A Legacy of Service: Commissioners Jaffe and Molina-Macfie

For City Commissioners Byron L. Jaffe and Mary Molina-Macfie, public service began long before they were elected to the Weston City Commission.

Long before either took a seat on the dais, both were involved in the community they called home, advocating, volunteering and finding ways to make a difference. Their paths to public office differed, but they shared something fundamental: a belief that being part of a community also means taking responsibility for helping to make it better.

Now, as their terms on the Weston City Commission draw to a close, the City recognizes two public servants whose commitment to Weston extends far beyond their years in elected office.

DIFFERENT PATHS TO PUBLIC SERVICE

For Commissioner Mary Molina-Macfie, advocacy began as it does for many parents: with her children.

A Weston resident since 1991, Molina-Macfie became deeply involved in an issue affecting the health of students in Broward County Public Schools after her own children experienced health challenges related to indoor air quality. What began as a mother advocating for her children grew into a much greater effort.

She went before the School Board repeatedly, pressing for attention to mold and indoor air quality in schools. She asked questions, sought answers and continued advocating when she believed more needed to be done. Her efforts ultimately helped implement mold remediation protocols and indoor air quality policies throughout Broward County schools.

That experience helped establish a pattern that would characterize Molina-Macfie’s approach to public service for years to come: identify a need, become informed, speak up and stay involved.

Her community advocacy expanded into many other areas, from neighborhood and community association issues to veterans, public safety – including tightening the reporting requirements for sexual offenders in Weston, voter registration and assistance for families in need.

She brought that same grassroots approach with her when she was elected to Commission Seat Four in November 2018.

Among her efforts, Molina-Macfie founded Veterans of Weston and organized Weston’s first municipal food distributions. She created Commissioner’s Corner so residents could speak with her one-on-one and launched the City’s first Coffee with a Cop, specifically for community association board members. Her advocacy has also included accommodations for people with fragrance sensitivities and other issues that may not always draw widespread attention but can significantly affect those impacted.

In 2021, the Broward County Commission on the Status of Women recognized Molina-Macfie as one of 15 Broward County women honored under the theme “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” The recognition highlighted her community advocacy as well as her work registering voters and engaging residents in the civic process.

A CONNECTION TO WESTON FROM THE BEGINNING

Commissioner Byron L. Jaffe’s history with Weston goes back even further, to before Weston was officially a city.

Jaffe has called Weston home since 1990, when he and his wife, Beth, moved here to raise their family. When residents began the effort that would ultimately lead to Weston’s incorporation in 1996, Jaffe joined the movement.

In the years that followed, he continued his involvement.

He served as president of the Hibiscus Island Maintenance Association, as a director of the Weston Homeowners Association and as co-chair and one of the founders of Weston’s Fourth of July events. He was also involved with local schools and other community organizations.

His involvement with Weston therefore spans much more than his time as an elected official. As a resident, he had a front-row seat during the City’s earliest years and later helped guide the community from the Commission dais.

Jaffe was first elected in March 2017 in a special election to fill the unexpired term of Commission Seat Three. In November 2018, voters elected him to his first full term, and in 2022, Weston voters returned him to office for a second four-year term.

During his years on the Commission, Jaffe also represented Weston in matters extending beyond the City’s boundaries. His regional service has included involvement with the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, where transportation policy and funding decisions affect communities throughout Broward County, as well as service on the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport Federal Noise Study Commission.

Jaffe also brought another perspective to public service from his professional career. A commercial airline pilot since 1985 and a captain based at Miami International Airport, he retired from aviation in 2025.

And anyone who has followed Commissioner Jaffe’s speeches or social media over the years is likely familiar with the way he expresses his enthusiasm for the community. Again and again, his messages about Weston conclude with his signature:

#1 Best City to Live, Weston FL

It is a phrase that has become distinctly Byron Jaffe, an expression of the pride he has long taken in the City he helped incorporate, watched grow and eventually served as an elected official.

EIGHT YEARS TOGETHER ON THE DAIS

Beginning in November 2018, Jaffe and Molina-Macfie served together through different configurations of the Weston City Commission, working alongside different mayors and commissioners as the City evolved and faced new challenges.

Over those years, they participated in countless decisions, discussions, workshops, budget hearings, special meetings, community events and everyday interactions with residents that come with holding municipal office.

Public service at the local level is personal.

The people affected by their decisions are neighbors. The roads traveled are the same roads they drive themselves. The parks, schools, neighborhoods and businesses being discussed are places they know firsthand. Residents approach them at City events, in stores and restaurants, by phone and email and sometimes simply while walking through a park.

For both Jaffe and Molina-Macfie, accessibility and connection to residents have been central to their service.

Their individual styles have been uniquely their own.

Molina-Macfie’s public service has reflected the advocate who first found her voice fighting for healthier schools for her children and other families. Her willingness to champion an issue, particularly one affecting people who may feel unheard, has remained a defining element of her community involvement.

Jaffe’s service has been grounded in his long history with Weston and his unmistakable pride in the community. Few sitting commissioners can say they participated in the effort to create the City they would one day help govern.

Together, their years on the Commission have coincided with an important chapter in Weston’s history.

SERVICE THAT DOES NOT BEGIN OR END WITH A TITLE

Elected office has a defined beginning and end. Public service does not necessarily follow the same calendar.

That may be one of the most fitting observations as Commissioners Byron L. Jaffe and Mary Molina-Macfie prepare to conclude their service on the Weston City Commission at this time.

Neither needed an elected title to become involved in Weston.

November 16, they will leave the Commission after years of votes cast, meetings attended, events celebrated, residents assisted and conversations held.

The titles will change.

The history they helped create will remain.

And, in Commissioner Jaffe’s case, there is little doubt how he would punctuate the end of this particular chapter: #1 Best City to Live, Weston, FL

We thank them for their dedication and commitment to the residents and business owners of the City of Weston.