Adam Cervera was sworn in Friday to replace Brenda Fam on the Broward School Board following her sudden resignation last month from the District 6 seat. Cervera was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Cervera, 41, grew up in Broward County and graduated from J.P. Taravella High in Coral Springs in 2001. He attended Florida International University College of Law and is a shareholder at Becker and Poliakoff, a Coral Gables law firm.
" I take this new responsibility seriously," Cervera said after taking the oath of office. "There's work ahead — restoring trust, raising expectations and making sure every policy we pass reflects the values and the priorities of the families we are fortunate to serve."
Broward County Public Schools is the nation's sixth-largest school district and second-largest in the state behind Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Cervera is replacing Fam as the only conservative on the dais, despite the school board itself being non-partisan.
Fam cited a hostile environment from her more liberal colleagues in her April 22 resignation letter to Superintendent Howard Hepburn.
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Fam was elected in 2022 to represent District 6, which includes Weston, Cooper City, Davie and parts of Sunrise and Plantation. Cervera will finish out her term, which ends November 2026.
" As a conservative, I believe in family first education, school choice and age-appropriate, values-based learning," Cervera said in his speech, in which he thanked Fam and DeSantis for their support. "I believe in protecting parental rights, not just as a principal, but as a lived reality."
Cervera's remarks were met with resounding applause and whooping from the dozens of supporters in the audience. After he concluded his speech, many chanted, "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!"
Weston Mayor Peggy Brown and Vice Mayor Henry Mead, Coconut Creek City Commissioner John Brodie and Broward College President Torey Alston, who at one point served on the Broward School Board after being hand-picked by DeSantis, were among those in attendance.
Hepburn welcomed Cervera to the board and lauded his involvement in "Read To a Child," a national program fostering a love for reading and literacy, and the Children Education Advocacy Clinic, which works on behalf of special needs children in South Florida's public schools.
" Those experiences will be extremely valuable to our district," Hepburn said. "Adam is a wonderful addition to the board and I look forward to working closely him on district priorities and strategic planning."
Cervera has lived most of his adult life in Miami but recently moved to Broward. His new Tamarac address is in District 4, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Board member Lori Alhadeff currently represents the district. There’s no requirement that gubernatorial appointees to the school board live in the same district, or even the same county, where they are serving.
DeSantis has appointed a number of conservative members to the Broward County School Board in the past, including Alston and current state Board of Education member Daniel Foganholi.
