THE PEOPLE’S MAYOR 
The stars aligned on November 20, 2007 when the voters of Miami Beach elected Matti Herrera Bower to the position of Mayor. With the support of her predecessor, family and friends, Matti Herrera Bower, a longtime resident, activist and two-term Commissioner, rode a strong, grassroots, all-volunteer, resident-first campaign to a resounding victory. Matti Herrera Bower’s election altered the political landscape, as she became both the first Woman and the first Hispanic in the City's history to win the Mayor’s Chair. First elected to the Miami Beach Commission in November 1999, Mayor Bower has earned a strong reputation for being dedicated to the issues that face the Miami Beach community. Her enthusiasm for helping others – with problems big and small – and her independent-minded leadership have endeared her to both the residential and business community she serves.