways of improving recycling within the city.
Góngora's involvement with the LGBT community in Miami Beach includes advocating for the creation of the city’s Human Rights Commission, and works with local organizations such as the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as well as local, state and national groups such as Aqua Foundation, Gay Pride Committee, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Trevor Project, SAVE Dade, Equality Florida, and Unity Coalition. He introduced resolutions to the City Commission in support of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA, S. 424/H.R. 1024), and the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up For All Students Act against cyberbullying, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He hosts or sponsors events by SOBAP (South Beach AIDS Project), GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Alliance) and the Trevor Project, the only national 24/7 suicide prevention helpline for LGBT youth.
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