The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer/Questioning, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) residents and visitors.
Cecile Houry
Name: Cecile Houry
Title: Grants Manager
Division: Support Services
Email: cecilehoury@miamibeachfl.gov
Phone: 305-673-7776 Ext: 25024
Aside from being a LGBTQIA+ Liaison, Dr. Cecile Houry is the Grants Manager for the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD), a position she has held for the last six years. While there, she has also supervised the Victim Services Unit (VSU) for three years.
Prior to that, Dr. Houry worked for Florida International University (FIU) for about nine years. She started as Director of Student Programs for the Honors College, where she oversaw community partnerships, study abroad programs, career services, special events, and student organizations. Dr. Houry was then the Assistant Vice President for Engagement, where helped developed and coordinate community and public/private partnerships. After that, Dr. Houry was the Assistant Dean for External Affairs for the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, where she oversaw continuing education programs and the College’s main fundraising event. There, she also worked on LGBTQIA+ matters as a member of the university’s Access & Equity Committee.
Born and raised in France, Houry earned a Bachelor of Arts (1999) and a Master of Arts (2022) majoring in English from the University of Orleans (France), a Master of Arts (2002) and a Doctor of Philosophy majoring in History (2011) from the University of Miami, and a Master of Public Safety (2022) from the University of Virginia. Her interests include sport history and gender studies. Her dissertation focused more specifically on American women and the modern summer Olympic Games, looking at the obstacles women encountered in their struggle for participation and equality in that global sporting event. More recently, she has been focusing on different aspects of law enforcement.
Houry participated in several leadership programs, including the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Women and Power: Leadership in a New World program, the FIU President Leadership Program, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Miami, and Leadership Florida’s Connect Florida program. Houry was also a board member and a mentor for the Aqua Foundation for Women. Finally, Houry was appointed to the Miami-Dade County Domestic Violence Oversight Board (DVOB) by Commissioner Eileen Higgins in May 2021.
Officer Efrain Marti
Name: Efrain Marti
Title: Patrol Officer
Division: Operations
Email: EfrainMarti@miamibeachfl.gov
Phone:
In 2014, Officer Efrain Marti graduated from Johnson & Wales University, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.
That same year, Officer Marti joined the City of North Miami Police Department as a civilian clerk.
Driven by his ambition and passion for the law enforcement profession, Officer Marti became a Public Service Aide for the City of North Miami. As a Public service Aide, Officer Marti was cross trained to assist the Crime Scene Investigations Unit and the Communications Division.
While serving as a Public Service Aide, Officer Marti became a civilian LGBTQIA+ liaison for the department, where he assisted in pioneering the LGBTQIA+ Liaison program.
In 2023, Officer Marti joined the City of Miami Beach Police Department.
Officer Marti is currently assigned to the department’s Operations Division as a Patrol Officer.
Officer Jacqueline Bannister
Name: Jacqueline Bannister
Title: Patrol Officer
Division: Operations
Email: JacquelineBannister@miamibeachfl.gov
Phone:
Officer Jacqueline Bannister is a dedicated law enforcement professional with nearly two decades of experience in Corrections and Policing. Her career began in 2006 with the Florida Department of Corrections as a Correctional Officer. In 2009, she transitioned to the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department, where she advanced to the rank of Correctional Corporal in 2016. During this time, she specialized in supervising the Male and Female Inmate Population, Juveniles, Intake & Release, Mental Health, and the Special Management Unit. She was also certified in Crisis Intervention and well-trained in the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), further strengthening her expertise in inmate rehabilitation and safety.
Officer Bannister holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management, demonstrating her commitment to professional growth and leadership in Law Enforcement. In 2022, she joined the Miami Beach Police Department as a Police Officer, where she quickly developed a passion for community outreach. She has volunteered for programs such as Kindergarten Cop and Operation Santa, helping to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. She is also an active member of the Miami Beach Police Department’s Recruitment Team and the Florida Association of Women Law Enforcement Professionals (FAWLEP).
Recognizing the unique concerns and needs of the LGBTQIA+ community while on patrol, Officer Bannister has embraced the role of LGBTQIA+ Liaison for the Miami Beach Police Department. In this position, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between Law Enforcement and the LGBTQIA+ community by fostering open communication, building trust, and ensuring equitable and inclusive policing practices.
With a career rooted in service, advocacy, and community engagement, Officer Bannister remains committed to strengthening relationships between Law Enforcement and the diverse communities within the City of Miami Beach.
Maria Fernanda Ospina
Name: Maria Fernanda Ospina
Title: Administrative Assistant
Division: Support Services
Email: mariaospina@miamibeachfl.gov
Phone: 305-673-7776 Ext: 23088
Maria Fernanda Ospina was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. She studied fashion design in Colombia until big dreams brought her to this wonderful country in 1986. Mrs. Ospina lived in New York City working as a tailor, riding a bicycle and starting a new life in a place where she felt welcome and free. Winters were harsh and she missed access to the water, so Mrs. Ospina eventually decided to move to Miami, Florida in 1994. She took a few odd jobs throughout South Florida until she started her own broker company. In 2016, because Mrs. Ospina had always been interested in community matters, assisting people, and engaging with the community, she jumped at the offer to work for Mayor Philip Levine in 2016 and continued her work for the City of Miami Beach under Mayor Dan Gelber. In 2023, Mrs. Ospina transferred to the Miami Beach Police Department’s Division of Support Services where she currently assists with office management and administrative matters. More recently, Mrs. Ospina was accepted as the department’s LGBTQIA+ Liaison, something with which she wholeheartedly aligns and looks forward to making an impact.
Rev. Kipp Nelson
Rev. Kipp Nelson
LGBTQIA+ Chaplain
Pronouns: he/him/his
Rev. Kipp Nelson currently serves as the Pastor of St. John’s on the Lake United Methodist Church in Miami Beach, Florida. He is a Miami transplant originally from Birmingham, AL. Kipp has earned a Bachelor’s of Accounting degree from Auburn University in Auburn, AL and a Master’s of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
In July of 2021, Kipp became the first openly gay man to be appointed as a pastor to a local church in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Two years later, in June of 2023, he and two others became the first openly queer individuals to be commissioned as provisional clergy members in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Since assuming his current position, Kipp has been devoted to the revitalization of the church through focused ministry and outreach within the LGBTQ+ community and continues to be driven by a deep passion for healing and reconciling the harm Christianity (and religion) has widely caused to LGBTQ+ people.
Kipp serves on multiple leadership boards including Reconciling Ministries Network (United Methodist LGBTQ+ inclusion and advocacy organization), the United Wesley Foundation (United Methodist campus ministry serving campuses of UM, FIU, and MDC), and the Florida Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry (United Methodist committee for ministry with young adults).
In his spare time, Kipp enjoys quality time with his dog, playing tennis, long bike rides, and relaxing on the beach.
The City of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Police Department are committed to the safety and welfare of all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) residents and visitors.
Safe Place Initiative
This eight-week interactive program is designed for vulnerable populations including, but not limited to the LGBTQIA+ community, to reduce their chances of becoming victims of bias-motivated crimes. For more information, click here.
If you are a LGBTQIA+ victim or witness to a crime, please report the incident to the police, either during or immediately after it occurs by calling 911.
Tips:
Calling 911, Meeting People Online, Walking
Resources:
Local organizations:
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