Meet Kristen

Dr. Kristen Rosen Gonzalez is a Miami Beach native whose parents met in the lobby of the Fountainebleau in 1972. She grew up on Miami Beach among Cuban exiles and the descendants of Holocaust survivors, splashing in pools and running around condo card rooms. Kristen went to college in Boston, but after graduation, she returned home to South Florida and settled in Miami Beach. 

Kristen has three beautiful children: Isabella (24), Pablo (20), and Franny (18)--who all graduated from Miami Beach Senior High. She hopes that one day her children will choose to build their lives on Miami Beach, and that is one of the reason's she is running for office--to make sure that her family and yours have a bright future in a City that is resilient, clean, and safe with excellent public schools, 

Kristen loves Miami Beach and plans to retire here with her life partner, "Cafe Bernie's" Chef Bernie Matz and their cats Gracie, Lola and Simby in their home on Alton Road in Mid-Beach. 

Kristen is a tenured faculty member  in the English and Communications Department at Miami Dade College, a realtor, former Miami Beach Commissioner, and a co-owner of Cafe Bernie at 5600 Collins Avenue. She has the historical and institutional knowledge necessary to be effective as a Miami Beach Commissioner, and public service is what makes her tick. 

Kristen was elected to the Miami Beach Commission in 2015 and became passionate about Art Deco Architecture. She 's advocated for clean water in Biscayne Bay when no was else was discussing the issue.  She was pivotal in saving the Byron Carlyle Theater, and she has helped win several referendum campaigns as a resident activist when local government was proposing zoning or legislation that was not in residents' best interests. 

Kristen doesn't just "talk the talk", her actions speak louder than words, and she has always been ready to stand up for resident rights.

This 2021 election cycle, Kristen will fight to save the North Shore Oceanfront Library. Her mantra is simple--government should make safety and cleanliness its top priority, and "Public land should remain in public hands." She will also focus on public safety and cleaning up the crime and violence on South Beach. 

Kristen hold hers PhD in Higher Education Administration from Barry University, her Master of Arts in Communication from Barry University, and her Bachelor of Arts in French and Spanish Language and Literature from Tufts University in Medford, MA.