Women's History Month: Newest Lake Park commissioner puts women in majority for first time

Lianna Norman, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
Judith Thomas took the oath of office as a town commissioner in Lake Park on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. A longtime planning and zoning administrator in Riviera Beach, Thomas is the first Black woman to serve on the commission. Her election also gave women a majority of commission seats for the first time. Surrounding her are her family: her husband Andre Robinson and daughter Sierra Robinson. Her son, Johnathan Thomas, couldn't be there because he is currently serving in the U.S. Navy.

LAKE PARK — Town residents crowded into Lake Park’s historic commission chambers Wednesday evening to warmly welcome the town’s first Black mayor and first Black woman to the commission.

At least 100 people crammed into the 100-year-old building to witness an event as historic as the building itself. A roar of applause and cheering erupted when the town’s new mayor, Roger Michaud, and newest commissioner, Judith Thomas, appeared arm in arm through the crowded doorway.

With Thomas’s election, Lake Park’s Town Commission will now have a female majority for the first time during its centennial year.

It was a family affair filled with cheering and applause. Both the mayor’s and commissioner’s families joined them in front of the crowd to witness their tearful oaths of office.

More:Much of Lake Park can trace its family to Haiti. Now its mayor is Haitian, too.

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Judith Thomas gives Lake Park commission its first majority of women

Thomas brings a history of experience in government service and community volunteering, urban and regional planning and school counseling to Lake Park with her. She formerly worked in Riviera Beach as planning and zoning administrator.

She, like Mayor Michaud, has lived in Lake Park for over 20 years. For 12 of those years, she volunteered for the town’s planning and zoning board and spent six years as its chair. Thomas has also been active with the Friends of the Library of Lake Park, helping donate 1,000 books for local school programs.

Roger Michaud, a longtime town commission member in Lake Park, takes the oath of office as mayor on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Michaud is the town's first Black mayor. Surrounding him are his family: his wife Charity, his daughter Jordyn and his son Trenten.
Roger Michaud, a longtime town commission member in Lake Park, takes the oath of office as mayor on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Michaud is the town's first Black mayor. Surrounding him are his family: his wife Charity, his daughter Jordyn and his son Trenten.

“Some of you have known me for years,” Thomas said with a crack in her voice, after taking her seat on the dais. “My emotion is telling you exactly what we have gone through and I want to say: Thank you.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to be here in Lake Park for 22 years and to raise my family here in Lake Park. I want to say, there’s no other town like Lake Park, and I love Lake Park.”

Thomas’s priorities as a commissioner for Lake Park are to stoke redevelopment and small business revitalization, while mitigating residents’ fear of overdevelopment.

Roger Michaud is sworn in as Lake Park's first non-white mayor.

Mayor Roger Michaud, who grew up in Lake Park, was joined by his wife, son, daughter and mom while being sworn in. The mayor’s mother, Rose Michaud, is the president of the Friends of the Library of Lake Park and was tasked with leading the residents and town officials in the Pledge of Allegiance at the ceremony.

“The voters of Lake Park wholeheartedly supported Roger’s candidacy for mayor,” Vice Mayor Kimberly Glas-Castro said. “And that is evidenced by the lack of opposition.

"I feel this is a testament to his altruism. He’s proven himself as a dedicated public servant and has proven his commitment to our community. I look forward to Roger representing the town as our mayor.”

Incoming Lake Park Mayor Roger Michaud poses for a portrait at the Lake Park Town Hall on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in Lake Park, FL. For the first time ever, Lake Park has a Haitian-American mayor, former town commissioner Roger Michaud, a big step for a town that has a lot of Haitian residents.
Incoming Lake Park Mayor Roger Michaud poses for a portrait at the Lake Park Town Hall on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in Lake Park, FL. For the first time ever, Lake Park has a Haitian-American mayor, former town commissioner Roger Michaud, a big step for a town that has a lot of Haitian residents.

Following his oath of office and another round of applause, the new mayor hugged and kissed his family and took his seat in the middle of the commissioners.

“It’s been a wonderful journey,” Michaud said. “I’m honored to be here, standing here as your mayor in the town of Lake Park. I’ve lived here since 1985.”

“I am a product of the town. I am a child of the town. Most of my adventures have been here in town. I asked my wife to marry me here in the town, and I raised my children here in my second-generation home.”

Michaud has hopes to bring the idea of a community center for the town to fruition during his time as mayor. And like Thomas, he would like to spark redevelopment in Lake Park while remaining wary of overdevelopment in his hometown.

Lianna Norman covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at lnorman@pbpost.com. You can follow her reporting on social media @LiannaNorman on Twitter. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Park's first Black mayor, first Black woman on commission take office