{{Short description|American attorney and politician}} {{pp-semi|small=yes}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Steven A. Geller | image = Steve Geller headshot.jpg | office1 = Mayor of Broward County | term_start1 = November 17, 2020<ref name="local10.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/11/17/steve-geller-named-broward-county-mayor/|title = Steve Geller named Broward County mayor|website=Local10.com|date = 17 November 2020}}</ref> | term_end1 = November 16, 2021<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/11/16/michael-udine-appointed-new-mayor-of-broward-county/|title=Michael Udine appointed new mayor of Broward County|website=Local10.com|date=16 November 2021}}</ref> | successor1 = Michael Udine<ref name="auto1"/> | predecessor1 = Dale Holness<ref name="local10.com"/> | 1blankname1 = Vice Mayor | 1namedata1 = Michael Udine<ref name="local10.com"/> | office = Member of the <br />Broward County Commission<br />from the 5th district | term_start = November 22, 2016 | term_end = | predecessor = Lois Wexler<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=826258|title=Our Campaigns - Broward County Commissioner 5 Race - Nov 08, 2016|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref> | successor = | office2 = Vice Mayor of Broward County | successor2 = Michael Udine<ref name="local10.com"/> | predecessor2 = Dale Holness<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wsvn.com/news/local/broward/new-mayor-elected-for-broward-county/|title=New mayor elected for Broward County|website=Wsvn.com|date=19 November 2019 |access-date=9 July 2022}}</ref> | 1blankname2 = Mayor | 1namedata2 = Dale Holness | term_start2 = November 19, 2019 | term_end2 = November 17, 2020 | state_senate3 = Florida | district3 = 31st | term_start3 = January 2003 | term_end3 = January 2009 | predecessor3 = Debby P. Sanderson | successor3 = Eleanor Sobel | state_senate4 = Florida | district4 = 29th | term_start4 = March 1998 | term_end4 = January 2003 | predecessor4 = Ken Jenne | successor4 = M. Mandy Dawson | state_house5 = Florida | district5 = 101st | term_start5 = January 1993 | term_end5 = March 1998 | predecessor5 = Michael I. Abrams | successor5 = Kenneth A. Gottlieb | state_house6 = Florida | district6 = 98th | term_start6 = January 1989 | term_end6 = January 1993 | predecessor6 = Irma S. Rochlin | successor6 = Steven B. Feren | birth_name = Steven Anthony Geller<ref name="martindale.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.martindale.com/attorney/steven-anthony-geller-esq-168964076/|title=Steven Anthony Geller, Esq. Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com|website=Martindale.com}}</ref> | office7 = Minority leader of the Florida Senate | term_start7 = 2006 | term_end7 = 2008 | predecessor7 = Les Miller | successor7 = Al Lawson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|11|04}} | birth_place = The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. | spouse = Laurel Leffler | children = 2 | party = Democratic | education = Florida State University (BA, JD) }}
'''Steven Anthony Geller''' (born November 4, 1958) is an American attorney and politician who serves on the Broward County Commission for District 5. As of November 2020, Geller was the mayor of Broward County from November 2020 till November 2021. He was the former vice mayor from November 2019 till November 2020.<ref name="local10.com"/>
==Early life and education== Geller was born in The Bronx and moved to Florida with his family in 1969. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1979 and a Juris Doctor in 1982, both from Florida State University.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Florida Senator Steven A. Geller (D) {{!}} LobbyTools|url=https://public.lobbytools.com/legislators/29|access-date=2020-01-18|website=Public.lobbytools.com}}</ref>
== Career == === Law === Geller is an actively practicing attorney. He was a shareholder at the national law firm of Greenspoon Marder,<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2016|title=Greenspoon Marder Shareholder Steve Geller speaks on Florida's Water Loss Crisis at the Florida Insurance Consumer Advocate's Forum|url=https://www.gmlaw.com/news/greenspoon-marder-shareholder-steve-geller-speaks-on-floridas-water-loss-crisis-at-the-florida-insurance-consumer-advocates-forum/|website=Greenspoon Marder}}</ref> and is the principal of Geller Law Firm, P.A.,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gellerlawfirm.com/about-steve/|title=About Steve |website=Gellerlawfirm.com|access-date=9 July 2022}}</ref> where he practices in the areas of zoning and land use, gaming law, lobbying and administrative law, first party property insurance law, and commercial litigation. He has been practicing law since 1982, is A-V rated by Martindale Hubbell,<ref name="martindale.com"/> has been listed in Florida Superlawyers, and the Bar Register of Distinguished Attorneys. He is of-counsel to the law firm of Sachs Sax Caplan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sachs Sax Caplan, P.L. - Steven Geller|url=https://ssclawfirm.com/steven-geller|website=ssclawfirm.com}}</ref>
=== Politics and government === A Democrat, he previously served in the Florida Legislature from 1988 to 2008. He was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1988 through 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=226677|title=Our Campaigns - FL State House 098 Race - Nov 08, 1988|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=216610|title=Our Campaigns - FL State House 098 Race - Nov 06, 1990|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=218853|title=Our Campaigns - FL State House 101 Race - Nov 03, 1992|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=216293|title=Our Campaigns - FL State House 101 Race - Nov 05, 1996|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref> He was elected to the Florida Senate in a special election in 1999, and re-elected until term limits forced his retirement in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=31817|title=Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 29 - Special Race - Mar 17, 1998|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=31694|title=Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 29 Race - Nov 07, 2000|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=5499|title=Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 31 Race - Nov 05, 2002|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=68532|title=Our Campaigns - FL State Senate 31 Race - Nov 02, 2004|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=5151|title=Our Campaigns - Candidate - Steven A. Geller|website=Ourcampaigns.com}}</ref> He served as Senate Minority (Democratic) Leader from 2006 to 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://flsenate.gov/Senators/2006-2008/S31/4598 |title=Senator Steven A. Geller|website=Flsenate.gov|access-date=July 9, 2022}}</ref> Geller was appointed by different Republican Senate presidents as a committee chair in 2000 and again in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://flsenate.gov/Senators/2000-2002/S29/4598|title=Senator Geller - The Florida Senate|website=Flsenate.gov}}</ref> Geller also served as the Democratic ranking member on numerous committees, and co-chaired the Select Committee on Property Insurance Accountability.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://flsenate.gov/Committees/2006-2008/SPIA|title=Select Committee on Property Insurance Accountability Committee Page - The Florida Senate|website=Flsenate.gov}}</ref>
