Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steven Glassman, Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher, Seminole Tribe Descendant Larry Mike Osceola II, President of Central Beach Alliance Deborah Rosenbaum, and Principal of Business History Group Patricia Watson, Ph.D.
Patrick Shavloske, CEO of Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, is pleased to announce that Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steven Glassman, Broward County Commissioner Lamar Fisher, historic Seminole Tribe’s Constitution Committee member Larry Mike Osceola II, president of the Central Beach Alliance Deborah Rosenbaum and principal of the Business History Group Patricia Watson, Ph.D. have been named board members of Bonnet House Museum & Gardens.Commissioner Glassman, Commissioner Fisher and Rosenbaum will serve as ex officio board members.
One of South Florida’s oldest homes and a popular tourist destination for locals and worldwide visitors alike,the 35-acre Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is located in east Fort Lauderdale, and is celebrating its 100th anniversary now through 2020. Built in 1920 as the winter retreat of the Birch/Bartlett family, the home was and is a delightful blend of art, architecture, history and ecology. A 35-acre subtropical estate and historic house museum, Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is a property of the Florida Trust. It is situated on what is one of the last examples of a native barrier island habitat in the region.
Commissioner Glassman, sworn in to his first term as commissioner of District 2 in March 2018, was an administrator for the Broward County Cultural Division for 11 years. He served on the City of Fort Lauderdale's Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board (three years) and the Planning and Zoning Board (six years). He has served in various civic leadership positions, including president of the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation, president of the Central Beach Alliance, and president of several beach condominium associations.
Commissioner Fisher, a former mayor of Pompano Beach, is the Broward County Commissioner for District 4. He is president and CEO of Fisher Auction Company, which is headquartered in Pompano Beach. His great-grandfather signed the Articles of Incorporation for the City of Pompano Beach in 1908 and his grandfather served as mayor in 1943. Lamar Fisher was first elected in 2002 as the Pompano Beach City Commissioner for District 3; ran unopposed in 2004 and 2006; ran unopposed for Mayor At Large in 2007 and 2010 and was successfully re-elected in 2013 for his third term as Mayor At Large. He just completed his two-year tenure as the chairman of the Broward County Planning Council.
Osceola is the great-great-great-grandson of warrior Chief Osceola and son of Big Mike Osceola, and a member of the historic Seminole Tribe’s Constitution Committee. The Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Indian Tribe, and the only Tribe in America that never signed a peace treaty.
Rosenbaum is president of the Central Beach Alliance, and second vice president of Council of Fort Lauderdale Civic Associations, and the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. A Fort Lauderdale resident since 1975, she has supported many organizations including HANDY, KIDS and the Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center. She is a member of Beaux Arts Fort Lauderdale, and has chaired Promenade in the Park, as well as the Las Olas Art Festival. A major supporter of Museum of Discovery and Science, she chaired the museum’s gala and its Wine, Spirits & Culinary Celebration.
Dr. Watson is vice president & creative director of Business History Group, Inc. She volunteers with Bonnet House Museum & Gardens’ orchid program two days a week. She has raised orchids for over 30 years, and has managed an orchid greenhouse in New Jersey for more than 15 years. She was a founder, president of the board and executive director of the Riverdale Art Center in Riverdale, New Jersey, a nonprofit art gallery and art education center in northern New Jersey.
“It is a pleasure to welcome these five highly esteemed individuals to the board of Bonnet House Museum & Gardens during our 100-year anniversary,” said Shavloske. “Commissioner Glassman, Commissioner Fisher, Mr. Osceola, Ms. Rosenbaum and Dr. Watson all hold a very special place in historic and current Fort Lauderdale, and they are truly wonderful representatives of our unique estate and property that has stood the test of time.”
About the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens:
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is a 35-acre subtropical estate and historic house museum located in the heart of Fort Lauderdale. Bonnet House, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501c3, whose mission is to preserve this unique historic estate of Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett. Through enjoyable and enriching cultural experiences, the Museum connects today’s community to the Bartletts’ architectural, artistic and environmental legacy. Bonnet House is located at 900 North Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 and is open for tours Tuesday–Sunday from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. For more information, visit www.bonnethouse.org.
