Patricia Gerard
Encyclopedia
Patricia "Pat" Gerard is a politician the first woman mayor
for the city of Largo, Florida
. Gerard was born in Paterson, New Jersey
, she is married to Eric and has one child.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts
in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Florida
. Gerard was a mental health worker in a community-based rehabilitation program after graduating from USF. From 1984 to 1986 she worked as Victim's Advocate for the Largo Police Department. From 1986 to 1992 she worked as director of the Spouse Abuse Shelter of Religious Community Services, where she stayed until 1992. After that, she worked for Family Resources, Inc. as Executive Director of Helpline. She is also a member of the Pinellas Planning Council.
She was elected to the City Commission
in 2000 and again in 2003. She became mayor by defeating her predecessor, Robert E. Jackson
, in 2006 in a bitterly contested race.
She and Commissioner Rodney Woods were the two dissenting votes when the Largo City Commission voted to terminate City Manager Stanton
following her announcement of her decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery
. In a CNN interview, Gerard explained her position of support for Stanton saying, "We're making a decision here about whether we're going to be an inclusive and compassionate community or are we going to be small-minded and bigoted."
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
for the city of Largo, Florida
Largo, Florida
Largo is the third largest city in Pinellas County, Florida, USA and is part of the Tampa Bay Area. Centrally located, it is the crossroads of the county. As of the 2000 census, the City had a total population of 69,371. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was...
. Gerard was born in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, she is married to Eric and has one child.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
. Gerard was a mental health worker in a community-based rehabilitation program after graduating from USF. From 1984 to 1986 she worked as Victim's Advocate for the Largo Police Department. From 1986 to 1992 she worked as director of the Spouse Abuse Shelter of Religious Community Services, where she stayed until 1992. After that, she worked for Family Resources, Inc. as Executive Director of Helpline. She is also a member of the Pinellas Planning Council.
She was elected to the City Commission
City commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
in 2000 and again in 2003. She became mayor by defeating her predecessor, Robert E. Jackson
Robert E. Jackson
Robert E. Jackson was the mayor of Largo, Florida. He was first elected to Largo City Commission in 1974, Mayor Jackson served nine terms as City Commissioner before being elected as Mayor in 2000 and being re-elected in 2003. He lost narrowly in a bitterly contested race against Largo's first...
, in 2006 in a bitterly contested race.
She and Commissioner Rodney Woods were the two dissenting votes when the Largo City Commission voted to terminate City Manager Stanton
Susan Stanton
Susan Ashley Stanton was the city manager of Largo, Florida, until her job termination. She is currently the city manager of Lake Worth, Florida....
following her announcement of her decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
. In a CNN interview, Gerard explained her position of support for Stanton saying, "We're making a decision here about whether we're going to be an inclusive and compassionate community or are we going to be small-minded and bigoted."