Commissioner Dennis C. Moss elected as Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners
MIAMI – On November 20, 2008, Dennis C. Moss was elected by his colleagues to serve for two years as Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners. As Chairman, Moss will preside over the meetings of the Board of County Commissioners, Miami-Dade’s legislative branch.
His 2008 election as Commission Chairman coincides with the beginning of his fifth consecutive term representing District 9. His commission district is geographically one of the largest and most diverse in the county.
Commissioner, Dennis Moss
Commissioner Moss is known, respected, and admired for making promises and keeping them. He was initially elected to the Board of County Commissioners shortly after Hurricane Andrew, the second worst natural disaster in the history of the United States; Commissioner Moss immediately focused his efforts on the recovery of South Miami-Dade. His tireless efforts resulted in a comprehensive plan to rebuild distressed and declining areas affected by Hurricane Andrew. Named in recognition of Commissioner Moss, The Moss Plan was approved on September 7, 1993 by the Board of County Commissioners.
Some of his accomplishments include: saving Homestead Airforce Base and bringing to South Dade a public hospital, a cultural center, a Metrozoo theme park, a winery, and an extension of busway to Florida City. Commissioner Moss was also instrumental in the creation of Team Metro, 311, and awarding more than 250 yearly grants to “Mom & Pop” businesses.
Commissioner Moss chairs the Zoo Oversight Board that oversees Miami Metro Zoo and the Community Image Advisory Board, whose mission is to improve the maintenance and aesthetics of our major roadways and transportation facilities. He is also a member of the South Florida Regional Planning Council which identifies long-term challenges and opportunities facing Southeast Florida and assists the region’s leaders in developing and implementing creative strategies that result in more prosperous and equitable communities, a healthier and cleaner environment, and a more vibrant economy.
Commissioner Moss has served in the past as the honorary Chair of the Bahamas Sister Cities program, and Chairman of the Governmental Structure Task Force, which focused on helping the County identify efficient and effective government. Under the late Governor Lawton Chiles, Commissioner Moss was appointed to the Land Use and Water Planning Task Force.
A lifelong resident of District 9, Commissioner Moss has been actively involved in community affairs and has been appointed to serve on many boards, including the Community Action Agency, the South Dade Alliance for Black Neighborhood Development, and the Metro-Miami Action Plan Trust. For more than 25 years, Commissioner Moss has served as the Executive Director of the Richmond Perrine Optimist Club, where his agency provides programs for delinquent and at-risk youth, and disadvantaged families.
Commissioner Moss is a 1974 graduate of Grinnell College in Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He is married to Margaret Hawkins-Moss and has three children.