He serves as chair of the South Florida Regional Planning Council,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Steve Geller Assumes Council Chairmanship|url=https://sfregionalcouncil.org/steve-geller-assumes-council-chairmanship/|website=SFRPC|date=19 November 2020}}</ref> on the board of directors of the Florida Association of Counties,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Leadership | Florida Association of Counties|url=https://www.fl-counties.com/leadership-0|website=Fl-counties.com}}</ref> as chair of the Broward County Water Advisory Board,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broward.org/waterresources/Pages/WABMembers.aspx|title = Water Resources WAB Members|website=Broward.org}}</ref> and on the Broward County Cultural Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broward.org/Intergovernmental/Pages/BoardMembers.aspx?BoardID=1895|title = Board Members|website=Broward.org}}</ref> Geller first ran for County Commissioner in 2010, but lost his challenge to incumbent Commissioner Suzanne Gunzburger by a 56% to 44% vote in the Democratic primary.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.browardvotes.gov/portals/broward/documents/electionarchives/ersummarytype.aspx_eid_113_cid_1712.html | title=Broward County, FL Supervisor of Elections }}</ref> Geller was first elected to the Broward County Commission in 2016,<ref name="auto" /> and was re-elected without opposition in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Man|first=Anthony|title=Politicians in Broward and Palm Beach counties are coasting back into office — without facing voters on election day|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/elections/fl-ne-politicans-automatically-reelected-broward-palm-beach-20200619-tbd7bvbirfgbrdouwkwl2g445q-story.html|website=Sun-sentinel.com|date=19 June 2020 }}</ref>
Geller served as a national leader in several different legislative organizations. He served on many committees and as national president of both the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pianet.com/news/insurance-news/2003/ncoil-elects-florida-state-sen-steve-geller-president-at-annual-meeting|title=NCOIL Elects Florida State Sen. Steve Geller President at Annual Meeting — National Association of Professional Insurance Agents|website=Pianet.com}}</ref> and the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS). Geller also served as Chairman of the National Public Sector Gaming Study Commission. Geller currently serves as the pro bono General Counsel of NCLGS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yogonet.com/international/noticias/2019/05/21/49874-sports-betting-to-be-the-focus-of-the-upcoming-legislators-from-gaming-states-meeting|title=Sports betting to be the focus of the upcoming Legislators from Gaming States' Meeting|website=Yogonet.com}}</ref>
Geller served and serves on many Democratic organizations. He was a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2008. He served as parliamentarian of the Florida Democratic Party from 1982 to 1996 and as state president of the Florida Young Democrats in 1980–1981. He currently serves on the state executive committee of the Florida Democratic Party. He also serves as chair of the Real Solutions Caucus, a group of approximately 35 current and former Broward County Democratic elected officials.
He is a past chairman of the board of the Holocaust Documentation & Education Center (HDEC).
== Personal life == He is married to Laurel Geller (née Leffler) and has two sons.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080723193002/http://www.greenspoonmarder.com/attorneys/steven-geller.cfm Greenspoon Marder, P.A.: Steven Geller - Law Firm Profile (Practice Areas: Zoning, Land Use, Gambling)]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-fl-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Irma S. Rochlin}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Florida House of Representatives<br />from the 98th district|years=1988–1992}} {{s-aft|after=Steven B. Feren}} |- {{s-bef|before=Michael Abrams}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Florida House of Representatives<br />from the 101st district|years=1992–1998}} {{s-aft|after=Kenneth A. Gottlieb}} |- {{s-par|us-fl-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Ken Jenne}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Florida Senate<br />from the 29th district|years=1998–2002}} {{s-aft|after=M. Mandy Dawson}} |- {{s-bef|before=Debby P. Sanderson}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Florida Senate<br />from the 31st district|years=2002–2008}} {{s-aft|after=Eleanor Sobel}} |- {{s-bef|before=Les Miller}} {{s-ttl|title=Minority Leader of the Florida Senate|years=2006–2008}} {{s-aft|after=Al Lawson}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Lois Wexler}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Broward County Commission<br />from the 5th district|years=2016–present}} {{s-inc}} |- {{s-bef|before=Dale Holness}} {{s-ttl|title=Vice Mayor of Broward County|years=2019–2020}} {{s-aft|after=Michael Udine}} |- {{s-bef|before=Dale Holness}} {{s-ttl|title=Mayor of Broward County|years=2020–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geller, Steven}} Category:Democratic Party Florida state senators Category:Politicians from the Bronx Category:Lawyers from the Bronx Category:Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:Florida State University alumni Category:Florida State University College of Law alumni Category:People from Broward County, Florida Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature Category:20th-century members of the Florida Legislature