Jerry L. Demings was sworn in as the fifth elected Mayor of Orange County, Florida, on December 4, 2018, and was reelected in 2022. He is the first African American to serve in the role. He oversees more than 8,000 Orange County employees and a $7 billion budget as the County’s chief executive officer. His goal is to make Orange County the “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow” by creating a community culture of innovation, collaboration and inclusion.
Mayor Demings is passionate about addressing the issues that matter most to residents.
In 2019, Mayor Demings convened the first Orange County Housing for All Task Force to address the affordable housing crisis in our community. In 2020, the Mayor and Commissioners established the County’s first Housing Trust Fund, committing $160 million over 10 years to stimulate the construction of affordable and workforce housing units through public-private partnerships.
In 2023, Mayor Demings, with the support of the Board of County Commissioners, allocated $100 million over the next five years for priority safety projects through the Accelerated Transportation Safety Program. Funds from this initiative will be dedicated to improving immediate transportation needs related to pedestrian and bicycle safety, widening roadways and expanding public transportation.
Mayor Demings also led the effort to create a $100 million Sustainable Community Plan to purchase environmental preservation land. The goal is to enhance the County’s GreenPLACE program and further protect Orange County’s wildlife and natural habitat.
An Orlando native, Mayor Demings is a graduate of Jones High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Orlando College where he graduated magna cum laude. He is also a graduate of the 194th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy and studied at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
As a life-long public servant, his current affiliations and associations include:
National Association of Counties (NACo)
- Vice Chair of the Justice and Public Safety Committee
- At-Large Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Immigration Reform Committee
- Member of the Mental Health Commission
- Member of the Large Urban County Caucus
Florida Association of Counties (FAC)
- Chairman of the Finance and Taxation Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Legislative Committee
Orange County, Florida
- Member and Immediate Past Chair of the Central Florida Expressway Authority
- Member and Immediate Past Chair of the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX)
- Chair of the Orange County Tourism Development Council
- Chair of the Career Source of Central Florida Consortium
- Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Public Safety Council
- Chair of the Orange County Tourism Development Council
- Board Member of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center
- Board Member of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
- Board Member of MetroPlan Orlando
- Board Member of the Orlando Economic Partnership.
Mayor Demings is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and a steward at Saint Mark AME Church in Orlando.
Mayor Demings has always been a trailblazer, making history in 1998 as the City of Orlando's first African American police chief. He continued to break barriers in 2008 by being elected as the first African American Orange County Sheriff and was re-elected to this position in 2012 and 2016.
He is married to former Congresswoman Val Demings, and they are the parents to three sons and have five grandchildren.
Mayor Demings’ enduring passion lies in inspiring and preparing children and youth as the next generation of leaders.
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