Mike Gelin Elected to Tamarac City Commission After Three-Way Race

Mike Gelin

By: Sharon Aron Baron

In a three-way race to win the District 2 commission seat in Tamarac, Mike Gelin came out on top. 

Gelin won the election against challengers Larry Goehrig and Bill Mei, in the district which covers the Woodlands Country Club in the east to Plum Bay & Harbor to the west, with 65 percent of the votes.

“I feel good,” said Gelin. “I think it’s a combination of the work I did four years ago and the last six months.”

In 2014, Gelin ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Harry Dressler, so voters in the city were already familiar with his name.   

“I think people remembered me at the polls from when I ran for mayor.”

He starts with the city by first going over items with the city manager and attorney on Thursday morning, then will be sworn-in November 19, at 2 p.m.

Born in Brooklyn to Haitian parents,  Gelin studied at Morris Brown College where he earned a bachelor of arts in business administration. He studied internationally at the University of Ghana in West Africa and the American Continental University in London, England.  His first job was as an energy analyst for Enron in Houston, TX.  After that, he worked for CIGNA, Marsh & McLennan, Aon Consulting, and Lockton Companies.  Prior to starting his own company, Gelin Benefits Group, he was vice president for CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services in Boca Raton.

Gelin said he doesn’t have an agenda on what he will do right away.

“First I want to assess what’s going on,” he said.  

He thanked his family friends, supporters, donors, campaign workers and said he most definitely wanted to thank the voters who elected him.