Bernard W. H. Jennings pitches decades of education and mediation experience for Miami-Dade school board

Dr. Bernard W. H. Jennings is running for Miami-Dade County School Board District 1, arguing that his background in education governance, mediation, community leadership and family advocacy makes him ready to help lead one of the nation’s largest school systems. His campaign centers on literacy, school safety, career readiness, technology and stronger family partnerships.

Why it matters: - Miami-Dade County Public Schools serves hundreds of thousands of students and manages billions of taxpayer dollars, making District 1 one of the most consequential local education seats in South Florida. - Jennings is positioning his campaign as a governance case, not a political outsider bid. - His pitch centers on using experience in universities, mediation, public service and community organizing to address student outcomes and district accountability.

What happened: - Dr. Bernard W. H. Jennings is running for Miami-Dade County School Board District 1. - The campaign frames the race as the continuation of Jennings’ career in educational leadership, public service, mediation, nonprofit governance and community development. - Jennings was educated in Miami-Dade public schools before earning degrees from Florida Memorial University and Florida A&M University. - Jennings now serves as chairman of Florida Memorial University’s 19-member Board of Trustees.

The details: - Jennings attended Biscayne Gardens Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson Junior High School and North Miami Senior High School. - He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Florida Memorial University. - He later completed a master’s degree in Applied Social Science with a concentration in Public Administration at Florida A&M University. - Jennings also received an honorary doctorate for entrepreneurship and community leadership. - He and his wife raised three children who attended public schools. - Jennings’ early leadership roles included the North Miami Police Explorers, the City’s Youth Opportunity Board, the Mayor’s Economic Task Force and the Optimist Football Program. - He serves as a mentor for Congresswoman Frederica Wilson’s 5000 Role Models of Excellence and has volunteered in public schools. - Jennings’ Florida Memorial University service moved from student leader to board member, then vice chairman and chairman. - University trustees oversee strategy, financial stewardship, presidential accountability, long-term planning, policy and fundraising support, and accreditation. - Florida Memorial University has a reported $91.3 million impact on the local community. - Jennings has served more than a decade as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. - His mediation work has included the American Arbitration Association, the Florida Department of Financial Services and local court-connected programs. - Jennings holds a HUD Loss Mitigation Specialist certification. - His loss mitigation work has helped homeowners avoid foreclosure in north Miami-Dade County. - He also served as executive director of the Opa-Locka Airport Tenants Association and negotiated the largest fixed-base operator lease in Florida for J.P. Aviation, Inc. - Jennings helped lead a Biscayne Gardens incorporation effort that ultimately lost at the ballot box. - He has also served as a Miami-Dade County hearing officer and special magistrate, adjudicating code enforcement matters. - His background includes mortgage banking, contract administration, procurement, financial analysis, government consulting and public policy advising. - Jennings has supported educational partnerships that gave students in South Africa access to American higher education through asynchronous learning while remaining in their home communities. - Florida Memorial University has signed a memorandum of understanding in Angola, and Jennings says Ghana is next on the agenda for the university. - Jennings initiated Florida’s Ethan Good Dad Act, which was signed into law to strengthen parental responsibility after paternity is established. - He has held 155 consecutive Tuesday 8 p.m. Google Meet sessions with fathers and other parents from across the country. - Jennings has invited attorneys, judges and other professionals to speak with fathers about staying involved in their children’s lives. - He founded the New Biscayne Gardens Chamber of Commerce and has held leadership roles in civic organizations, business groups, nonprofits and youth programs. - His recognition includes the Key to the City of North Miami, Florida Memorial University’s President’s Fountain of Excellence award, Outstanding Young Men of America, Who’s Who Among Black Americans and Amazon best-selling author status for Ethan’s Good Dad Act. - Jennings also lists the Good Dad Act Committee among his leadership roles.

Between the lines: - Jennings is betting that voters will value operational experience over traditional campaign politics. - His record blends education, dispute resolution, family policy and community development, which he argues maps directly onto school board work. - The Good Dad Act has also become a wider father-engagement movement, giving Jennings an issue profile beyond local education circles. - His international education partnerships suggest a campaign message built around workforce readiness and global competitiveness, not just classroom management.

What’s next: - If elected, Jennings says he would focus on literacy, mathematics, teacher support, school safety, career and technical education, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, workforce readiness and stronger partnerships with families, colleges, employers and universities. - The campaign now shifts to District 1 voters, who will decide whether Jennings’ institutional background translates into school board support. - More information about the Good Dad Act is available at GoodDadAct.com, and information about the book is available at EthansGoodDadAct.com.

The bottom line: - Jennings is presenting himself as a seasoned institutional leader whose career has stretched from Miami-Dade classrooms to university boardrooms and mediation tables, and now to a school board race centered on governance, family engagement and student outcomes.