Geraldine "Jeri" Muoio is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and current Mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...

 since 2011. Muoio is the fourth strong mayor in the city's history.

Muoio is a resident of the Ibis Golf & Country Club in the far western section of West Palm Beach. She holds a doctorate

Doctorate

A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...

 in academic administration

Academic administration

An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...

 from Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

 and a master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 from SUNY Oswego.

She served as the city commissioner

Commissioner

Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....

 of West Palm Beach before her election as Mayor of West Palm Beach in March 2011. She has been described as the "hand picked successor" of outgoing Mayor Lois Frankel

Lois Frankel

Lois J. Frankel is an American politician and lawyer. A former member of the Florida House of Representatives for fourteen years, Frankel became the first woman to serve as Minority Leader of the State House in Florida's history...

, who left office due to term limits after two consecutive terms.

Muoio won 51.2% of the vote in the 2011 West Palm Beach mayoral election held on March 8, 2011. Most political observers had predicted that the crowded, four-way mayoral race would result in a runoff election. However, Muoio won the election with a outright majority, avoiding a runoff. She defeated three opponents - Molly Douglas, a West Palm Beach city commissioner; Paula Ryan, a housing consultant

Consultant

A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...

; and Charles Bantel, an electrician

Electrician

An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...

. Muoio received 4,761 votes, or 51.2%; Paula Ryan placed second with 23.3%; Molly Douglas was third with 21.3 %; and Charles Bantel came in fourth place with 4.2% of the vote.

Muoio was inaugurated into office at 3:32 p.m. on March 31, 2011.