Tamarac District 2 Candidate Tyneka Rene Plans to Focus on Better Government, Better Schools

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In our original version, we mistakenly said Tyneka Rene was endorsed by the Save The Woodlands for Commissioner, however, we were incorrect, she was endorsed to be on the WHOA.

By Agrippina Fadel

Candidate for city commission Tyneka Rene wants to return the “trust, dignity and respect” to Tamarac city hall.

U.S. Army Veteran and local business owner Rene is challenging against another newcomer, Joseph Lanouette, and the incumbent Mike Gelin for the District 2 seat.

Rene is married to her husband Kenny and has three kids, aged 23, 20, and 12.

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, she moved to Pompano in 2002 and lived there until she joined the army in 2005, eventually retiring in 2012.

Stationed in Germany, Poland, Iraq, and Kuwait, Rene met Kenny while serving in the Army.

While in the army, Rene completed her education at the University of Maryland, earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental management with a minor in biology and a master’s degree in healthcare administration.

After a career in the military, she worked in different capacities for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense and has experience in healthcare administration, working with health technology, hospitals, and homeless veterans.

The family was stationed in Louisiana and Washington before returning to Florida.

In 2020, Rene and her husband purchased a home in the Woodlands; and is aware of 13th Floor’s proposed development of the former golf course. Currently, she “does not side with any organization, either for or against” the project.

An owner of Face the World Esthetics and Nail Care in Tamarac approaches the challenge of running for the municipal office from a resident, parent, and local business owner perspective.

Tamarac residents, along with her customers living in Sunrise and Coral Springs, are concerned that local government “has been in the news a lot lately, and not necessarily in a positive way,” she said.

“I think it needs to change, elected officials are being paid with our tax dollars, but it makes me wonder how well they can actually do their jobs when it seems that they are really focused on all these personal attacks against each other?”

Courtesy of Tyneka Rene Campaign

Although city commission members have no authority over Broward County Public Schools, nor do they vote on its policy, Rene is running on the platform that she can make changes.

“Tamarac schools do not have the best ratings, which is why a lot of people choose to go to Coral Springs and Plantation, where the schools are a little more desirable,” she said, adding that as a commissioner, she would focus on lowering the student-teacher ratio and raising the test scores.

According to 2019 data from Broward County Public Schools, Challenger Elementary is currently A-rated, Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy, B, and Tamarac Elementary C. Tamarac students are also zoned schools in Coral Springs, North Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, and Sunrise.

Rene said the population in South Florida is changing and growing rapidly; attracting people to Tamarac with better communities and schools will result in higher revenues, innovation, development, and a flourishing economy.

“I think I am the right person for the job because I bring a perspective that is not rooted in what is currently going on in the city. Some people look at me and say, “you have not lived here long,” but that’s precisely the reason why I can do it,” said Rene, comparing the elections to the permanent change of station (PCS) in the army.

“No system is perfect. Otherwise, we would not have elections every couple of years. We need a new outlook and a way to attract people who are interested in building up the community,” she said, explaining that PSC is the reason organizations like the U.S. military are so successful because, through attrition, new people with different points of view and backgrounds bring the organization forward.

“I have lived all over the world, in different economies, and I have seen and heard things that most people have not. I bring a wealth of knowledge from the government and civil service to the city commission of Tamarac,” she said.

The qualifying period for candidates for the November election is from noon on Monday, June 13, through noon on Friday, June 17, at city hall. Tamarac’s mayoral and commission terms are four years.

Three seats are up for reelection: commissioners for Districts 2 and 4 and the mayoral seat.

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Agrippina Fadel

Agrippina Fadel grew up in Siberia and received her master's in journalism from Tyumen State University. A resident of Florida for over 10 years, she also works as a marketing and communication specialist at a local university.