Earlier this month, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado announced his decision to appoint
Hardemon, a first term commissioner elected in 2013, to lead the commission. The mayor told the Miami Times that Hardemon is a talented
individual who will help bring diversity to the leadership ranks of the city.
“I wanted to send a clear message that it is about deeds, not words only,” Regalado said. “That is why as mayor I appointed an African American as city manager and an African American for commission chair. I hope this becomes a part of my legacy.”
Hardemon represents 80,000 constituents in District 5, which
has a large number of low-income citizens.
“It gives us an opportunity to show the leadership from our
district and do something positive for the city as a whole,” Hardemon told the
Miami Times in reference to his appointment. “People look at our district as if
we are a hindrance on the city. I think we are a major asset.”
Raised in the Liberty City area of Miami, Hardemon is the
son of a City of Miami police officer who raised him as a single mother. After
graduating from Miami Northwestern, Hardemon enrolled at FAMU, where he was
extremely active on campus.
As a student at FAMU, he was a member of the Beta Nu Chapter
of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and served the student body as a freshman,
sophomore, junior and senior senator. Ultimately, he was chosen as “Senator of
the Year” and elected as senate president of the FAMU Student Senate. He was
also elected as the chair of the Florida Student Association’s Florida Senate
Presidents organization, which is comprised of many public universities
throughout the state. Hardemon graduated from FAMU with a bachelor’s degree in business
management and a master’s in business administration in 2007.
Hardemon is a member of the FAMU National Alumni
Association, the Florida Bar Association, the American Bar Association, Florida
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Wilkie D. Ferguson Bar Association,
and the UM Alumni Association.