Donald David Slesnick II (born November 7, 1943) is an American attorney, community advocate, military veteran, diplomat, and public official who served as Mayor of Coral Gables, Florida, from 2001 to 2011. A longtime figure in South Florida civic affairs, he is known for his involvement in urban planning, historic preservation, and local government ethics. Slesnick has held national roles in the American Bar Association and currently serves as Honorary Consul for Australia in Florida. He is the founder and Managing Partner of the law firm Slesnick & Casey, specializing in labor and employment law. As of 2026, his four consecutive terms as mayor constitute the longest uninterrupted mayoral tenure in Coral Gables.
Early life and education
Slesnick was born on November 7, 1943, to Donald David Slesnick, Sr. and Anne Thompson Farrior in Harlingen, Texas. His father served as a Master Sergeant in the Army Air Corps during the Italian campaign of the Second World War. Before being deployed overseas, he met Anne at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama. When Don Sr. returned from the war, the family settled in his father's hometown of Buffalo, New York. When Slesnick was ten years old, the family relocated to Miami in 1953 where he attended Kinloch Park Junior High and graduated with honors from Miami Senior High School.
After graduating high school, Slesnick attended the University of Virginia where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965. Slesnick would later credit his time at the University of Virginia with helping to lay the foundation for his later passion for historic preservation. Slesnick would then continue his education with a J.D. from the University of Florida in 1968, and a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University in 1980.
Military service
As a university student Slesnick, like his father, chose to serve in the United States military, beginning a decades-long career. He began his service as an ROTC student at the University of Virginia where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1965. After receiving his law degree in 1969, he reported to active duty for the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, followed by two years in the Federal Republic of Germany as part of the 5th U.S. Artillery Group where Slesnick served as an atomic warhead advisor to NATO forces from 1969 to 1971. In the role, Slesnick coordinated with German, British, Canadians, Belgian, and Dutch forces.
Slesnick was then stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, for training as a civil affairs before serving a tour of duty as a captain in the 29th Civil Affairs Company, Danang, Vietnam, where he served as an advisor to the Federal Field Police engaged in anti-Viet Cong operations. His territory encompassed the five northernmost provinces divided from North Vietnam by the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). After the completion of his tour of active duty, Slesnick served for 24 years in the Army Reserves, holding the positions of commander of the 478th Civil Affairs Company as well as Deputy Commandant of the 3387th USAR School. He ultimately retired from the reserves in 1994 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Slesnick has remained engaged with military affairs. He was a founder and co-chair of the community-wide “Team Miami” Project, which successfully led the efforts to relocate the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) from Panama to South Florida and also, following the destruction of Hurricane Andrew, to save and rebuild Homestead Air Force Base.
Slesnick then served as an Army Reserve ambassador and chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Council.
Slesnick has received combat ribbons and awards for his military service, including the Meritorious Service Medal.
In 2012, Slesnick received the "Outstanding Civilian Service Award" from the U.S. Department of the Army, presented by the commanding general of SOUTHCOM, Douglas Fraser.
In 2020, Slesnick was inducted into the State of Florida's Veterans Hall of Fame.
Law career
Upon returning from active duty in the Vietnam War, Slesnick began his law career and was admitted into the Florida Bar in 1972. He became an active participant in the legal community at the county, state and national levels and, as a result, was appointed to several leading positions in the field. These included serving as Director of Personnel for the Dade County Public Safety Department from 1972 to 1974, Director of Labor Relations and Legislative Affairs for Dade County Public Schools from 1974 to 1975, and General Counsel of the Dade County and Florida Police Benevolent Association from 1975 to 1978.
Slesnick has held several leadership posts in the American Bar Association (ABA) as well as the Florida Bar. These included being elected Chair of the Florida Bar Labor & Employment Law Section (1977-1978), Chair of the Florida Bar Law Week & American Citizenship Committee (1978–80), as well as Chairman of the American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law (2017-2018). In 1985 Slesnick was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. Slesnick is also a past Chair of the American Bar Foundation's Fellows and the 2015 President of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, an honorific organization recognizing the best advocates in that area of expertise.
Over the course of his legal career, Slesnick served for three years as the Section Officers Council Liaison to the ABA board of governors Member Services Committee, 10 years in the ABA House of Delegates from 2008 to 2018, as well as a member of the ABA Presidential Commission on Civic Education in the Nation's Schools from 2010 to 2013.
