Who is Daniel Foganholi, the new Broward School Board member appointed by DeSantis?
Miami Herald | By Jimena Tavel | May 2, 2022
Nearly two months after Rosalind Osgood’s final meeting as a Broward School Board member in early March, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her replacement Friday: Daniel Foganholi, a Coral Springs resident of Brazilian descent.
Foganholi, 36, works as a design consultant for Arhaus, an Ohio-based retail chain that designs and sells furniture. He also is the director of strategic partnerships for the Brazilian American Coalition, a nonprofit that helps Brazilian Americans, according to a press release sent by the governor’s office.
Osgood resigned last November after nearly a decade on the board to run as a Democrat for Florida Senate District 33, which covers central Broward. She won the primary in January and the general election March 8.
Foganholi, who didn’t respond to a request for comment from the Herald Monday, filed last November to run as a Republican for Florida Senate District 97, which covers northwest Broward. His campaign website, however, wasn’t working Monday. It’s unclear if he will still pursue that seat.
In December and January, he raised $1,810 for his campaign, state records show. Foganholi, who graduated from Florida Atlantic University with degrees in marketing and business management, didn’t raise money in February and March, the records show.
When he announced his campaign for state Senate on his LinkedIn page about three months ago, Foganholi wrote: “The number one question I’ve been getting is ‘WHY?’ The answer is simple, I love helping people.”
He also added: “My parents came to America from Brazil with a dream to build a better future for our family. This is what America is about. We have an opportunity to make history this year and we will!”
Foganholi will represent District 5 on the School Board, which goes from northwest Fort Lauderdale to east Sunrise, and from southwest Oakland Park to northeast Plantation. He will serve until Osgood’s term ends in November.
District 5 voters will choose who will represent them in the Nov. 8 general election. Five candidates have filed to run for the seat, which the winning candidate would occupy for a two-year term, county election records show.
The deadline for getting onto the Broward School Board ballot is mid-June. As of Monday, May 2, Foganholi was not one of the five announced candidates running for the District 5 seat.