A 32-year-old business attorney has made history by becoming the first Haitian to hold elected office in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Mackenson `Mack` Bernard will be sworn in as city commissioner of Delray Beach tomorrow, Tuesday August 12th. He will join the list of only 12 Haitian Americans to hold political office in the entire state.
`The Haitian community is really part of Delray Beach,` Bernard said. `I hope that by them seeing me on the commission, they can feel more involved in the city.`
Bernard was chosen to fill the seat left vacant when former City Commissioner Brenda Montague resigned last month to join her family in California.
Bernard came to Delray Beach at the age of 10. He was born into poverty in Port-au-Prince and his mother sent him and his sister to live with friends. He attended Delray Beach public schools until he left for Florida State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then attended the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law.
He subsequently worked at the Lakeland, Bernard law office before moving back to Delray to open his own law firm, Bernard & Auguste.
He lives in Bexley Park with his wife and daughter. Bernard has pledged to represent all his constituents despite his Haitian background. He plans to run for election when his term expires in March.
Haitians make up at least 10 percent of the city’s population, according to a 2005 city report. They began settling in Delray Beach in the 1980s.