Alongside his roles in governmental and nonprofit organizations, Slesnick launched his private legal practice, the Law Office of Donald Slesnick, in 1978, which would later expand into the Law Offices of Slesnick & Lober, and finally to its current name of the Law Offices of Slesnick & Casey in 1992. His firm’s clients have included the South Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), Florida Nurses Association (FNA), Government Supervisors Association of Florida (GSAF), and the Dade Association of School Administrators (DASA).
Political career Early involvement
After becoming established in the legal community at the county and state levels by the end of the 1970s, Slesnick began his political career with his first campaigns for public office. He ran twice for State Representative for Florida's District 114, first in 1978 and again 1980. While unsuccessful, Slesnick's community involvement would deepen following these races, including being elected President of the Junior Orange Bowl Committee in the 1980s.
By the 1990s, Slesnick had emerged as a prominent community figure in South Florida and statewide across several fields. He had held several organizational leadership roles including Chairman of the CoraI Gables Community Foundation, Chairman of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, President of the Dade Cultural Alliance, President of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables, President of the Dade Heritage Trust, and Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board. At the state level, Slesnick served as President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation (FTHP) from 1993-1995, and was credited by the Trust with increased advocacy in the Florida State Capitol, as well as expanding the organization by increasing its membership base. As a leading South Florida historic preservation figure, Slesnick advocated in the media for the adaptive reuse of historic structures and adoption of the successful economic models used by cities with robust preservation programs.
As Chairman of the Coral Gables Planning & Zoning Board, his first appointed government role in Coral Gables, Slesnick oversaw the establishment and execution of the Mediterranean Architectural Ordinance to maintain thematic alignment with the city’s founding vision. In that role he also helped guide the review and modification process of several major developments in the city to ensure adherence to the city’s zoning code. These included the Village of Merrick Park, the 10 Aragon Condominium, and Hotel Colonnade. With the latter, Slesnick notably crafted the zoning mechanism that allowed for a new high-rise hotel to be built on Miracle Mile while ensuring the protection of the Merrick-era historic Colonnade Building.
Slesnick also mobilized efforts to combat corruption in public office, including speaking out against the issue in the media. He also co-founded and led the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Ethics In Government and Business Task Force in 1998, which created a code of ethical conduct for chamber members and held an ethics summit to air the concerns of the business community. In that role, Slesnick also collaborated with the Hispanic leadership organization Mesa Redonda to create a privately funded watchdog group to help spotlight corrupt officials and business practices.
Mayor of Coral Gables
Following decades of increasing civic and community advocacy and involvement, in 2001 Slesnick successfully ran for Mayor of Coral Gables, defeating an incumbent. The election began a decade-long tenure in the position with four consecutive election campaigns. Slesnick’s term overlapped with a period of transition for the city. By the start of the 21st century, Coral Gables had become one of South Florida’s most prominent municipalities. It maintained a high profile internationally for its major historic landmarks and tourist destinations such as the Biltmore Hotel, Venetian Pool, and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, as well as for significant outreach to Latin America. While the city was largely defined by its history, this period also coincided with its growing business activity. By the early 2000s, Coral Gables housed more than 150 multinational corporations, including major brands such as Yahoo!, Texaco, and Lucent Technologies, which had each established their Latin American headquarters in the city, as well as the continued growth of the University of Miami, one of the largest employers in the city.
In addition to the city’s growing international business and tourism presence, Slesnick’s mayoral tenure also navigated the local impacts of several major tumultuous national events in the first decade of the 21st century, including the "Dotcom" stock market bubble, the post-September 11th impact of business-related tourism, and the Great Recession. His administration would also oversee the area’s preparations and recoveries from the landfalls of hurricanes Katrina and Wilma.
Communications reforms Slesnick carried out campaign initiatives focused on enhancing transparency in municipal governance and improving accessibility to City Hall. His administration oversaw the establishment of the Coral Gables Communications Office. The Communications Office then launched a series of programs across various media to modernize methods of connecting with residents and updating the community on city services, resources, meetings, and emergency-related issues. These included publishing annual reports, launching the Coral Gables E-News service, launching an emergency radio broadcast capability, and expanding the programming of the Coral Gables television station.
Infrastructure and Transportation