By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The questions Coral Gables residents have been debating for years — what transparency requires, how public officials should be held accountable, and what ethical governance looks like in practice — will move from commission chambers into a public forum Wednesday evening at the Coral Gables Museum.

The Gables Good Government Committee, in partnership with the Institute for Ethical Leadership at St. Thomas University, will host a public discussion on ethics in local government on Wednesday, May 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the museum, 285 Aragon Avenue. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required by Tuesday, May 19.

The forum arrives at a consequential moment in Coral Gables civic life. In recent years, the city has experienced a period of sustained governance debate involving charter reform, election changes, commission discord, questions surrounding public participation, and growing public focus on transparency and institutional accountability. In April, voters approved a package of charter reforms that included the creation of an Inspector General — one of the most significant structural oversight changes in the city’s recent history.

In that context, a discussion about ethics in local government becomes less theoretical and more practical. The forum’s central questions — what ethical behavior requires of public officials, how institutions enforce those standards, and what residents should reasonably expect from their government — are questions Coral Gables has been confronting repeatedly in public life.

The panelists

The forum will feature two panelists approaching government ethics from different perspectives.

Keith Puls is an assistant professor of law at St. Thomas University College of Law whose background spans three decades of military legal service and academic scholarship. A retired U.S. Army Judge Advocate who served in positions ranging from the 10th Mountain Division to Chief of International and Operational Law for U.S. Army Europe and legal counsel at U.S. Southern Command, Puls brings to the forum a career built around ethics and accountability within complex institutional environments. He completed a doctorate in Intercultural Human Rights from St. Thomas University in 2024. His perspective will center on the standards and obligations that shape ethical conduct within public institutions.

Ignacio Vazquez has served as Executive Director of the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust since September 2024, leading the agency’s lawyers, investigators, and community outreach staff in overseeing ethical compliance across county and municipal government. Before joining the Ethics Commission, Vazquez spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, where he led organized crime and drug enforcement task forces, prosecuted criminal enterprises engaged in racketeering and public corruption, and served as a cross-designated Special Assistant United States Attorney. He is a graduate of St. Thomas University School of Law. His participation brings direct experience with how ethical standards are enforced operationally within local government systems.

Former Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, who co-founded the Gables Good Government Committee and chairs the Advisory Council of the Institute for Ethical Leadership, will deliver opening and closing remarks. Jaime Franco, director and faculty member of the institute, will moderate the discussion.

Two organizations, one civic argument

The Gables Good Government Committee is a Coral Gables civic organization founded in 2009 and focused on what it describes as the pillars of good governance: transparency, accountability, consistency, efficiency, fairness, compliance, and public participation. The group organizes public forums and meetings with elected officials and city leadership, advocates for or against public policy proposals, and promotes civic engagement. The organization does not endorse political candidates.

The partnership with St. Thomas University’s Institute for Ethical Leadership adds an academic and professional dimension to the discussion. The institute focuses on ethics, leadership, and public responsibility across government, law, business, and civic institutions.

Why the conversation matters now

Ethics discussions in local government often become most relevant during periods of institutional strain or civic transition. Coral Gables has spent the past several years publicly debating the balance between governmental authority and public oversight — through charter review processes, election reform discussions, disputes over transparency, and broader questions about civic trust.

The forum’s timing reflects that reality. Rather than focusing on abstract political theory, the discussion is expected to examine how ethical principles function within the daily operations of local government: disclosure, accountability, enforcement, transparency, conflicts of interest, and public confidence in institutions.

The event takes place Wednesday, May 20, at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue. Registration and refreshments begin at 5:30 p.m.; the program and public Q&A session run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required by May 19 by emailing gablesgoodgov@gmail.com or calling GGG President Susi Davis at 305-582-5827.