Education:

Bachelor of Arts, (1970) Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Masters in Administration and Supervision, (1975) Florida International University, Miami, Florida; Juris Doctorate, (1979) Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit, Michigan.

Member:

Admitted to the Bars of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Member of the Florida Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Council of the ABA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division, International Municipal Lawyer's Association (IMLA) and National Community Development Association (NCDA).

Born:

Pinar del Rio, Cuba

    Mr. Fernŕndez was sworn in as the City Attorney for Miami on Thursday, September 9, 2004.  He is no stranger to the City of Miami as he was a member of the City Attorney's Office from 1982 to 1991, serving as City Attorney from 1988 to 1991.  In September of 1991, he was appointed as Sarasota’s County’s first in-house County Attorney, where he served until September 2004.

     Mr. Fernŕndez’s 22 years in local government law have provided him with a unique perspective with regard to the intricacies and complexities of managing a government legal practice, as well as, the ethical considerations which arise in public sector law.  Prior to law school, he worked as a public school administrator in the Miami-Dade County Public School System.

      Mr. Fernŕndez has received numerous awards and recognitions for his civic/community and professional involvement among them are the "Claude Pepper Outstanding Government Lawyer Award"  from the Florida Bar; the "Government Hispanic Business Advocate of the Year Award" from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the "President's Excellence Award for 1997-1998 for Outstanding and Distinguished Community Services" from the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce.