Denise Reid, Gleaner Writer
Hazelle Rogers, city commissioner of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida. - Denise Reid photo
From humble Jamaican beginnings, Hazelle Rogers possesses a pleasant spirit with a determined attitude that has paid off. She is the first Caribbean-American woman commissioner of Lauderdale Lakes in Florida.
A go-getter with a mandate to make her community and, by extension, the society better, Rogers is now seeking to gain a seat in the state legislature. If accomplished, this would make her the second Caribbean-American woman to gain this honour.
Leadership
Rogers' leadership ability was developed while she was a student at Vauxhall High School. Rogers explains that these beginnings, coupled with the knowledge that in the United States, politics is the pulse of the country, have fuelled her passion for politics.
"(The) elected leadership makes decisions on our behalf. So, we really need to be able to learn the process and participate in the process," said Rogers.
The founder of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce (CACC) and the Caribbean American Democratic Club and a member of the Florida Immigration Coalition, Rogers says she has learnt that we cannot achieve anything by standing alone.
"We can't talk about CARICOM in the Caribbean and then come into America and talk about individual countries," noted Rogers.
Rogers was first elected in 1996, and re-elected unopposed for a four-year term which began in March 2006. During her tenure, she had a street renamed for a Jamaican American civil rights activist, Charles McLymont. She is the vice-chair for the Broward County United Negro College Fund and has managed to raise over $100,000.
Rogers said her greatest accomplishment has been the ability to change the perception of her community.
She explained that the city has the infrastructure to make it the best in Broward county and that as a result of marketing and a strong education drive, major businesses can now look to Lauderdale Lakes with the realisation that it can sustain them by supporting and providing them with the workforce they are looking for.
Feeling of pride
"To me, there's a feeling of pride that we've turned the city around. There's pride in homeownership, there's pride in the community, and people are coming into the community," Rogers remarked proudly.
She has also pioneered through the CACC, two trade missions to Jamaica which matched businesses in the island with those in Florida. This proved to be very useful and she spoke specifically of artists who created partnerships in the United States and had much of their work sold.
Rogers told The Gleaner that as a member of the FIC, she has no problem marching in front of the federal buildings, advocating for fair treatment of immigrants.
"It might not be popular for everyone else, but that is what you need to do with the influence you have, and you won't have that influence forever," she said in a subtly fierce manner.
Rogers, who has been married to her husband Clifton since 1974, is a realtor and mortgage broker by profession.