On August 26, 2008, Audrey M. Edmonson was elected to serve a four-year term to represent the constituents of District Three on the Miami-Dade County Commission.  Her district includes areas of the City of Miami, including the communities of Liberty City, Little Haiti, Overtown, the Upper East Side, Allapattah and Wynwood, as well as El Portal, Miami Shores and a portion of North Miami.

Born and raised in Liberty City, Commissioner Edmonson became active in local politics by first serving as Mayor of the Village of El Portal in 1999.  She was re-elected Mayor by the Village Council in 2002 and 2003.  In November 2004, she became the municipality’s first mayor to be elected by residents rather than by the members of the Village Council.  During her exceptional tenure serving the residents of El Portal, she successfully lobbied federal, state, county and private agencies for more than $3.5 million in grant funding for Village improvement projects; a $350,000 grant for a Community Outreach Program; revised the Village’s comprehensive plan; successfully negotiated the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) contract; implemented a citizens’ committee to revise the Village Charter; and successfully lobbied the State for $150,000 for a Storm Water Master Plan.  Under her leadership, the Village hired its first Village Manager.

Since her arrival on the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, Commissioner Edmonson has initiated legislation urging the U.S. Congress to restore temporary protective status to Nicaraguans, Salvadorans and Hondurans.  She sponsored legislation banning the use of chains and shackles on detained children.  She co-sponsored legislation urging Congress to reconsider its Cuban wet-foot dry-foot policy.  Acting on the recent accidents involving construction cranes throughout the county, Commissioner Edmonson created a Crane and Heavy Equipment Regulation and Safety Workgroup composed of industry experts and protection advocates to ensure the safety of construction workers in Miami-Dade County.  Additionally, with the support of the residents of Overtown, Commissioner Edmonson helped defeat the Florida Department of Transportation’s proposal to build an access ramp from NW 14th Street to Interstate 95 Highway.  In an effort to address and solve crime throughout Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Edmonson sponsored legislation to air unsolved drug related, violent and unsolved crimes on Miami-Dade TV.   Most recently, she sponsored legislation creating the Miami Children’s Initiative which will provide a network of support for at-risk children and families in the zone through support systems ranging in prenatal care and education to financial literacy and homeownership in adulthood.

Commissioner Audrey M. Edmonson currently serves as Chairperson of the Housing and Economic Development Committee which is tasked with the oversight of opportunities for economic, community and social viability for Miami-Dade residents.  She is also a member of the Governmental Operations; Budget Planning and Sustainability and Transit Infrastructure and Roads committees.  Commissioner Edmonson serves as Chairperson of the Miami-Dade County Value Adjustment Board. She is co-chair of the President’s Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) and serves on the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. Commissioner Edmonson also is a member of the Community and Economic Development Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties (NACO). In November, 2007 Mayor Carlos Alvarez appointed Commissioner Edmonson as “Honorary Chairperson” to the City of Cape Town, Africa for the Miami-Dade County Sister Cities Program.

Commissioner Edmonson received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Florida International University and a dual master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Barry University.

Commissioner Edmonson resides in El Portal.  She is married to Louis and is the mother of Ebony Nicole, Louis Ivory and grandmother of Bianca Alexandria Casher and Lorah Lee Edmonson.  Commissioner Edmonson is active in several charitable, women’s and community organizations.

Commissioner Edmonson's bio in PDF format