Richard D. Lara was elected to the Coral Gables City Commission (Group 3) on April 22, 2025.

A third-generation Coral Gables resident, Commissioner Lara is a proud graduate of Coral Gables Senior High School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and was nominated for the prestigious Silver Knight Award in Journalism.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School.

Lara’s professional career spans more than three decades in the legal field. Admitted to the Florida Bar in 1993, Lara was managing partner of Mase Lara, P.A., a boutique litigation firm, where he led complex jury trials across the state. In 2015, he was appointed by then Governor Rick Scott to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Third District Court of Appeal, serving as Chair during his tenure. He currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Spanish Broadcasting System, the largest publicly traded Hispanic media company in the United States.

Deeply committed to civic and community service, Commissioner Lara has served on the City’s Anti-Crime Committee and volunteers as a mentor and mock trial coach at both the University of Miami School of Law and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy. He also volunteers as Development Chair of the Board of Directors of EasterSeals South Florida, championing care for those with Alzheimer’s and autism.

He has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including being named 2022 General Counsel of the Year by the Daily Business Review and maintaining an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell for more than 20 years.

Commissioner Lara and his wife, Bertha, are the proud parents of three daughters: Gabrielle, Victoria, and Alexandra. They reside in a historic, landmark-designated home.

As a City Commissioner, Lara is focused on restoring trust in government, fostering mutual respect and civility, and ensuring that the voices of Coral Gables residents remain at the heart of every decision.