Biography
Mayor Wayne M. Messam is a proud first-generation American, born to Jamaican parents and raised in South Bay, Florida. A lifelong athlete and leader, he earned a full athletic scholarship to Florida State University (FSU), where he excelled both academically and athletically. As a wide receiver, he was a member of the 1993 National Championship football team under Coach Bobby Bowden and later played briefly in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 1996, the FSU Black Alumni Association honored him as “Student of the Year” for his outstanding achievements as a student-athlete. He graduated from FSU in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems. Read More!
Professional and Community Service
Mayor Messam is no stranger to leadership and success. As senior class president at Glades Central High School, Wayne was offered full athletic and academic scholarships to attend Florida State University. He excelled both on and off the football field. His accomplishments include being a starting wide receiver and a member of the 1993 National Championship Football Team under legendary coach Bobby Bowden. Mayor Messam was elected to student body vice-president by his peers during his senior year. One of his greatest highlights was when the FSU Black Alumni Association named him "Student of the Year" in 1996 for his exceptional accomplishments as a student-athlete. He graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems in 1997.
Proud Citizen
Mayor Messam has always had a commitment to public service; he was elected Mayor of the City in 2015, having served a previous term as commissioner . He is the current President-Elect of the Florida League of Mayors; is a Board Member of the African-American Mayors Association. He is the former President of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and served two terms as chair of the Broward County Small Business Development Advisory Board where he was very influential in the policy recommendations that affected the local and small business programs for Broward County and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms. He has made it his mission to teach other municipalities across the nation on how they can spark economic development through the development of Minority and Small Business program.
The City of Miramar is the 13th largest city in Florida with nearly 150,000 residents, was recently recognized as a Smart City and an All-American City. The City has also been recognized twice as having one of the nation’s fastest growing economies in the nation under his leadership. The city also boasts more Fortune 500 companies than any city in South Florida with thriving Aviation, Bio Medical, Information Technology and light manufacturing business sectors.
