Since being sworn in as clerk of the court and comptroller for Miami-Dade County earlier this year, Juan Fernandez-Barquin has envisioned a more AI-integrated and modernized clerk’s office, with a focus on accessibility and community engagement. Ensuring that the clerk’s office will remain a tru sted and efficient resource for Miami-Dade residents, Mr. Fernandez-Barquin said he is committed to serve with integrity and transparency. “When I stepped into this office, I stood in the shadow of the legendary Harvey Ruvin, who served this community for over 30 years”[as clerk after earlier serving as a county commissioner], he said. “Over my tenure, I have come to realize that this office is a multigenerational family and one that I am committed to strengthening for generations to come. I have worked hard to ensure that our clerk’s office serves at its highest standards and continues to earn the public’s trust and accountability.” As clerk of the court and comptroller, Mr. Fernandez-Barquin is serving as the county’s steward of public records and taxpayer money, along with maintaining court records. He was initially appointed and sworn into office on June 12, 2023, by the Florida governor. In November 2024, he was elected to continue his service, reflecting the trust and confidence of Miami-Dade County residents.  Mr. Fernandez-Barquin began his legal career as an assistant public defender at the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office. In 2013, he returned to Miami, where he practiced at a civil law firm before opening his boutique law firm.  He was then elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018 to represent House District 119 and was subsequently re-elected in 2020 and 2022. During his tenure in the House, he served as chair of the Ethics, Elections & Open Government Subcommittee and was a member of the State Affairs Committee, Ways and Means Committee, Energy, Communications & Cybersecurity Subcommittee, and Justice Appropriations Subcommittee. Now, he oversees the fourth-largest judicial circuit in the United States and holds multiple key titles, including custodian of all county funds, county auditor, county recorder, and ex-officio clerk of the board of county commissioners.  Leading a dedicated team of about 1,300 staffers, his team serves more than 2.7 million county residents and helps him manage 16 court facilities across over 2,400 square miles. Mr. Fernandez-Barquin also oversees an annual operating budget of about $145 million, ensuring efficient and transparent management of county resources. He is a graduate of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami-Dade County and earned a bachelor of arts in economics, graduating cum laude from Florida International University, and a juris doctorate from the American University Washington College of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia. Mr. Fernandez-Barquin is also deeply involved in his community, where he currently serves as a Belen Jesuit Preparatory School Alumni Delegate and as an alumnus of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Miami program. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College and as a board member for the both Public Health Trust of Miami-Dade County, the governing body for Jackson Health Systems, and The Children’s Trust. Mr. Fernandez-Barquin says he is committed to service with integrity, assuring county residents that the clerk’s office will remain in capable hands while reaffirming the principles that define his current role, which includes responsibility, transparency and a deep commitment to the community. Mr. Fernandez-Barquin spoke with Miami Today reporter Abraham Galvan. This week’s profile will appear in next year’s Book of Leaders. Miami Today publishes a Book of Leaders every year. This book is a compilation of all The Achievers profiled in every edition. The information in this book is available nowhere else – the stories of the women and men who are shaping the development of Greater Miami. If you would like to order a copy of the Book of Leaders from 1997 to 2024 or a complete set, click here to place your order. Related Posts:Juan Alfonso Fernandez-Barquin: Clerk of Court sets…New county financial head Fernandez-Barquin targets…FYI Miami: August 3, 2023FYI Miami: February 22, 2024Miami-Dade Clerk Harvey Ruvin, longest serving…The post Juan Fernandez-Barquin: Wearing two hats overseeing the county’s courts, finances appeared first on Miami Today. ...read more read less