Commissioner John M. Delgado
PERC welcomes John M. Delgado to the Commission. Commissioner Delgado served as a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department from 1969 to 2003. He is recognized in federal and state courts as an expert in use-of-force cases involving law enforcement officers. While a member of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Commissioner Delgado was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to a fouryear term as a commissioner with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. He was reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush to a second term. His fellow commissioners elected him vice-chair until 2001, when his appointment ended.
Commissioner Delgado brings a wealth of varied experiences in labor relations and collective bargaining to the Commission. His involvement in public sector labor relations predates the enactment of the Public Employees Relations Act in 1974. He was a member of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association (Dade County PBA) for two years before running for union office. He was an elected member of the Dade County PBA’s board of directors for eighteen years, and he was elected to the executive board where he served for twelve years. During his tenure on the executive board, Commissioner Delgado served as the Dade County PBA’s second vice-president. As a PBA officer, Commissioner Delgado helped negotiate numerous collective bargaining contracts for employees of Miami-Dade and other employers. He also has first-hand experience with the impasse resolution process, including mediation, special magistrate hearings, and assisting in presentations to the Miami-Dade legislative body. As second vice-president, Commissioner Delgado conducted training for newly-elected PBA officers, members of boards of directors, and representatives. Training topics included their responsibilities regarding collective bargaining negotiations and administration, management’s rights, processing grievances, and officers’ rights under the Police Officers’ Bill of Rights.
After retiring from the Miami-Dade Police Department in 2003 and prior to his appointment to the Commission, Commissioner Delgado worked full-time with the Officer Survival Operations Group, Inc., a company he founded. The Group is composed of professional law enforcement officers who teach classes in patrol and investigative procedures, how to be an effective supervisor, and managerial procedures.
Delgado succeeds Charles Kossuth and is appointed for a term beginning March 2, 2009, and ending January 1, 2013.
