The Namesake

Senator Larcenia J. Bullard

Educator, community advocate and South Florida legislator whose public-service career spanned two decades.

1947–2013

A life devoted to South Florida.

Larcenia J. Bullard served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 through 2000 and later in the Florida Senate from 2002 through 2012. The Florida House records her as the first woman elected to represent House District 118, and her service became closely associated with families, education, community affairs and South Dade.

Born in Allendale, South Carolina, Bullard earned a bachelor's degree from Antioch University and a master's degree from Nova University before moving to Florida in 1980. She became involved in education and community life before beginning her legislative career.

Portrait source: WFSU Public Media.

Public Service

A voice for families, recovery and community needs.

Bullard entered the Florida House in 1992, the same year Hurricane Andrew devastated South Miami-Dade. A congressional resolution honoring her after her death specifically recognized her work in helping rebuild South Miami-Dade following the storm.

Her legislative record also included the Good Samaritan Act, measures concerning the use of public facilities as emergency shelters and the designation of Key Lime Pie as Florida's official state pie. Beyond individual bills, colleagues remembered her for a highly personal style of public service and for maintaining relationships across political lines.

Her family also became part of Florida's public-service history. Her husband, Edward B. “Ed” Bullard, later served in the Florida House, and their son Dwight Bullard served in both chambers of the Legislature.

1992Elected to Florida House District 118

2002Elected to Florida Senate District 39

2012Completed Senate service after term limits

1992–2000

Florida House of Representatives

Represented House District 118 and became the first woman elected to that district.

2002–2012

Florida Senate

Represented Senate District 39, covering portions of South Florida and the Florida Keys during her tenure.

2013

Congress honors her legacy

Members of Florida's congressional delegation introduced a resolution recognizing her life, service and contributions to South Florida.

Why the Plaza Bears Her Name

A legacy embedded in place.

Bullard's connection to South Dade was both personal and political. Manifezt Foundation's current property history notes that she lived just one block from the Plaza site for much of her adult life and public-service career.

Naming the building for Senator Bullard connects a modern community asset to a public servant whose work centered on the same region. The Plaza's mix of local commerce, civic use, education, cultural preservation and neighborhood programming provides a practical way for that legacy to remain visible in everyday community life.

Explore Richmond Heights History

Larcenia J. Bullard Plaza with namesake signage visible

Historical Sources