JAMAICAN-BORN ANNIKA ASHTON BECOMES FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE AS BROWARD COUNTY ATTORNEY
By Joanne Clark··3 min read
Jamaican-born attorney Annika E. Ashton has become the first Black woman and Jamaican American to serve as Broward County attorney, taking over the county’s top legal post following the retirement of Andrew Meyers.
Ashton, 42, officially assumed the position on Sept. 10 after serving as deputy Broward County attorney. The Broward County Commission unanimously appointed her to the position in March.
As county attorney, Ashton will serve as the chief legal adviser to the Broward County Commission and county administration and oversee an office of more than 50 attorneys and support staff.
“I’m very excited to work with a really great office of people and have the support of the Broward County Commission,” Ashton said.
Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich described Ashton as “the most qualified person to lead the County Attorney’s Office,” noting that the county attorney is one of only three positions directly appointed by the County Commission.
Ashton has worked for Broward County since 2014, initially joining the County Attorney’s Office as an assistant county attorney. She later became a senior assistant county attorney and was appointed deputy county attorney in 2019.
Before taking over as county attorney, Ashton led the County Attorney’s Office’s Finance, Real Property and Housing practice group. She provided legal advice on real estate matters, financial transactions involving capital bond issuances and other financing arrangements, and affordable housing programmes.
She also served as counsel to several county agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget, the Finance and Administrative Services Department and the Housing Finance Authority.
Ashton’s work with the county has included federal litigation, drafting ordinances and supporting the approximately $1 billion expansion of the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.
In her new role, she will advise county commissioners and administrators on legal matters, represent the county in litigation and oversee the preparation of ordinances, contracts and other legal documents.
She will also provide legal guidance on county projects and public services, including transportation, environmental matters, consumer protection and zoning.
Jamaican roots
Ashton was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, and has deep family roots in Clarendon, particularly Palmer Cross. She later migrated to the United States and attended Boyd H. Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes.
She earned a bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Columbia Law School, where she served as editor-in-chief of the National Black Law Journal.
After law school, Ashton clerked for Judge Adalberto Jordan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and later the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
She subsequently worked in private practice in New York and Miami, including in real estate and labor and employment law, before joining the Broward County Attorney’s Office.
Ashton has remained active in the legal profession and is a past president of the Caribbean Bar Association. She is also a member of Class I of the Florida Bar Leadership Academy and previously served on the Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors and several Florida Bar committees.
She has credited her Jamaican upbringing and the women who served as examples to her with helping shape her approach to leadership.
Ashton has spoken about studying successful Jamaican women in business and public service, as well as community leaders such as Cathy Levy, founder of the Little People and Teen Players Club, which has supported youth arts education in Jamaica for decades.
She has also pointed to the Jamaican saying “Wi likkle but wi tallawah” as a reflection of the resilience and ambition that shaped her outlook.
Her appointment marks a significant milestone for both Broward County and the Jamaican-American community, as Ashton becomes the first Black woman and Jamaican American to lead the county’s legal department.
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