Brevard County Commission District 5
District 5 contains the towns of: Palm Bay , Indialantic , Melbourne Village , West Melbourne and Melbourne .
Notable named place is: Melbourne International Airport.
Commissioner Jason Steele
Jason Steele is a real estate broker for The Steele Group, which he co-founded with his brother, Val Steele, in 2008. Steele is also the director of government affairs for Smith and Associates Law Offices in Tallahassee and Melbourne and served in the Florida House of Representatives between 1980 and 1982. Steele is the executive producer of the television show “Political Food for Thought,” which is broadcast to 7,000,000 homes statewide. Steele, a former Brevard County Republican Party chairman, has served on numerous boards including Enterprise Florida and Space Florida. Steele was appointed by Governor Ron Desantis in June 2023 to fill the vacant Board of County Commission seat.
Brevard County Commission District 5 Staff
Charlene Brown, Director of Community Affairs
Charlene was born in St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands and has been a resident of Palm Bay Florida for over 30 years. Charlene attended Keiser University and has worked 25 years in the Medical field, most recently for Health First Medical Group. Charlene is married with three children. She enjoys donating her time to worthy causes and is a member of the Martha’s Group and Social Activities Committee at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church in Palm Bay. In her free time, Charlene loves to go to the beach, work in her garden at home and enjoy time in her favorite sanctuary, the kitchen.
Janette Gianella, Legislative Affairs Director
Janette was born in Edison, New Jersey and raised in Palm Bay Florida. She graduated with an Associates in Arts and Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management. She previously worked as a Medical Assistant for 5 years before becoming a Legislative Aide in 2018 where she was then promoted to Legislative Affairs Director in 2021. Janette is also a small business owner that creates handcrafted succulent arrangements and decor. One of her favorite things to do is give back to the community by supporting small local businesses. Being a mom is her proudest title and creating memories with her two children is what she loves the most.
Danielle Stern, Chief of Staff
Danielle was born and raised in Melbourne, Florida. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida. Danielle worked as the Corporate and Convention Sales Representative at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex from 1996-2000. She started her employment with Brevard County in 2000 in the Stormwater Department as the Public Education and Information Officer. She was then promoted to Communications Director overseeing SCGTV, Brevard County Website and all public relations functions from 2002-2005. After a brief hiatus from the county, Danielle returned in 2010 to work in the District Five Commission Office, serving both Commissioners Andy Anderson and Kristine Zonka through both their terms. She is married to Gary Stern and has one son.