Barbara Sharief was elected to the Senate in 2024. She previously served as a Broward County Commissioner from 2010 to 2021, holding the positions of Mayor in 2013 and 2016, and Vice Mayor in 2012 and 2015. She was a Miramar City Commissioner from 2009 to 2010 and also served as Vice Mayor in 2010. Additionally, she was involved with the National Association of Counties (NACo) from 2009 to 2021 and the Florida Association of Counties from 2009 to 2021, where she held several leadership roles, including President in 2015. Her service extended to the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization from 2009 to 2022 and the 16 County Coalition on Water Resources from 2018 to 2022.
She has received numerous honors, including the Broward County Trailblazer award in 2023, the Broward Women Making History Award in 2020, and induction into the Broward County Women's Hall of Fame in 2019. Other recognitions include the United Nations Association of the USA Global Partnership Award in 2018, the March of Dimes Woman of Distinction Award in 2017, and the African American Achievers Business & Entrepreneurism Honoree award in 2014.
Her affiliations include the Florida Nurses Association, the Miami Chapter of the Black Nurses Association, the Florida Nurse Practitioner Network, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (Zeta Rho Omega Chapter), and the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
She is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner.
She has three children- Amanda, Alyssa, and Hailey.
She completed her education at Jackson Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1992 and earned an A.S. in Nursing from Miami-Dade Community College in 1994. She later obtained a B.S. in Nursing from Florida International University in 1996, followed by an M.S. in Nursing APRN in 2000. She holds an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) certification and earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Wilkes University in 2017.
Born in Miami Beach, Florida, she practices Islam.
Her recreational interests include traveling, spending time with family, writing, and collecting African American memorabilia and antiques. |