Andrew “Andy” Bellinson

PH: (305) 898-0909
EMAIL: andybellinson@icloud.com

Andrew “Andy” Bellinson
Andy Bellinson is a 20-year resident of Miami Shores and a graduate of Tulane University School of Law, with deep ties to our community, where he and his wife have raised their two teenagers. For over a decade Andy owned and operated South Beach Smoothie, with multiple locations throughout Miami-Dade County. He currently owns Bellinson Law firm, specializing in Elder Law. Andy spends his days helping families negotiate effective legal solutions to take care of their parents and grandparents in crisis situations.
He’s an active board member of many community organizations: The Greater Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce, Alliance for Aging, and Business Networking International. He’s also a member of the Florida Bar, United States Federal Bar, and the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida.
Andy’s running for Miami Shores Village Council to give our residents a voice in important decisions facing our community. He will bring resiliency, transparency, and unity back to the Shores, along with the civility, integrity and commonsense solutions that have been overlooked in the past; promoting measures for preserving our community without handing the reins over to developers. Andy’s goal is to ensure that Miami Shores remains the vibrant and unique community that its residents have come to love.

GEORGE E. BURCH
PH: (305) 343-2738
EMAIL: georgeburchdvm@gmail.com

George Burch

George was born in Fort Lauderdale and moved to Miami Shores at age two. He attended Miami Shores Elementary, Horace Mann Middle School, and Miami Edison. A distinguished student, he was a Silver Knight nominee, and an Eagle Scout.  He matriculated to the Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine and went on to a career working solely with race horses at South Florida tracks. He is a former Chairman of the Florida State Board of Veterinary Medicine.  George retired from practice in 2021.

As an entrepreneur, George became President of B&H Real Estate Investment, Inc., owning and managing industrial warehouses. This business gave him valuable exposure to real estate ownership and management.

Around Miami Shores, Dr. Burch has held leadership roles at Miami Country Day School as a Trustee, and with Miami Shores Presbyterian Church. Known as an approachable donor to local organizations,  Brockway Memorial Library, Doctors Charter School, Miami Country Day School, and Miami Shores Community Alliance, are all recipients of George’s giving spirit.  

George and his wife, Alice, have been married 50 years. They have two grown children and two grandchildren of whom they are very proud. Dr. Burch’s hobbies have included scuba diving, boating, and flying.

In George Burch, you have a highly qualified, experienced, and responsible leader who cares deeply about Miami Shores.

NEIL CANTOR
PH: (727) 641-4757
EMAIL: Sinnet23@aol.com

WESLEY CASTELLANOS
PH: (786)218-5335
EMAIL: Wesleycastellanos@hotmail.com

Wesley A. Castellanos, Architect

Dear Miami Shores Resident:

In January, I was honored to be appointed to the Miami Shores Village Council. I humbly accepted this appointment so I can continue to serve our beautiful Village and ensure we have steady leadership as we face several key decisions.

Preserving history is important to me and I served as Chair of the Village’s Historic Preservation Board for four years. I was able to bring my years of training and education as a registered Architect and Certified General Contractor to the Board so we can properly review decisions and achieve the best outcome for our community.

Through my over 25-years of private and public sector experience, I have worked closely with local governments, so I know what it takes to bring needed consensus to our decision-making process.

I also believe we need to have safe neighborhoods and invest in our quality of life. As a husband and father of two children who attend Miami Shores Elementary School, I can tell you this is a big priority for me.

I am running for Council with one goal in mind to allow our wonderful Village to be its best version of itself.

We have some tough decisions to make, and I can promise you that as your Councilmember, I will be engaged throughout our Village listening and seeking input from all our residents. With your trust and support, I know we can achieve great progress together!

I humbly ask for your vote on April 11^th.

