Mayor Lerner created a Climate Action Plan to address the threats from sea level rise, flooding, and extreme weather. She also transformed Pinecrest Gardens into a beautiful botanical garden and a popular cultural arts facility for the entire county which attracts significant cultural arts grants. As Mayor, Cindy created 2 programs to support generations from youth to seniors. The Youth Advisory Council is designed to provide leadership and civic engagement opportunities for selected local high school students. One of the first graduates of the program was recently honored with the Miami-Dade Rookie Teacher of The Year Award. The Pinecrest Pioneers celebrate local seniors over age 80 with a twice yearly luncheon.

She also created the Education Advisory Council which is designed to facilitate communication between the Village of Pinecrest and the 5 public schools within Pinecrest. Programs like the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place For Hate” were identified and implemented in all Pinecrest schools.

Complex problems can be solved when we work together

Cindy organized local city leaders to address the real threat from sea level rise, flooding and the increasingly extreme weather patterns in Miami-Dade County. In recognition of her work on the issue of sea level rise and other threats from climate change, in 2016 Cindy was invited to present at the 2nd United States – China Climate Leaders’ Summit in Beijing. For the past several years, Cindy has worked closely with State Legislators on addressing critical issues we face at both local and state levels like sea level rise.