Orange County swears in Wilson, Uribe and Semrad; commissioners outline housing, transportation and transparency priorities

Nicole H. Wilson, Myra Uribe and Kelly Semrad were sworn in as members of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners at an oath of office ceremony in Orange County. Chief Judge Lisa Munyon of the Ninth Judicial Circuit administered the oath to Wilson; Salvation Army Major Ken Chapman administered the oath to Uribe; and Commander John K. Lina of the U.S. Naval Reserves administered the oath to Semrad.

The ceremony, introduced by Jane Wautrell, manager of the Office of Communications for Orange County government, included remarks from Mayor Jerry L. Demings, who framed the transition by citing county growth and an approved charter amendment. Demings said Orange County grew from an early population of 466 to about 1,500,000 residents and receives about 74,000,000 visitors annually. He noted the recent passage of a county charter amendment that will expand the board’s six commission districts to eight in 2026.

Demings said the board’s work will focus on “managing growth, funding our frontline public safety personnel, building affordable housing, enhancing our transportation system, protecting the environment, and maintaining the infrastructure to meet our growing needs.”

In remarks after taking the oath, Commissioner Nicole H. Wilson thanked supporters and family and referenced history and civic rights movements in explaining her motivation. Wilson said, “I’m not giving up, I’m not giving in, and we’re not going back,” and said she intends to pursue policies the board will craft into ordinance, resolution and budget work, including clean air, water, open spaces and “housing for all.”

Commissioner Myra Uribe, who described District 3 as her lifelong home, thanked family and voters and said her priorities include expanding workforce housing, improving transportation and protecting the environment. Uribe told the audience she will “improve government transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.”

Commissioner Kelly Semrad, a longtime community and environmental advocate, said she began her campaign arguing that “working 1 job should be enough to pay your rent.” Semrad thanked labor groups and environmental organizations for support and said she will press for policies to strengthen the local economy and sustainable growth.

The swearing-in was ceremonial; no board votes or formal policy actions occurred during the ceremony. The event included musical performances by local high school ensembles and an invocation from Rabbi David Kaye of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida. Jane Wautrell closed the program by noting the newly sworn commissioners will take their seats at the Board of County Commissioners’ next meeting later the same day.

The ceremony reiterated themes likely to reappear in upcoming commission work: housing affordability, transportation and environmental protection, along with a stated commitment to transparency and responsiveness by the new and returning commissioners.