JEROME CHARLES
PH: (305)439-0111
EMAIL: jeromecharlesmsv@gmail.com

Jerome Charles Bio

My name is Jerome Charles. I am a Miami native who has called Miami Shores home for over 44 years. My wife, Tabitha, and I, have raised our two children here. My family, like yours, is fortunate to live in the Village Beautiful. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications and have worked in the film and television industry for the past 37 years. I served as an award-winning senior editor for Discovery Communications, the parent company of The Discovery Channel Latin America.

I am a candidate for Village Council because I’d like to take the Village in the right direction. During the past year and a half, the Village has entertained upzoning privately-owned property that will forever change the single-family residential character and charm of Miami Shores. I understand how unique Miami Shores is and I want to do my part to responsibly plan for the future. With a resident-centric approach, I am committed to being a good steward of Miami Shores. Together, we can preserve and enhance our Village Beautiful.

I look forward to the opportunity to serve Miami Shores Village. Please vote for me, Jerome Charles, on April 11.

DEEPAK GANJU
PH: (786)210-3547
EMAIL: dganju@earthlink.net

I'm Deepak Ganju, a 30-year resident of Miami Shores. I am a small business owner with an engineering background. I am also a founding Director of Holding Hands Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization partnering with Miami hospitals to support and feed cancer patients and caregivers.

I have worked diligently to build a successful business and raise a family right here in Miami Shores, after having been uprooted by terrorists from my birthplace.  For similarly affected people, I co-founded Kashmir Hindu Foundation as a support organization and also run an online magazine viewed by more than ten thousand people monthly.

For what I have received here, I have been working to give back as a community organizer. I recently led a civic upgrade project for road design at the Miami Shores Elementary School.

My Priorities

Ensure that our village continues to be a safe place for us to live while preserving and protecting our environment.

Restructure the Comprehensive Plan.

Revitalize and upgrading community center and recreation facilities.

Accelerate the septic to sewer conversion.

Bring resources to help address sea-level rise, flooding, and infrastructure concerns.

Improve our permitting, zoning, and code enforcement procedures.

Please visit deepakganju.com (http://deepakganju.com) for more information

JULIO MARTINEZ
PH: (786)290-0565
EMAIL: juliomartinezcampaign@gmail.com

JESSE VALINSKY
PH: (954)937-1166
EMAIL: jesse@steves-pizza.net

“My wife and I bought our first house almost 14 years ago on the northwest side of Miami Shores and have been proud to call the Village our home ever since.  We currently live in central Miami Shores where we are raising our two young boys and expecting twins this year.  Like many of you, we fell in love with this Village before we even lived here, and even more so once we started raising a family here. Its future is very important to us.

I own and operate a popular pizzeria in the area, along with my siblings, which my father opened almost 50 years ago.  I also spent several years building and operating my own rapid prototyping workshop with unique capabilities, where I assisted many independent inventors and institutional projects with the design and production of custom components.  I’m a small businessman and a nerd.  I have a passion for problem solving, an obsession with knowing how everything works, and I think I can bring a different kind of energy that this Council and Village would benefit from, if given the opportunity.”

PETER WALSH
(786)281-7042
pwalsh@1800askfree.com

Frances and I moved into our Shores home twenty years ago when Frances was expecting our first, Luke. We bathed Luke in our kitchen sink under a window that looks out at six amazing oaks that have stood for a hundred years. And, following Shores tradition, we imprinted the footprint of Luke’s baby feet in a section of freshly poured sidewalk in the shade under those oaks.
I stand against the comp plan—I signed the petition against it and I showed up at the Council and spoke publicly against it. Here in the Shores, we’ve built something precious. But I’m not talking just about our tree-lined streets; I’m talking about our Shores family that opens its arms and hearts to all. That’s where I stand.
And I will make our neighborhood the safest in the County: I’ve fought crime as a prosecutor under Janet Reno and then Kathy Rundle.
The kitchen sink, the oaks, and the sidewalk imprint are still here at our home—plus one more child, our daughter, Maeve. God willing, Frances and I will grow old here together. Please consider giving me your vote. I will stand as your unwavering oak on our Village Council.