Spotlight 240730 Lerner, People-Berk-Krauss

In the Spotlight,

County Commission Candidate Cindy Lerner
Village People Debut: So Long New York

The Spotlight’s election coverage continues, this week focusing on Cindy Lerner. As part of a series we’re calling Village People, the Spotlight is profiling a mix of interesting people and personalities who live and work in Coconut Grove. If you know of someone we should profile, drop us a note at [email protected]. You can find Spotlight reporting anytime on our website and use its search tool to find topics that you might have missed.

Cindy Lerner Takes Her Shot

After a bruising loss four years ago, former Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner is back in the ring, facing a familiar opponent.

by David Villano

Former Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner is a candidate for county commissioner in Miami-Dade District 7, which includes Coconut Grove. (Photo courtesy of Cindy Lerner).

Former Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner is a candidate for the Miami-Dade District 7 Commission race where she faces Richard Praschnik, a police officer with the Miami-Dade school system, and incumbent Raquel Regalado, who defeated Lerner in a tight election four years ago. Lerner, 71, spoke recently with the Spotlight’s David Villano, sharing her thoughts on the county’s transportation bureaucracy, the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the West Grove Community Redevelopment Agency, and the causes of public corruption. Lerner, who served one term in the Florida State Legislature in the late 1990s, also discusses partisan politics in Miami-Dade and her reputation for losing her temper while mayor of Pinecrest. Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Village People:
So Long New York, Hello Coconut Grove

After long and successful careers in New York, Zach Berk and Marlene Krauss settle into a new life in Coconut Grove.

by Hank Sanchez-Resnik

Marlene Krauss and Zach Berk at home in their South Bayshore Drive condominium. (Hank Sanchez-Resnik for the Spotlight)

Florida had the highest migration increase of all states in 2022, with a net population growth of 249,064 people. In 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the majority of those moving to Florida (91,201 individuals) came from New York. Many New Yorkers have relocated to Coconut Grove. The new towers in the South Bayshore Drive corridor, opening this year or planned for the near future, are likely to attract more.

Zach Berk and Marlene Krauss have deep roots in New York, but they now live on the 19th floor of a sleek South Bayshore tower with panoramic views of Dinner Key Marina and Biscayne Bay. They gave up their New York City residence three years ago after several decades of managing a series of successful New York venture capital funds. Since arriving in Coconut Grove, they haven’t looked back.